‘Fairness committees’ to look into complaints of discrimination; ‘fairness squads’ to keep up “vigil” and forestall such incidents; and an ‘fairness helpline’ for reporting instances — these are among the many provisions within the College Grants Fee’s draft laws on selling fairness in increased training establishments, which have been launched for suggestions Thursday.
The draft comes weeks after the Supreme Courtroom, listening to a plea by the moms of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide over alleged caste-based discrimination in 2016, informed the UGC to submit the brand new laws the upper training regulator mentioned it had ready.
Showing for the petitioners, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising had raised doubts concerning the implementation of the UGC’s earlier laws (framed in 2012) to finish caste discrimination in increased training establishments. The UGC’s 2012 laws had sought establishing of ‘equal alternative cells’ to advertise fairness in increased training establishments in addition to appointment of ‘anti-discrimination officers’ to provoke motion on complaints of discrimination.
The 2025 draft laws have retained the availability of equal alternative centres, although this time its functioning and composition has been spelled out. An equal alternative centre can have an ‘fairness committee’, which can handle its functioning in addition to enquire into complaints of discrimination.
The fairness committees are to be constituted by the top of the establishment, who would be the ex-officio chairperson, and can comprise professors, civil society members and pupil representatives. No less than one member needs to be a girl, and one every from the SC and ST classes.
An individual might report an incident of discrimination by way of an internet portal or the fairness helpline. The fairness committee is to fulfill inside 24 hours to take motion and submit its report back to the top of the establishment inside 15 working days. The pinnacle of the establishment is to take additional motion and should inform the police if a case is made out. If the criticism is towards the top of the establishment, the coordinator of the equal alternative centre will chair the assembly of the fairness committee.
The 2012 laws had requested establishments to prescribe the process to cope with complaints and determine on them inside a most interval of 60 days.
Story continues under this advert
Moreover, beneath the brand new draft, establishments will even have cell ‘fairness squads’ to keep up “vigil” and “forestall any type of discrimination on campus”. The brand new laws additionally name for establishments to designate a stakeholder in every division/ school/ faculty/ hostel/ library as an ‘fairness ambassador’.
There’s a separate part on ‘false complaints’ — anybody who makes a “false criticism of discrimination shall be liable to a positive” as decided by the fairness committee, or “disciplinary proceedings” in case of “false complaints of a critical nature” or “subsequent false complaints.”
The establishments that don’t adjust to the laws will face motion.
Underneath the draft, the UGC will represent an enquiry committee to look into instances of “non-compliance” and might take steps .
Story continues under this advert
The UGC will settle for suggestions on the draft till March 28.
In the meantime, in an affidavit filed within the prime court docket on Thursday, the UGC mentioned 3,067 equal alternative cells have been arrange throughout the three,522 increased training establishments that responded to its name for information.
A complete of 1,503 caste-based discrimination complaints have been obtained by the cells, and 1,426 have been “resolved”.
