HRD plans steps for grievance redressal, student counselling

According to sources, the ministry will recommend that all central universities set up counselling centres, and equal opportunity cells headed by an anti-discrimination officer. The government will also ask the institutions to dispense complaints on a weekly basis, organise remedial classes for weak students and appoint volunteers to mentor and guide freshers. The varsities will also be expected to ensure that hostel rooms and other facilities are only used by students, not outsiders.

Javadekar did not comment on the findings of the commission, which was set up to probe circumstances that led to Vemula’s suicide. “I haven’t read the report, so I don’t want to comment or pre-judge what it has concluded. However, we don’t want such suicides to happen again and we’ll take steps to prevent it,” he said.

The inquiry, as first reported by The Indian Express on October 6, has concluded that Vemula’s mother had branded herself as Dalit to avail benefits of reservation and that personal frustration, and not discrimination, had driven the 26-year-old to suicide. It also let Cabinet ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya off the hook, saying they were just discharging their duties as public servants and there was no political pressure on the university.

At Thursday’s meeting, Javadekar is also learnt to have asked the V-Cs to increase the student intake, although the latter felt that it will not be possible unless the government funds infrastructure expansion.

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