Supreme Court Vows Action Against Caste-Based Discrimination in IITs and IIMs

The Supreme Court has pledged to establish a mechanism to address the rising suicide rates in IITs and IIMs linked to caste discrimination. Advocates presented data showing 18 suicides in 14 months, prompting a call for stricter regulations and equal opportunity cells in educational institutions.

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed deep concern over the spate of suicides in prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), terming them "extremely unfortunate." The court committed to establishing a robust mechanism to tackle the issue.

During the hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising highlighted that 18 students have committed suicide over the past 14 months, allegedly due to caste-based discrimination. The plea was supported by the mothers of deceased students Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi.

The court directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to notify draft regulations to prevent caste-based discrimination in educational institutions and urged universities to establish equal opportunity cells. The matter is set to be revisited in eight weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)