From scholarships to mental health: IIT-Delhi students flag multiple barriers for SC/ST scholars

The submissions come against the backdrop of certain institutional measures taken by the IIT. Last year, IIT Delhi had introduced its first special admission drive for PhD candidates from SC and ST communities.

On February 25, in a sitting of the Parliamentary Committee — chaired by Faggan Singh Kulaste — the members heard oral evidence from the Ministry of Education and IIT Delhi on the implementation of reservation policy in faculty and non-faculty positions. It is learnt that senior administrative and faculty members of the IIT, along with students, attended this sitting.

The Indian Express had last year reported that data shared with the Committee shows that only 3.1% of IIT Delhi’s 642 faculty members belong to SC and 1.2% to ST categories – far below the mandated quotas of 15% and 7.5%, respectively. The shortfall translates to 76 SC and 40 ST faculty positions. In PhD programmes, the admission for SC students rose to 9.69% in 2024-25 from 8.88% in 2015-16, with ST student admissions surging to 3.28% in 2024-25 from 0.97% in 2015–16.

The memorandum lays out what it describes as “systemic exclusion across institutional processes”. “Many departments do not have a single SC/ST faculty,” it says, adding that measures such as special recruitment drives and the Recruitment Advisory Committee have had “negligible success”.

Instead, the faculty argue that these mechanisms have increased their workload while exposing them to “further conflicts and pressure at the department level”. They also point to broader institutional reluctance – “academic units are generally not positive for hiring faculty from the special drives and remain pessimistic about candidates belonging to the SC/ST community”.

The absence of representation extends to leadership, they allege. “So far, no SC/ST faculty has been offered any key administrative position at the level of Dean or Associate Dean,” the memorandum notes, adding that no SC/ST faculty member has been part of the institute’s Board of Governors, the IIT’s apex decision-making body.

In regard to everyday academic life, the faculty describe an environment where legitimacy itself is contested. The SC/ST faculty members, the memorandum says, are required to prove their “merit” without a level playing field, even as institutional support for their growth remains limited.

Among the most serious allegations is the treatment of caste-related research. The memorandum flags “undue scrutiny” and “direct or indirect discouragement” for work focused on caste discrimination and related themes. The faculty describe hostile review processes, alleging that ethics committees sometimes “make a mockery of the research objectives” and use “undignified language” about both the subject and the researcher.

Concerns over accountability mechanisms also feature prominently in the memorandum. “The grievance redressal mechanism in IIT Delhi remains vague and ineffective,” it states, adding that there is little protection against potential retaliation, including “direct or indirect intimidation, threats, or coercion”. It also points to what it describes as “intersectional invisibility”, particularly for women navigating both caste- and gender-based challenges. “The SC/ST women faculty face a double burden of caste and gender,” it noted.

A parallel memorandum submitted by students echoes many of these concerns, while adding focus on academic and financial barriers.

Under “Inadequate Academic Support,” students cite “inadequate funding for promoting research activities, fellowships, and international academic exposure and collaboration”, along with a “lack of academic support from the faculties to SC/ST students”. They argue that the flexible structure of PhD admissions has contributed to under-enrolment of SC/ST candidates.

Further, students raise concerns about mental health services, calling for trained professionals who understand the psychological effects of discrimination and social exclusion. On placements, they urge the institute to ensure that recruiting companies do not seek information related to caste or rank, and to establish fast-track mechanisms to address caste-based discrimination during internships and hiring.

Financial stress emerges as a recurring theme. The memorandum points to irregular scholarship disbursals and high upfront costs as significant barriers, noting that such delays disproportionately affect students from marginalised communities. It also highlights low representation in prestigious fellowships, citing a 2025 report that found only 20% of Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship recipients come from SC, ST, and OBC communities.

Additional concerns include the absence of stipends in certain programmes, lack of hostel accommodation for many postgraduate students in their first year, and the need for a ‘Technical Equity Grant’ to support academic expenses.

The Indian Express reached out to IIT Delhi Press Relations Officer Shiv Yadav and Director Rangan Banerjee but received no response. Khulaste also did not respond calls or messages.