Parliament Question: Discrimination of Dalit students in educational institution

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2109 ANSWERED ON 11/03/2026 Discrimination of Dalit students in educational institution 2109 Smt. Jebi Mather Hisham: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) the details of caste-based discrimination, violence and suicides of Dalit students in educational institutions State-wise during last five years; (b) the number of FIRs registered, chargesheets filed and conviction rates in these cases during the same period, State-wise/UT-wise details thereof; (c) State-wise dropout rates of Dalit students in the last five years and whether discrimination was recorded as a reason; (d) the details of sexual harassment and gender-based violence against Dalit girl students and action taken, State-wise/UT-wise during last five years; and (e) State-wise/UT-wise details for the last five years of disciplinary action taken against teachers or officials found guilty of caste bias? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (e): Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, Centre and States are equally responsible for providing quality education to all. Central Universities under the purview of Ministry of Education are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament and governed by provisions of the Acts, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations made thereunder. Central Universities are sensitised from time to time to ensure that faculty and officials refrain from discriminatory acts, establish mechanisms for lodging complaints through websites or complaint registers, take prompt action against erring individuals and are also encouraged to constitute committees to address complaints of discrimination received from Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Other Backward Class students, teachers, and non-teaching staff. The Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission (UGC) have taken several measures to prevent caste based discrimination and to safeguard the interests of students coming from disadvantaged groups, including setting up of Students Grievance Redressal Committees (SGRCs) and appointment of Ombudspersons, establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells, provisions of counselling support through counselling centres and guidelines for curbing of ragging and prevention of sexual harassment. UGC has also notified the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, which provide a structured mechanism for addressing sexual harassment and violence in HEIs. *****