NSUI welcomes the UGC Regulations on Caste-Based Discrimination as a necessary step towards addressing discrimination on campuses across the country.
However, NSUI firmly asserts that the proposed committee must not remain symbolic or administrative in nature. It must include mandatory representation of students from SC, ST, and OBC communities, along with teaching faculty from SC, ST, and OBC backgrounds. To ensure independence, transparency, and credibility, serving or retired judges must also be included in the committee.
The current UGC regulations remain silent on the leadership and composition of this committee. NSUI believes that any attempt to create a puppet committee controlled by university administrations would defeat the very purpose of equity and justice.
Past experience shows that several such committees, particularly those addressing gender discrimination, have often been reduced to mere showcases, failing to effectively address complaints or deliver justice.
The alarming vacancies in SC, ST, and OBC teaching positions due to NFS and non-implementation of reservation policies, coupled with high dropout rates and tragic cases of student suicides in IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities, highlight the urgent need for meaningful intervention.
This is the moment to collectively confront discrimination in higher education in all its forms.
NSUI is clear that the UGC must constitute a strong, independent, and empowered committee that works on the ground, ensures accountability, and delivers real justice.
NSUI stands unequivocally against all forms of discrimination, whether based on caste, gender, or any other identity, in universities and colleges.