**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1365 regarding enrollment in post-graduate and Ph.D. programs, as well as issues related to caste-based discrimination, grievances, and student suicides in Central Universities and centrally-funded institutions. It outlines measures taken by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to address these concerns, highlighting the implementation of policies and initiatives aimed at promoting equity, mental health, and grievance redressal. The answer was provided on December 8, 2023.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Enrollment Trends:**
* There has been an increase in the enrollment of SC, ST, and OBC students for PG and PhD levels in Central Universities, IIMs, IITs, and IISc from 2020-21.
* **NEP 2020 Initiatives:**
* NEP 2020 promotes seamless student mobility and flexibility through multiple entry and exit options.
* Central Funded Higher Educational Institutions (CFHEIs) have implemented measures like advisor appointments, additional classes, peer learning, counselling, psychological motivation, and extra-curricular activities.
* **Student Welfare and Grievance Redressal:**
* Student Welfare Centres have been established, especially in IITs, to promote well-being.
* Mental health professionals provide counselling and support via in-person and online platforms.
* Central Universities and centrally-funded institutions have internal mechanisms to address grievances.
* The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023.
* Establishment of Students Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC) and appointment of Ombudsperson for handling discrimination complaints.
* **Equity and Non-Discrimination:**
* UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012 mandates institutions to establish Anti-Discrimination Officers or Equal Opportunity Cells.
* IIMs have constituted Committees and Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) to ensure promotion of equity.
* Centrally funded technical institutes have Anti-Ragging mechanisms, SC/ST/OBC Cells, and Internal Complaints Committees.
* **Mental Health and Suicide Prevention:**
* The government is implementing multi-pronged measures to provide psychological support to students, teachers, and families.
* The Manodarpan initiative offers a toll-free helpline, interactive sessions (‘Sahyog’), and webinars (‘Paricharcha’).
* UGC has issued advisories and guidelines promoting physical fitness, sports, student health, and emotional well-being.
* The Department of Higher Education promotes the Integrated Approach for Promoting Positive Mental Health.
* **Data Reporting:**
* Comprehensive analysis of data on accidental deaths and suicides is available in the yearly Accidental Death & Suicide in India (ADSI) reports by NCRB.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Central Universities and Centrally Funded Institutions**
* **Impact:** Required to establish and maintain internal mechanisms for grievance redressal, promote equity, and ensure student well-being.
* **Action Required:** Implement UGC regulations, establish committees and cells, integrate mental health initiatives, and promote awareness programs.
**Stakeholder: Students (especially SC, ST, OBC, and those facing discrimination or mental health challenges)**
* **Impact:** Benefit from increased support services, grievance redressal mechanisms, and initiatives promoting equity and mental health.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available resources like student welfare centers, counselling services, and grievance redressal committees to address concerns.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Education and UGC**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing the implementation of policies and initiatives aimed at promoting equity, mental health, and grievance redressal across higher education institutions.
* **Action Required:** Monitor the progress of institutions in implementing these measures and provide guidance and support as needed.
Key Entities Referenced
National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020): The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) enshrines seamless student mobility and flexibility in academic pathways, serving as the guiding framework for academic programs in higher education.
Ministry of Education: The Ministry of Education is the primary government body responsible for overseeing and reporting on the status of higher education in the country, including conducting the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).
University Grants Commission (UGC): The UGC is the regulator that issues regulations and guidelines related to student grievances, equity, and overall well-being in higher education institutions.
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE): An annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Education to portray the status of higher education in the country.
Central Universities and Centrally-funded Institutions: Autonomous institutions governed by their institution-specific mechanisms to address grievances and prevent discrimination. Institutions such as IITs, IIMs and IISc.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1365
ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
ENROLMENT IN POST-GRADUATE AND PH.D. PROGRAMMES
1365. SHRI K C VENUGOPAL:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the number of students enrolled in post-graduate and Ph.D. programmes across all
Central Universities particularly in institutions such as IITs, IIMs and IISc, year-wise from the
academic session 2020-21 to 2024-25 and category-wise (SC, ST, OBC and EWS);
(b) whether there is a persistent decline in the enrolment and completion rates of SC, ST
and OBC students in postgraduate and doctoral programmes and if so, the reasons therefor;
(c) the total number of complaints/cases registered during the last five years regarding
caste- based discrimination, harassment or humiliation faced by SC, ST and OBC students in
Central Universities and centrally-funded institutions;
(d) the total number of suicides and unnatural deaths of students reported in Central
Universities and centrally-funded institutions during the last five years; and
(e) the current status of implementation of the UGC (Promotion of Equity) Regulations
across all campuses in the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (e): To portray the status of higher education in the country, Ministry of Education
conducts annual All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) and as per the available AISHE
data, there has been increase in the enrolment of SC, ST and OBC students for PG and PhD
level in CUs, IIMs, IITs, IISc from 2020-21.
NEP 2020 enshrines for seamless student mobility and flexibility in terms of academic
pathways by means of multiple entry and exit facility in academic programs offered in higher
educational institutions. In line with tenets of NEP 2020, CFHEIs have also initiated a number
of facilitative measures for students which include appointment of advisors to monitor
academic progress of students, provision of additional classes for academically weaker
students, peer assisted learning, counselling to destressed students, psychological motivation
and extra-curricular activities.
Students Welfare centres have also been established in CHEIs particularly in IITs to
promote student well-being through volunteer programmes, student counselling/training
sessions and grievance redressal mechanisms. Mental health professionals including
counsellors, psychiatrists and psychometricians have also been engaged to provide in person
counselling and support to students along with utilisation of professional online counselling
platforms.
Central Universities and Centrally funded institutions being autonomous institutions
have also established their institution-specific mechanism to address grievances and preventdiscrimination against any class of students. The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher
Educational Institutions) Regulations 2012 is a regulation issued by UGC to prevent
discrimination in higher education institutions based on caste, creed, religion, language,
ethnicity, gender, or disability. The regulations mandate institutions to establish mechanisms
like an Anti-Discrimination Officer or Equal Opportunity Cell to address complaints and
promote an equitable campus environment, including awareness programs and grievance
redressal. Equal Opportunity Cell are functional in Central Universities.
IIMs are self-reliant Institutes of National Importance governed by the provisions of
IIM Act, Rules and Regulations As per the regulations and their own initiative, IIMs have
constituted Committees and Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) to ensure promotion of equity. The
Centrally funded technical institutes such as IITs, NITs, IIITs etc are autonomous institutes
governed by their respective acts of the Parliament and Anti-Ragging mechanisms, SC/ST/OBC
Cell, and Internal Complaints Committee to address student grievances are already operational
in these institutes.
Further, University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified UGC (Redressal of
Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023 to provide adequate opportunities for redressal of
grievances of students admitted in higher education institutions. The Regulations provide for
constitution of Students Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC) and appointment of
Ombudsperson for handling complaints of discrimination of students from the Scheduled
Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Women, Minorities or persons with
disabilities categories.
To address the issue of suicide, the Government is taking multi-pronged measures and
provides psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional
well-being to avoid incidences of suicide. An initiative of Ministry of Education, Manodarpan,
covers a wide range of activities to provide psychological support to students, teachers and
families for mental and emotional well-being such as National toll-free helpline that has been
extending guidance to callers through trained counsellor; and live interactive sessions ‘Sahyog’
and Webinars ‘Paricharcha’ that are organized regularly to create awareness about the
importance of mental health among all stakeholders, students in all States/UTs.
UGC issued advisory to HEIs on 06.01.2023 regarding the National Suicide Prevention
Strategy framed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. UGC has also issued Guidelines
for Promotion of Physical Fitness, Sports, Student’s Health, Welfare, Psychological and
Emotional Well- being at HEIs on 13.04.2023. The Ministry on 10.07.2023 has also circulated
a broad framework for emotional and mental well-being of students in Higher Education
Institutes (HEIs) with request to take proactive measures to incorporate the same in the
institutional functioning and instill a feeling of confidence in the student community. These
guidelines lay emphasis inter alia on sports, yoga, meditation etc. to address the wellbeing and
mental health concerns. HEIs are promoting the integration of yoga in the academic life on
campus by introducing yearlong yoga event calendars, dedicated courses on yoga etc.
Department of Higher Education has initiated the Integrated approach for Promoting
Positive Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing under the Malaviya Mission Teacher
Training Programme to empower faculty to address student mental health concerns for early
intervention.
Comprehensive analysis of the data related to the accidental deaths and suicides in the
country is published in the yearly Accidental Death & Suicide in India (ADSI) reports by
National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). Year wise and State wise details of student suicides
are available in the ADSI reports which are accessible at: https://ncrb.gov.in/accidental-deaths-
suicides-in-india-year-wise.html.
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