Complaints of caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges have risen by 118.4% over the past five years, according to data submitted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to a parliamentary panel and the Supreme Court.
The number of reported incidents increased from 173 in 2019-20 to 378 in 2023-24, the data showed.
Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the UGC received 1,160 complaints reported by Equal Opportunity Cells (EOCs) and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Cells across 704 universities and 1,553 colleges.
Of these, 1,052 complaints were marked as resolved, reflecting a disposal rate of 90.68%. However, the number of pending cases rose from 18 in 2019-20 to 108 in 2023–24.
Year-wise data shared with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports shows a steady rise in reported cases: 182 in 2020-21, 186 in 2021-22, and 241 in 2022-23, before increasing sharply in 2023-24.
A senior UGC official quoted by the Hindustan Times said that the rise in complaints could be attributed to increased awareness among students about the functioning of SC/ST and Equal Opportunity Cells. The official said these cells were resolving cases proactively.
However, academics questioned the reported resolution rate.
Resolution rate under question
Professor N. Sukumar of Delhi University told the paper that most SC/ST Cells function under administrative control and lack decision-making powers, as their members are administration-nominated. He said this affects impartiality in serious cases.
Similar concerns were raised by D.K. Loboiyal, a faculty member at Jawaharlal Nehru University and a former SC/ST Cell member, who said the autonomy of these cells has eroded over time. He added that rising complaint numbers could indicate both increased reporting and continued discrimination.
Former UGC chairperson Sukhadeo Thorat said Equal Opportunity Cells were created under the UGC’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2012, while SC/ST Cells, which came before the equal opportunity cells, were originally meant to handle service and employment-related matters. “Problems arise when institutions blur this distinction and route all complaints through internal mechanisms,” he said.
Background
The data submitted by the UGC was in response to the Supreme Court directive from January 2025, which required the body to collate data on caste discrimination complaints under the 2012 regulations.
The directive came as part of a petition filed after the death of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad. The petition sought accountability and the establishment of adequate mechanisms by the UGC to address caste-based discrimination in university spaces.
In February 2025, the UGC filed an affidavit in the top court saying that it had received responses from 3,522 higher education institutions. The data showed 3,067 Equal Opportunity Cells and 3,273 SC/ST Cells that had received 1,503 complaints, of which 1,426 were resolved.
The UGC’s draft equity regulations submitted to the apex court last year received criticism from various quarters including Vemula’s mother, one of the petitioners in the case, for diluting existing provisions.
Last week the UGC notified the draft regulations, addressing some of the issues raised by critics, and asked higher education institutions to set up equity committees and equal opportunity centres, 24/7 helplines and other online complaint mechanisms.
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