End discrimination, nurture empathy, CJI tells institutes

He observed that incidents of suicide by students from marginalised communities are becoming common, referring to the death of a Dalit student at IIT-Bombay.

By: Express News Service

Hyderabad | Updated: February 26, 2023 07:44 AM IST

2 min read

Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India Justice D.Y. Chandrachud speaks during the 19th annual convocation of NALSAR University of Law, in Hyderabad, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI02_25_2023_000220A)

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Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday appealed to educational institutions to put an end to “discrimination and nurture empathy” on campus. Delivering the convocation address at National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (Nalsar), the CJI expressed concern over incidents of students ending their lives and said his heart goes out to the bereaved kin of the victims.

He observed that incidents of suicide by students from marginalised communities are becoming common, referring to the death of a Dalit student at IIT-Bombay. “Recently, I read about the suicide of a Dalit student at IIT-Bombay. It reminded me of the suicide of an Adivasi student in National Law University in Odisha last year. My heart goes out to the family members of these students. But I also have been wondering where our institutions are going wrong that the students are forced to give up their precious life,” the CJI said.

Darshan Solanki, a first-year student from Gujarat, allegedly died by suicide on February 12 on IIT-Bombay campus.

“Incidents of suicides from marginalised communities are becoming common. These numbers are not just statistics. They are stories sometimes of centuries of struggle. I believe that if we wish to address this issue, the first step is to acknowledge and recognise the problem,” Justice Chandrachud said.

Speaking about the importance of creating empathy among students to end discrimination towards and Adivasi and Dalit students, he said that campuses should stop allotment of hostel rooms based on the marks secured in the entrance tests. It leads to caste-based segregation, he said. He also criticised the practice of putting lists of marks obtained by students along with their social categories, which marks them out for public humiliation.

Tanvi Apte, a BA LLB (Hons) student, was awarded 13 gold medals for academic excellence. Another student, Manjri Singh, secured 10 gold medals. In all, 58 gold medals were presented.

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