The Ministry attributes this freeze to the lack of clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), a high-level body chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A July 1 government communication cited by the newspaper stated: “Provisional award letters to the remaining candidates (from serial number 41 to 106) in the selected list may be issued in due course, subject to availability of funds.”

Established in 1954–55, the NOS scheme offers financial assistance to students from historically disadvantaged and oppressed communities, including Scheduled Castes (SC), De-notified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisan families, with an annual household income cap of Rs 8 lakh. It enables them to pursue postgraduate and doctoral studies abroad.

In previous years, all selected candidates received provisional letters without delay. This year, however, the Ministry has adopted what it describes as a “phased approach” that hinges on funding availability—a move that has left many scholars in limbo just weeks before international admissions deadlines.

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, an unnamed ministry official pointed squarely to bureaucratic red tape at the highest levels: “It is an issue with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs not approving the money allocated to these scholarship schemes. We have the money, but we also need the green signal from above to give it out.”

Government Says no funds, but spends over ₹500 crore on PM’s Foreign Trips

The claim of “lack of funds” for the National Overseas Scholarship stands in stark contrast to the significant public expenditure on Prime Minister Modi’s own overseas travel. According to data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to a parliamentary question raised by MP Fauzia Khan, over ₹517 crore was spent on PM Modi’s foreign visits between 2014 and 2022 alone. This includes costs for chartered flights, accommodation, logistics, and security. The expenditure on a single foreign trip often exceeds the annual budget for the NOS scheme. The contrast has drawn serious concern among student groups, academics, and civil society organisations, who view this disparity as a reflection of the state’s shifting priorities—away from inclusive education and toward high-profile statecraft.

Broader pattern of scholarship disruptions

This isn’t an isolated instance. A series of scholarship schemes targeting marginalized students have faced similar bottlenecks, delays, and arbitrary exclusions in recent months—raising questions about systemic withdrawal of support for higher education among Dalit, minority, and backward-class students.

Take the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), for instance. This fellowship, awarded by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to research scholars from six notified minority communities (Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi), has left over 1,400 PhD candidates without stipends for months. According to a Wire investigation published in June 2025, payments to most scholars have been stalled since December 2024. Some have not received their stipends even prior to that period. (Detailed report may be read here and here.)

Similarly, the National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes witnessed chaos during its June 2024 cycle. Initially, the National Testing Agency (NTA) released a list of 865 selected candidates in March 2025. However, just a month later, a revised list slashed the number to 805—removing 487 previously selected scholars without explanation or transparency, triggering anguish and confusion across research institutions.

Political Pushback and Declining Numbers

On June 10, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and INC leader, Rahul Gandhi, wrote to Prime Minister Modi, raising alarm over what he described as the “deplorable” condition of hostels, malfunctioning portals, and erratic disbursement of scholarships across the country. He particularly highlighted the case of Bihar, where the state’s scholarship portal allegedly remained defunct for three consecutive academic years, effectively denying all aid to eligible students during 2021–22.

As per the report of The Wire, Gandhi noted a steep decline in the number of scholarship recipients: “The number of Dalit students receiving scholarships fell by nearly half, from 1.36 lakh in FY23 to just 69,000 in FY24.” He also criticised the quantum of scholarship disbursals, stating that many students complain the amounts are “insultingly low” and insufficient to cover basic expenses.

A larger crisis of educational access?

The government’s repeated invocation of “fund constraints” and committee approvals, despite existing budgetary allocations, has sparked outrage among students and education rights advocates, who say that the current delays are not mere administrative lapses but indicative of a broader policy shift away from targeted educational equity. For many first-generation learners from SC, OBC, EBC, and minority backgrounds, these scholarships represent their only pathway to higher education, especially abroad or at the doctoral level. As things stand, the fate of 66 National Overseas Scholarship awardees remains suspended in uncertainty, and with it, their long-cherished hopes of studying abroad.

Related:

Union scraps Maulana Azad Scholarships for Research Scholars from Minority Communities

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The post Funds Withheld, Futures on Hold: Dalit, OBC, Minority students face scholarship crisis amidst delays and cuts appeared first on SabrangIndia.

This, despite the fact that the organisers had submitted a letter in advance, informing the police about the protest. “They still went ahead and began detaining students and protestors. A police complaint has now been registered against five to six of us, including myself,” said Shailendra Kamble, one of the protest organisers as per Free Press Journal. Though those detained were released later in the evening, the action has raised alarm over the criminalisation of peaceful student-led dissent. A day before the protest, the TISS administration had issued an advisory warning students not to participate—an action that one may see as pre-emptive intimidation.

The protest was sparked by the recent Bombay High Court decision that upheld TISS’s controversial decision to suspend Ramdas for two years. The administration had accused him of “repetitive misconduct” and allegedly participating in “anti-national” activities, including public criticism of the central government and involvement in protests against the New Education Policy (NEP). The court, refusing to intervene, stated that the petition lacked merit. But to many in the academic community, the suspension reflects a deeply troubling trend of institutional overreach and the silencing of critical voices, especially those from marginalised communities.

Progressive groups and student organisations have denounced both the suspension and the high-handed response to the protest as emblematic of a growing intolerance for academic freedom and dissenting opinion in higher education. They also demanded that Ramdas’s fellowship be reinstated, and that TISS reassert its commitment to democratic principles rather than stifle them.

The entire incident—marked by the administrative advisory, police clampdown, and criminal complaints—underscores a growing climate of fear within campuses that were once known for nurturing critical thought and political engagement. The treatment of Ramdas P.S., a Dalit scholar, and the suppression of those who came out in solidarity with him, raise serious questions about caste-based discrimination and the erosion of democratic rights in public universities. As TISS joins the growing list of institutions where dissent is punished and student activism is under surveillance or is criminalised, this case serves as a sobering reminder that the fight for academic freedom is far from over.

Bombay High Court upholds TISS student’s suspension over politically motivated protest: A closer look at the judgment

In a significant order with troubling implications for dissent in academic spaces, the Bombay High Court had upheld the suspension of Ramdas. Ramdas was debarred for two years by the institute for his participation in a demonstration against the BJP government and the National Education Policy (NEP), held under the banner of the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF–TISS). The division bench comprising Justice A.S. Chandurkar and Justice M.M. Sathaye found merit in the disciplinary action taken by TISS, stating that the protest was “politically motivated” and that the student’s actions had brought disrepute to the institute.

The court’s ruling leaned heavily on the institute’s claim that by participating in the protest under a banner mentioning “PSF–TISS”, the petitioner created the public impression that the political views expressed during the protest were endorsed by the institute itself. The bench observed, “It is therefore clear as sunshine that the said march was politically motivated, which the Petitioner participated in under the banner PSF–TISS in a student group. Therefore, the finding of the Committee that the Petitioner created an impression in general public that the politically motivated protest and views were the views of the Respondent/institution TISS, is founded on material available on record and no fault can be found to that extent. This has brought disrepute to the Institute in its view. Petitioner can have any political view of his choice, but so does the Institute.”

Ramdas, who had earlier completed a Master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies from TISS and was pursuing his PhD on a scholarship from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, had been served a show-cause notice for participating in the “Parliament March” in Delhi on 12 January 2024. According to the institute, a poster released by PSF in connection with the march included the acronym “TISS”, creating the impression that it was an official representation. In his reply, Ramdas acknowledged his participation and admitted that “TISS” had been mentioned alongside PSF in a poster. Following an inquiry, the institute suspended him for two years and withheld his fellowship.

The court also examined a pamphlet circulated as part of the protest campaign which included slogans such as “Save India, Reject BJP” and accused the government of attempting to dismantle the public education system. The judges took particular issue with the fact that Ramdas expressed these political views while associating himself with the name of the institute. As the court stated, “The Petitioner has full freedom of expressing his political view; but to do so under the banner of Respondent Institute is what is objected to by the Institute.”

Referring to the Honour Code that students are required to abide by, the court noted that students explicitly undertake not to “malign the name of the Institution by presenting views on any platform, tarnishing/damaging the name of the institution in the public domain.” The bench held that Ramdas had violated this code by expressing his political stance under the TISS banner.

Another dimension of the court’s ruling pertained to the institute’s consideration of Ramdas’s past conduct. The student had reportedly taken part in an overnight protest outside the TISS Director’s bungalow, where students engaged in sloganeering that, according to the court, interfered with the Director’s personal life and rights. Though TISS had not taken disciplinary action for that incident at the time, the court held that it was within the institute’s rights to take such past conduct into account when determining punishment. The bench remarked, “It is settled position of law that in any inquiry, once the delinquent is given sufficient notice about past conduct or antecedents and opportunity is given to the reply to the same, the past conduct can be taken as material consideration while arriving at the quantum of punishment.”

The judges further reasoned that the two-year suspension was not disproportionate, nor did it amount to a violation of Ramdas’s fundamental right to freedom of expression. Since his conduct was found to be in breach of institutional rules, the court stated that disciplinary action was justified. The judgment concluded with a pointed remark about his use of public funds: “The Petitioner while enjoying the financial aid approved by the Respondent/Institute, participated in a clearly politically motivated protest in a student group under a banner having name PSF–TISS. Therefore, the necessary effect of such conduct on the decision of the Respondent Institute about grant is bound to follow.”

In view of these observations, the High Court dismissed the petition and upheld the disciplinary decision of TISS.

The complete order may be read here.

Ramdas vows to approach Supreme Court, calls suspension a threat to campus democracy

Following the Bombay High Court’s dismissal of his plea against suspension, Ramdas announced that he will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Ramdas expressed his dismay at the outcome, stating, “It is shocking that the Hon. Bombay High Court dismissed the case after more than 10 months of legal procedure. Once I evaluate the full judgment, I will take this matter to the Supreme Court of India.”

He stressed that the issue goes beyond his individual case, arguing that it has wider implications for student rights and democratic expression within universities. “I deeply understand that this case is not just about me, but about the fundamental rights of all students and campus democracy in India’s higher education system. I believe this case may set a wrong precedent for universities across India to target students who have independent opinions. This is a brutal violation of Freedom of Expression guaranteed by the Constitution of India,” he said.

The controversy surrounding Ramdas’s suspension had also sparked broader concern within academic circles. On October 4, 2024, an assistant professor at the TISS Hyderabad campus, Arjun Sengupta, joined a student-led protest in solidarity with Ramdas. The demonstration was organised by the Progressive Students Organisation (PSO) and the Ambedkar Students’ Association at the institute’s off-campus centre. Shortly after his participation and a speech expressing support for Ramdas—parts of which circulated widely on social media—Sengupta was issued a show cause notice by the administration.

This sequence of events underscores growing unease over shrinking space for dissent in academic institutions and the increasing scrutiny faced by both students and faculty who voice critical or oppositional views.

Background of the Case: Political targeting alleged behind TISS student’s suspension

The suspension of Dalit PhD scholar Ramdas from TISS had raised questions about the repression of political expression in academic spaces. Following his suspension on April 18, 2024, the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) alleged that the institute had acted in retaliation for Ramdas’s activism, particularly his participation in a protest march.

According to the PSF, the TISS administration served Ramdas a show-cause notice on March 7, 2024, citing his involvement in the Parliament March and his social media post urging students to watch Ram Ke Naam, a 1992 National Award-winning documentary by Anand Patwardhan that critiques the Hindutva campaign behind the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The institute reportedly labelled this encouragement as an “anti-national act,” which added fuel to accusations that his suspension was politically motivated.

In response, TISS justified the suspension by claiming it was a consequence of “repetitive misconduct over a period of time.” In a statement dated April 20, 2024, the administration alleged that Ramdas had increasingly prioritised political activities over academic responsibilities. “Throughout his tenure, Ramdas KS exhibited a shift in focus towards activities unrelated to his academic pursuits, engaging in events, protests, and other activities influenced by personal political agendas,” it stated. The administration added that despite “repeated verbal and written advisories” to focus on his academic work, Ramdas had failed to comply.

In May 2024, Ramdas filed a petition before the Bombay High Court challenging his suspension. He argued that the disciplinary action violated his fundamental rights, particularly his right to freedom of speech and association, as guaranteed by the Constitution. His petition contended that the institute had constructed a false narrative to punish him for his political beliefs and activism. In addition to seeking a revocation of the suspension order, Ramdas requested permission to return to campus, resume his academic activities, and receive his scholarship stipend, which had also been withheld.

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India Is an Elected Dictatorship Where Constitutionalism Is Under Attack From Within

The post Dissent Under Siege: Police action, suspensions, and the shrinking democratic space at TISS appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In #UttarPradesh‘s #Varanasi, a #Dalit student, resident of #Ahmedabad, #Gujarat, currently pursuing masters from #BHU, Varanasi was allegedly abused, assaulted and attempts of unnatural sex by pulling off his pant was made on him in the university hostel by two suspects on March… pic.twitter.com/kswRdrbbPP

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) April 1, 2024

On March 31, the written police complaint was filed at the Lanka Police Station in the said matter. As per the details of the incident provided in The Mooknayak, the said incident of physical and sexual abuse took place in Rajaram Hostel of BHU. The victim is enrolled in the MA course in Sociology.

The victim, while speaking to The Mooknayak, recounted the incident. He provided that the accused had forcefully grabbed him behind as there was a power outage in his room. As per the report, the victim stated “I am a student of MA Sociology. I hail from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. On Sunday night, around 02:45 a.m., there was a sudden power outage in one lobby of Rajaram Hostel, while the other lobby had electricity. I was studying in my room when suddenly the room plunged into darkness. Upon investigation, I found that the MCB had tripped. As I bent down to reset it, a student from the MPIMIR course grabbed me from behind.”

The victim further provided how he resisted the attempts made by the accused to remove the victim’s pants, as a result of which the accused smacked the victim’s head against the wall. Pursuant to the same, the victim fell. As per the victim, it was then that the accused tried to forcefully sodomize the victim. Upon facing resistance by the victim, the accused assaulted and abused him and even gave death threats.

“I somehow managed to escape, but he followed me into the room. He forcibly pulled down my pants while continuing to abuse me. When I resisted, he hit me with slaps and punches. He also snatched my phone and held me captive inside the room for an hour”, the victim stated while speaking to The Mooknayak.

Alerted by the cries of the victim, other students came to his rescue. Pursuant to the same, the hostel warden and the proctorial board were informed about the incident, as provided by the victim.

“The proctorial board team reached Rajaram Hostel and rescued me at 4 a.m. The warden and the proctorial board then took me to the trauma centre, where I received medical treatment.”

The victim has asserted that if adequate action is not taken in the said case, he will leave the campus. As per the report of The Mooknayak, the Victim provided that “I have filed a written complaint and am awaiting the filing of an FIR. If the FIR is not registered, I will leave the campus.”

Reaction of the police:

The police have assured that they will investigate the matter and take appropriate action. Speaking to The Mooknayak, Shivakant Mishra, the Station Officer of the Lanka police station, said, “This appears to be a case of physical assault. The police have interviewed the victim and other students at the hostel. The matter is under investigation.”

History of sexual violence cases at BHU:

In November of 2023, a case of alleged gang rape and sexual violence of a 20-year-old student was reported from the campus of Indian Institute of Technology- Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU). According to the complaint lodged by the victim on November 2, she was out with a friend on the IIT-BHU campus on the night of November 1 when the incident took place. The duo was near the Karman Baba temple when three men came there on a motorcycle and forcibly took her to a corner and gagged her after separating her from her friend. The three accused then stripped the victim, made a video of her and clicked photos. As per her complaint, she was let go after 15 minutes. The three accused took her phone number, the complaint stated. Based on the complaint, a FIR had been lodged. Later, on November 8, the survivor had recorded her statement before the magistrate and the police investigating officer, which resulted in charges pertaining to gang rape being added to the case. (For more details, read here and here) The survivor had also alleged that the incident had been carried out at gunpoint.

Notably, in January 2024, the state police had arrested the three accused. The three men arrested had been identified as Saksham Patel (aged 20) who had studied till class 10, Kunal Pandey (aged 28), who had studied till B. Com graduation course and ran a shop, and Abhishek Chauhan (aged 22), who failed his class 10 examination and worked at a saree shop. It is crucial to highlight here that at least two of the three men arrested are associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell in Varanasi.

In July 2023, two men were booked by the Varanasi police after a female student of BHU had alleged that she was sexually harassed and thrashed by a group of male students inside the BHU cyber library. As per her complaint, the group had also assaulted her on the route to the central library on the campus. As per the report of Times of India, in her complaint, the 28-year-student alleged that she was busy studying at the cyber library on Saturday afternoon when accused Saurabh Rai and his accomplices reached there and started misbehaving with her. Following this, she was forced to leave the library. As she left, Rai and his accomplices had chased her and subjected her to abuse. Notably, based on the complaint, the Lanka police had immediately lodged a FIR against the accused under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (outraging modesty of woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

Prior to this, a similar sexual harassment incident had also taken place at the IIT-BHU campus in 2017 also which had resulted in massive protests. In the said incident, notably, the Varanasi police had filed charges of arson and other crimes against 1,200 protesting BHU students. In September 2017, a BHU student of the Arts Faculty was allegedly harassed by three motorcycle-borne men inside the campus when she was returning to the Triveni Hostel. The student alleged that instead of raising the matter with university authorities, the hostel warden questioned her why she was returning so late. Hundreds of students sat on protest in the campus after this string of events in protest against lack of safety and alleged victim shaming. In reaction to the incident, the Vice Chancellor G C Tripathi had said “Boys will be boys. Forget about what happened. Why don’t you stop stepping out after 6 pm if you dislike such things? You are a girl, don’t try to become a boy (by stepping out after sunset).” Notably, the Varanasi police had filed charges of arson and other crimes against 1,200 protesting BHU students.

Not the first attack on Dalits in BHU:

In May 2023, a Dalit assistant professor at BHU had accused two other assistant professors and two students of assaulting, molesting and humiliating her. Notably, a first information report based on her complaint had been lodged in Varanasi on August 27, over three months after the incident allegedly occurred. The complainant had alleged that the police had filed a case only after she had written to the Human Resource and Development Ministry, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, and the Chief Minister’s Office.

The complainant had provided then that a dispute had begun after she refused to remove a person from his post despite pressure from the accused persons. She alleged that the accused persons targeted her as she was a Dalit. According to the complaint, the accused persons “regularly talked about stripping her and making her do rounds of the university”. The assistant professor added that on May 22, one of the accused persons came to her chamber, threatened to have her removed from her post, and to kill her.

According to a report of Scroll, the police had filed a case under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Notably, the accused had also been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Educational institutes and the culture of caste discrimination:

Atrocities against Dalit students, as has been highlighted in the present case at educational institutions, is not an isolated incident. Dalits have been marginalized for thousands of years and continue to be discriminated against, humiliated, and killed for petty reasons. Even after protests are held after such atrocities against Dalits come to light, the scenario remains the same.

In the month of March 2024 itself, Dalit academician Dr. Ritu Singh, a former assistant professor at the university’s Daulat Ram College was abruptly terminated in 2020. Had expressed her resolution to bring forth the culture of caste discrimination prevailing in colleges and universities of India. As per Singh, her dismissal stemmed from caste-based discrimination, accusing college principal Savita Roy of targeting her due to her Dalit identity. It is essential to note that Singh’s against the castiest structures in higher education system and administration has been ongoing since the last six months.

In October of 2023, several student-led protests had broken out across universities in Uttar Pradesh after University of Allahabad proctor Rakesh Singh was caught in a video launching a violent attack on student Vivek Kumar, who is from a Dalit community. In the video that had gone viral on social media, the accused, Rakesh Singh, can be seen snatching a lathi from a policeman and hitting the student while he raises slogans against the proctor. Kumar could be seen trying to shield himself but Singh had continued to hit him. The accused had only stooped when the policemen had intervened. Former MA student and All India Student Association (AISA) unit president Vivek Kumar had alleged that the said attack had stemmed from a place of discrimination and bias towards marginalised communities.

The video can be viewed here:

इलाहाबाद यूनिवर्सिटी में दलित छात्र विवेक कुमार ने “जातिवादी चीफ़ प्रॉक्टर मुर्दाबाद” का नारा लगाया तो चीफ़ प्रॉक्टर “राकेश सिंह” बिफर पड़े और पुलिस और सुरक्षा कर्मियों के सामने दलित छात्र पर लाठियां भांज दी, वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल है #UttarPradesh #allahabaduniversity… pic.twitter.com/IyyiNtB1EN

— Dalit Times | दलित टाइम्स (@DalitTime) October 18, 2023

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The post Sexual assault at BHU: Dalit student alleged abuse, assault and attempts of forced sex against another student in hostel appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu

A struggle goes for Dalit dignity in the village of Thenmudiyanur, nestled within the Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu as higher caste Hindus boycott a temple after Dalits were begun to be allowed in it. According to Frontline Magazine, Dalits were long excluded from the local temple. However, after demands and political pressure from the CPI (M) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the district administration granted access to the Dalits on January 30, 2023 the temple was closed. The temple’s priest, belonging to a backward caste, gave up his post. However, after a series of peace meetings, the temple reopened in August 2023, only to be boycotted by the higher caste community. A new temple has now been erected according to reports, where the higher caste Hindu communities are preparing to go to pray.

Bengaluru, Karnataka

In Karnataka’s Bengaluru, a Dalit professor named Ravi Bagi, has made allegations of caste discrimination against the National Education Society’s management following his transfer to a different college. Bagi, who is a teacher of Kannada has asserted that the institution’s management is being discriminatory against him and have reportedly “demoted” him even though for a year, he has been urging the college to furnish a letter supporting his PhD guideship to Bengaluru University. However, he has been transferred to teach pre-university students now, according to Hindustan Times.

The transfer has reportedly relocated Bagi from Basavanagudi National College, where he taught both undergraduate and postgraduate students, to Jayanagar National College where he will now be teaching pre-university students. According to the HT report, he has stated that he feels “marginalised”, “There have been no complaints regarding my competence or performance. Suddenly, the management has demoted me from teaching PG and UG to Pre University. I feel marginalised due to my Dalit identity.” 

Narauli, Uttar Pradesh

After the Republic Day function at Sardar Singh Inter College in Narauli town, two students reportedly assaulted and beat up a Dalit student who had finished his speech on Dr BR Ambedkar with the chant ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’. The victim has filed a complaint after which a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the police. The police have stated that they are actively investigating the matter. The FIR was filed at Baniya Ther police station and it includes charges under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The incident highlights the importance of addressing and preventing discrimination within educational institutions. 

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The post Temple abandoned by worshippers due to Dalit being allowed to enter appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The institute shockingly, failed to intervene. Even worse, the names of the signatory students who had signed the letter was made public. One masters’ student, who was among those instrumental in getting students together to sign the protest letter, has even been arrested!

It is a 23-year-old student belonging to a Dalit community from Latur district was arrested on January 22. This arrest took place after a senior student filed an FIR against him for putting out a status on WhatsApp against the frenzy created all around on the consecration day. In this post, the student took a critical view of the “celebration.” This was a copied post from another fellow student. In fact, many students had put out social media statuses in protest of the ongoing celebrations on the IIPS campus. However only this one student was singled out and arrested

Some students that The Wire spoke to say that the post was a mere excuse. “The said student would have become a target anyway. Many students and even the administration were not happy with the student and his friends’ endeavour of organising students against the Ram Mandir celebration,” said one of the students, who too had signed the letter sent to the director.

In the letter, the students have written: “IIPS is a multicultural campus annually organising various celebrations which includes Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Christmas, etc. which epitomises the promise of grooming a secular young generation who can contribute prosperity to a diversified nation-state like India. But the celebration of Ram temple consecration is a pure act of political agenda orchestrated by the various outfits, which can harm the secular sentiments of students while celebrating in an institute like IIPS, where such celebrations cannot be done.” In the letter, the students sought restrictions on celebrations on campus and said the celebration had the potential of “further deepening the divisions among student fraternity by spreading hate and fear”. The Wire has a copy of the letter.

 The letter was overlooked. But after the student’s arrest, those who had submitted the letter were even forced and bullied into writing an apology. Quite contrary to the concerns raised in the earlier letter, the students this time round were made to apologise for “hurting sentiments of those celebrating the Ram temple consecration.” Both the letters were addressed to the director.

Not only is such an arrest of a student from campus is unusual as normally, the police never enter the space without the institute administration’s permission. Instead of immediately criminalising the issue, whenever there is such a dispute between students, a complaint is made first with the institute before escalating it with the police. But here, the complainant from a second-year master’s student, went directly to Govandi police station. It was also entertained. The student was booked under Section 153 (A) and 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for “creating enmity between religion”.

The police in the remand application claimed that the student had offended “Hindu students with his WhatsApp post.” The student was arrested and kept in police custody for two days. On the third day as he was sent to Arthur Road central jail, a local court granted him bail.

The student is back on campus. The Wire even reached out to him for comment but he did not want to speak.

As an aftermath of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, students’ organisations like the Ambedkar Student Association (ASA) have been disbanded. A student, who was a part of the association, said that soon after the arrest, students dropped out and their WhatsApp group was deleted. “We are being targeted for our political understanding and assertion. Most of us come from poor family backgrounds and we don’t have the wherewithal to fight the right-wing forces. So, students just decided to dismantle the group,” a student who was earlier associated with the ASA said.

Apart from this institute, even the prestigious Film and Television Institute (FTII) saw violence break out over protests against the January 22 Ayodhya event. Though the issue there was some of the students wanting to show Anand Patwardhan’s documentary Ram ke Naam, here too goons from outside somehow got to know, were allowed inside the campus and in fact indulged in violence against FTII students.

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Ensure fair investigation, protection of dissent & safety of students on FTII campus: Film makers to Pune police

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According to Manorama News, the notice issued by the Dean of Students’ Welfare, the notice has declared that Vysakh has been held “exclusively responsible for instigating unrest” and for “diminishing the prestige of the institute, both within its confines and in the public eye.” In addition to this, Vysakh is now barred from accessing the campus, including hostel premises without prior permission. The order further asserts that Vysakh has a history of transgressions, having received verbal warnings in the past for involvement in ‘undesirable activities conflicting with the student code of conduct’. The report by Manorama reveals that Vysakh was assaulted by a group that known as the Science and Spirituality Club. The incident of assault reportedly took place when Vysakh objected to the group’s depiction of a saffron map of India, featuring a bow and arrow, commonly associated with Lord Ram.

The NewsMinute spoke to the suspended student who refuted the administration saying that he had never faced disciplinary action prior to this incident and the administration could be saying so because he was part of a hunger strike last year protesting against an event attended by RSS leaders.

Student groups have condemned the incident, Maktoob Media reported that Fraternity Movement decried the incident and has stated that the institute is “not an RSS Shakha.”

Unrest and protest disruptions continue in the country. Last week, students in Pune’s prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) were attacked by a mob of outsiders who came and beat the student union members and vandalised property on the campus, including setting fire to objects, after students tried peaceful film screening of Anand Patwardhan acclaimed documentary on the Babri Masjid demolition called ‘Raam ke Naam’.

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The report reveals a grim picture of discrimination, ranging from assigning menial chores. There are about 15 schools where Dalit students have to do tasks like cleaning toilets or are being segregated by caste in queues during lunchtime. Furthermore, these discriminatory practices go beyond making these students perform chores and extract their labour. There is a significant lack of Dalit students reported to have less access to extracurricular activities and avenues for their academic growth.

Over three months, approximately 250 volunteers from the TNUEF conducted a survey over 664 students across 441 schools within the state. This study took place at 321 government schools, 58 government-aided schools, and 62 private schools. The sample included 644 students from different grade levels, providing a nuanced analysis of caste-based discrimination at various stages of a student’s educational journey. The organisation has furthermore issued an alert regarding the encroachment of Hindutva and caste-based extremist ideologies within the student community.

Instances of caste-based oppression manifest in various forms, both overt and subtle. These include the unjust denial of hostel accommodation to Dalit students, educators probing into the caste identities of their students, disproportionately harsh penalties imposed on Dalit students for minor transgressions, and the exclusion of Dalit students from engaging in arts festivals, among numerous other discriminatory practices.

Furthermore, the survey reveals that one school situated in the urban enclave of Madurai district opted to withhold recognition for academic achievers in the higher secondary examinations. This decision was due to the fact that the top two performing students happened to be from the Dalit community. Students from the Dalit community also face more punishments than other students. There were also several incidents where Dalit students were subjected to slurs.

Violence based on caste between students was also reported in 25 schools across districts like Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Tenkasi, and Dindigul.

The report also highlights that caste identity is openly displayed in 33 schools. Students were wristbands, ‘dollar chains’’, handkerchiefs, bindis, threads and even stickers to display their caste within school. Teachers also do not seem to be spared where three schools, with two from Tiruvannamalai and one from Chennai, were identified as harbouring discriminatory practices among their teaching staff.

The TNUEF has submitted its finding to the Justice Chandru committee which is further preparing a report that aims to address caste related issues in students in educational institutes. The TNUEF has further called upon the Tamil Nadu government to release guidelines that would facilitate the teaching and learning of equality among students and promote social justice within educational institutions. Additionally, the organisation advocates for the establishment of counselling centres at the grassroots level to provide support to victims of discrimination and asked for the government to improve infrastructure at schools as well. The organisation has also further asked the government to ensure that a redressal mechanism for casteism also be instituted in these schools with the formation of committees with teachers, parents and students to address the issue. It has also asked teachers to undergo sensitisation programmes to equip them to deal with such issues and harbour a discrimination-free approach.

According to The NewsMinute, Samuvel Raja, TNUEF’s state general secretary, has told the government that if they don’t take proactive action the organisation will be forced to reveal the names of the schools where these instances were recorded.

In response to queries about the results of this survey, the school education department has reportedly stated that they are looking into mitigating these issues through various measures. A report by Times of India has claimed that the Justice Chandru report will be implemented through policy measures. Earlier in 2023, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had designated retired Madras High Court Justice Chandru to head a committee which would be tasked with providing guidance to the government on strategies to eradicate caste and racial disparities among students within educational institutions. This initiative comes after the brutal incident from Nanguneri, in Tirunelveli district, which took place in August 2023 where a group of students from a higher, intermediate caste attacked two school children from the Dalit community. The recent survey of schools by the TNUEF has been submitted to this Justice Chandru committee which is currently looking into the issue of casteism in educational institutes. Groups in Tamil Nadu are rallying to bring about concrete changes in policy to mitigate caste violence against Dalits in the state. Founded in 2008, TNUEF has been actively engaging in advocating for rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes over the past 15 years. Throughout this period, the organisation has taken up various issues pertaining to marginalised castes and raised it to the government. Thus, the TNUEF had similarly in August, 2023 observed the dull and slow response to the subsidy schemes for ST and SC people, highlighting the need for robust monitoring mechanisms. Addressing this concern, the front had introduced a proposed legislation and unveiled a draft law titled ‘Tamil Nadu Scheduled Castes Special Component Scheme and Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plan Fund (Programme, Allocation, and Implementation) Act 2023.’

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The family members of a 16-year-old Dalit boy have lodged a police complaint alleging that he experienced harassment based on his caste and was subjected to physical assault by students from an Other Backward Community (OBC) community.

The victim, whose name was V Vishnu Kumar, was an 11th-grade student at a government boy’s higher secondary school in Keeranur; he was from the Paraiyar community which is classified as a Scheduled Caste in the state and also reportedly belonged to an economically underprivileged family. The girl, whom he reportedly spoke to belonged to the Kallar community, attended another government school where Vishnu had completed his education up to class 10. Vishnu was friends with the girl even after he transferred to a different school for his further studies. However, the Kallar students were displeased by this association, and had previously also “warned” him against talking to his friend.

The victim’s mother, Uma has asserted that her son was assaulted due to their caste. While initially categorised as an unnatural death, the police have since revised the case to incorporate provisions under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

“The case came to me after being altered. We are conducting the investigation, questioning witnesses and cross verification is on-going. We will soon make arrests, so until then we do not want to reveal any information as it may affect the enquiry process,” an official has reportedly disclosed to the Hindustan Times.

According to The NewsMinute, the victim was on his way to school when he was physically assaulted and subjected to caste-based slurs. His assailant was furthermore identified as a fellow student belonging to the Kallar community, which is a dominant community. After the incident, deeply distressed, the student returned to his home and tragically took his own life a few hours later. The Kallar community comes under the De-notified Communities (DNC) within the Most Backward Class (MBC) category.

The Udayalipatti police have filed a case against the perpetrators, invoking several sections of the Indian Penal Code including 294(b) (engaging in obscene acts in or near a public place), 323 (inflicting voluntary harm), and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, they are charged under sections 3(1)(r) (intentional humiliation of a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe), 3(1)(s) (verbal abuse based on caste in public view), and 3(2)(va) (committing offences against a person or property with knowledge of their belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe) of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Are caste atrocities becoming the norm in Tamil Nadu?

According to an article by Outlook India, caste violence in Tamil Nadu commonly arises not just between Brahmins and Dalits, but it also arises very often between Dalits and castes that occupy the ‘middle’ rank, mostly OBC caste. The Dalit communities in Tamil Nadu are reportedly relegated to segregated areas where they live in isolated pockets which are typically located away from the homes of the dominant castes. Thus these instances are not uncommon, Sabrang India recently covered the harrowing incident two young boys in Tirunelveli faced on October 30 when the two Dalit youths were subjected to a brutal attack during which their belongings were stolen and they were also urinated upon. The victims have asserted that the assaulters resorted to humiliation and greater violence after they learned that the victims were Dalits. In this case too, the attackers belonged to a dominant caste. The most recent development in the case is that along with other legal actions, the Goondas Act has been slapped on the six men who assaulted the two youth.

In January 2023, after a Christian Dalit boy committed suicide after he was beaten, following this his family continued to receive threats to their life. Recognising the grievous nature of the incidents and the vulnerable position families are in after they file complaints in response to being attacked, Citizens for Justice and Peace had written to the DGP of Villupuram in Tamil Nadu seeking protection for the family as well as action against the perpetrators.

Furthermore, according to The News Minute report, a fact finding report by a collective named Evidence suggests that about 103 instances of caste based violence against Dalits have taken place in in Pudukkottai district between November 2022 and August 2023; these instances take up about almost 10% of the total instances reported in the state. The collective has also stated that three districts, including Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi have witnessed a huge number of caste based violence against Dalits, and thereby has demanded the government declare these as “atrocity prone zones”.

An essay by The Wire corroborates this statement, using National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) data, the essay states that incidents of violence against Dalits in Tamil Nadu have been on the rise and between 2019 and 2021, reported cases of such violence in the state increased by nearly 20%, surpassing the national average increase rate of 9.7%. On November 4, an organisation named Dalit Intellectual Collective also asked Chief Minister Stalin to hold an all-party meeting to address the reported rise of ongoing hate crimes against Dalits.

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The data speaks clearly. According to the figures produced by the Union Education Ministry,  23 IITs (Institutes of Technology), 25 IIITs, 7 IISERs (Institutes of Science and Research, Technology), 20 IIMs (Institutes of Management), 32 NITs (Institutes of Technology)and 1 IISc (Institutes of Science). Out of these as many as 19 IITs, 14 IIITs, 7 IISER, 1 IISc, 20 IIMs and 26 NITs have SC/ST students’ cells. This accounts for 80 percent of all institutes. Yet a high 67 suicides were recorded in these institutes over the past years.

Dr Subhas Sarkar, the Minister of State for Education told the Lok Sabha on March 20 that out of the 108  Central Institutions of Higher Education, 87 have SC/ST Cells for assistance of students belonging to these communities. The remaining institutes, the Ministry states, have set up mechanisms such as Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Committee, Student Social Club, Liaison officers, Liaison Committee etc.

The question was put by S Venkatesan [CPI (Marxist)] who questioned about the reported suicides of students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Central Institutions of Higher education and how many of these institutes have SC/ST Cells.

Of the total deaths by suicide,  during the last five years, 33 suicide cases from IITs, 24 cases from NITs and 4 cases from IIMs have been reported from student belonging to the SC/ST community, said the Ministry.

According to the testimony given by the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) of IIT Bombay, it was a long struggle to get the IIT institutes to establish a SC/ST cell in the IITs. A struggle which had begun in September 2014, after Aniket Ambhore, a 22 year old fourth year B. Tech student of IIT Bombay, died from falling from a hostel building on the campus at IIT Bombay [13]. As per their narrative, it was due to their consistent struggles that a special cell was established in IITs. It took them 7 years to set up the SC/ST Cell on the campus. These SC/ST Students Cell are supposed to addresses academic and non-academic issues and complaints received from students belonging to the SC and ST birth categories, which could be scholarship issues, opportunity issues or any other guidance.

That there is a structural bias in operation appears more than clear.

In 2022, the APPSC had complained to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) that the head counsellor at the Student Wellness Centre (SWC) on the Mumbai campus had signed a public petition to end caste-based reservation and posted about it on social media. The Ministry told the House that the Head Counsellor was removed, and a new In-Charge for Student Wellness Centre has been appointed. “The institute has initiated the recruitment of one counsellor each from the SC and ST communities, so that students can approach them for their grievance,” the Ministry said.

The complete answer may be read here:

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A Dalit MBBS intern working at the SGPC-run Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Science and Research in Amritsar, Punjab allegedly died by suicide on March 9. It has been alleged by her family that she faced caste discrimination. Her mother, Kamlesh Rani has filed an FIR at the local police station in Vallah while alleging that her daughter, Pompesh, was subjected to discrimination and casteist slurs by her colleagues and two professors as well. The FIR has been filed against 10 people, including 4 students and the two professors.

Kamlesh has alleged that the accused used to threaten her daughter that they will not let her become a doctor. There were two complaints made to the Principal of the institute, but the same were never heeded and no action was taken.

The FIR has been registered under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC and section 3 of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act).

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar told The Tribune, “The family has lodged a complaint against several doctors among others and we are investigating their role. Whoever is found responsible for the incident during the probe will be arrested.”

Some persons have been detained, Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar told Sabrang India. He said it cannot be said they have been arrested and said it was too early to divulge their name and the number of persons who have been detained.

The guidelines and legal framework available for Dalit students has largely failed them. This is not only reflecting in the consistent number of suicides of Dalit and tribal students but also in the feeble manner in which these guidelines are implemented in these professional educational institutes. A detailed analysis of the failing guidelines put in place at educational institutions and the continuing culture of caste-based discrimination may be read here.

Interestingly, while the angle of caste discrimination has been denied by IIT-Bombay in the suicide of Dalit student, Darshan Solanki by the committee set up the college, a mental health survey carried out in June 2022 by the SC/ST Students’ Cell found that caste discrimination is a “central reason” for the mental health problems faced by reserved category students on campus. The survey also found that almost one-fourth of the SC/ST students who took part in the survey suffered from mental health problems while 7.5 percent of them faced “acute mental health problems and exhibited a tendency for self-harm”, reported Indian Express.

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