Addressing discrimination: building safer, inclusive campuses

Addressing discrimination: building safer, inclusive campuses left https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/pkzjgb/article71610997.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/THG%20-%20Sustainable%20Business%201920%20x%201080%205.png The recurring deaths of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in India’s higher education institutions — particularly in premier institutes like the IITs and AIIMS — have brought attention to systemic caste-based discrimination, exclusion, and academic pressures faced by students from marginalised communities. Institutional accountability remains a central flashpoint. Recently, IIT-Bombay reissued its anti-discrimination guidelines after protests over Sahil Wakode’s death by suicide. The University Grants Commission’s equity rules, which were amended in 2026, had come under intense debate and were later stayed by the Supreme Court. This highlights the urgent need for strong frameworks required to address the issue of discrimination, equity and inclusivity in higher education institutions. To discuss this matter in depth, The Hindu will be hosting a webinar titled “Addressing discrimination: building safer, inclusive campuses” on October 31 at 5 pm.