Months before Dalit student’s death, IIT-Bombay surveyed caste-discrimination on campus
1 year, 10 months ago

Months before Dalit student’s death, IIT-Bombay surveyed caste-discrimination on campus

The Hindu  

Months before the 18-year-old Dalit student, Darshan Solanki, killed himself inside the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay barely three months into his Chemical Engineering course, the institute’s Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cell had conducted two campus-wide surveys about caste discrimination and mental health issues faced by SC/ST students, The Hindu has learnt. According to internal documents seen by The Hindu and the sources aware of the survey, the institute knew of issues faced by SC/ST students and the need for “affirmative counselling for marginalized communities”. The institute, in an official statement issued on Tuesday, said, “While no steps can be 100% effective, discrimination by students, if at all it occurs, is an exception.” The surveys The first of these surveys was conducted in February 2022, which collected information about experiences of caste discrimination faced by SC/ST students inside IIT-Bombay and from whom they faced these issues. Following this, in June 2022, the SC/ST Cell in collaboration with the Student Wellness Centre, conducted a second survey of Dalit and Adivasi students, this time collecting information about the mental health issues they faced during their time at the institute.

Results Students Discrimination Dalit Student Caste Caste Discrimination Hindu Survey Iit Institute Cell Surveys Bombay Mental Health Issues Swc  caste  institute  survey  months  students  death  dalit  surveys  discrimination  student  results  campus  castediscrimination  iitbombay  surveyed  scst  cell

History of this topic

FIR Against IIM-B Director, Faculty Over Dalit Professor's Discrimination Claim. College Cites Harassment Complaint
3 weeks ago

FIR Against IIM-B Director, Faculty Over Dalit Professor's Discrimination Claim. College Cites Harassment Complaint

ABP News  

A case has been registered against the director and seven professors of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, following allegations of caste-based discrimination by a Dalit associate professor, police said on Saturday. The complaint, filed by Gopal Das, an associate professor at IIM-B, accuses the institute's leadership of revealing and publicising his caste, denying him equal opportunities, and subjecting him …

Dalits urged not to give up their fight against discrimination
1 year, 1 month ago

Dalits urged not to give up their fight against discrimination

The Hindu  

The disturbing issue of normalisation of caste slurs came to the fore at a round table organised by Dalit Sthree Sakthi where victims of caste discrimination poured out their woes in the presence of officials. The victims included educated people who held decent posts in corporate companies and women cheated by men from other castes, rape victims and victims of …

IIT-Kanpur accused of facilitating discrimination by recruiters
1 year, 1 month ago

IIT-Kanpur accused of facilitating discrimination by recruiters

The Hindu  

As Indian Institutes of Technology across the country start campus placements, a complaint has been filed with the Education Ministry, Social Justice Ministry and the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, alleging that the Placements Office at IIT-Kanpur was allowing recruiting companies to discriminate against prospective candidates based on their caste or socio-economic category. Mr. …

Caste discrimination survey in IIT-Delhi commenced and withdrawn
1 year, 4 months ago

Caste discrimination survey in IIT-Delhi commenced and withdrawn

The Hindu  

After two Dalit students allegedly died by suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology -Delhi in the past two months, a campus-wide survey on caste discrimination circulated by the institute’s Board of Student Publications was suspended within hours of commencing. As soon as the survey was shared, complaints said the survey’s design was “biased, insensitive, and problematic”, with the institute’s …

IIT-Bombay sends missive on anti-discrimination guidelines ahead of arrival of new batch
1 year, 5 months ago

IIT-Bombay sends missive on anti-discrimination guidelines ahead of arrival of new batch

The Hindu  

After the suicide of a Dalit B. student shook up the Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay with allegations of widespread caste discrimination early this year, the institute is publicising its anti-discrimination policy, which now specifically includes triggers and don’ts for caste discrimination, with the Dean of Student Affairs sending out the guidelines to everyone on campus in an email on …

IIT-B Dalit student’s death: NCSC ‘satisfied’ with inquiry
1 year, 7 months ago

IIT-B Dalit student’s death: NCSC ‘satisfied’ with inquiry

The Hindu  

Two days after the Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet in the suicide of IIT-Bombay student Darshan Solanki, accusing his batchmate, Arman Iqbal Khatri, of abetment, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on June 1 closed its investigation into the matter. Acknowledging the probe by the police as outlined in the chargesheet, the NCSC on June 1 decided to close its …

SC-ST cells at 16 of 19 IITs are defunct, RTI data finds
1 year, 8 months ago

SC-ST cells at 16 of 19 IITs are defunct, RTI data finds

Hindustan Times  

Though the Centre claims that 19 of the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology have dedicated cells for the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students, 16 of them are non-functional, data obtained under the Right to Information Act has revealed. HT Image Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle, a students’ association based at IIT Bombay, has demanded action against directors …

Battling bias on IIT campuses
1 year, 8 months ago

Battling bias on IIT campuses

Hindustan Times  

They were India’s islands of excellence, set up in an infant country to prepare a generation for nation-building. Yet, in recent years, various campuses of the Indian Institutes of Technology have been in the news for a string of student suicides, sparking allegations ranging from caste-based discrimination, harassment by faculty and alienation. In March, the Union education ministry told Parliament …

IIT-Bombay Dalit student death | Mumbai Police file FIR after 50 days
1 year, 9 months ago

IIT-Bombay Dalit student death | Mumbai Police file FIR after 50 days

The Hindu  

Nearly 50 days after the death by suicide of 18-year-old Darshan Solanki, a first-year Dalit student at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, the Mumbai Police have registered a First Information Report for abetment to suicide against an unknown person. IIT-B Dalit student’s death | Police find ‘suicide note’, says FIR being registered in case Now, days after the investigators said …

How caste discrimination permeates the language of meritocracy on campus according to Dr. Lakshmanan, Ajantha Subramanian and others
1 year, 9 months ago

How caste discrimination permeates the language of meritocracy on campus according to Dr. Lakshmanan, Ajantha Subramanian and others

The Hindu  

“People think casteism only comes in the form of beatings or open abuse, but nowadays, it also comes in the form of subtle gestures,” Dr. Lakshmanan, an associate professor at the Madras Institute for Development Studies, tells me while discussing the nature of caste discrimination in higher education institutions. He documents how professors threaten to cut Dalit students’ attendance and …

No case of caste discrimination or alienation of SC/ST students reported from IITs in last 5 years: Govt. in RS
1 year, 9 months ago

No case of caste discrimination or alienation of SC/ST students reported from IITs in last 5 years: Govt. in RS

The Hindu  

The Union government on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha, “No cases of caste discrimination and alienation in SC/ ST students have been reported from IITs in the last 5 years,” in response to a question about caste discrimination in higher educational institutes by MDMK MP Vaiko. Mr. Vaiko had asked the Union government about cases of caste discrimination in IITs …

IIT-B Dalit student’s death | Police find ‘suicide note’, says FIR being registered in case
1 year, 9 months ago

IIT-B Dalit student’s death | Police find ‘suicide note’, says FIR being registered in case

The Hindu  

The Mumbai Police, which is investigating the alleged death of an 18-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki by suicide inside the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, campus, on Monday said they had found a note purportedly written by the victim, blaming one of his classmates for this drastic step. In addition, another officer said that while they were still looking into …

IIT-B Dalit student’s death | Darshan’s father writes to institute director seeking outside probe, rejecting internal panel report
1 year, 9 months ago

IIT-B Dalit student’s death | Darshan’s father writes to institute director seeking outside probe, rejecting internal panel report

The Hindu  

Rameshbhai Solanki, the father of 18-year-old Darshan Solanki, who allegedly died by suicide at IIT-Bombay in February, on March 24 wrote to institute Director Subhasis Chaudhuri seeking “with folded hands” that the probe into his son’s death be handed over to an “outside” State or Central agency. IIT-B constituted an internal panel to look into the death, following which the …

Asking JEE rank is caste discrimination? How activists are trying to force caste angle in IIT Bombay student suicide case
1 year, 9 months ago

Asking JEE rank is caste discrimination? How activists are trying to force caste angle in IIT Bombay student suicide case

Op India  

For days now, ‘activists’ have been trying to paint the unfortunate suicide of an IIT Bombay student as a case of caste discrimination, even though the probe into the incident did not find any caste angle. #justicefordarshansolanki https://t.co/wGaRo908xx — APPSC IIT Bombay March 12, 2023 They added, using quotes from a report, “He told me that my roommate had reduced …

IIT-B says results of caste surveys useful ‘qualitatively’, ‘harder to interpret quantitatively’
1 year, 9 months ago

IIT-B says results of caste surveys useful ‘qualitatively’, ‘harder to interpret quantitatively’

The Hindu  

Days after The Hindu reported on internal surveys conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, which revealed widespread caste-discrimination and mental health issues faced by the SC and ST students, the institute in a statement on Tuesday said that the results of the survey were “although very useful qualitatively, are harder to interpret quantitatively”. The institute’s statement said, “Since the …

Most SC/ST students at IIT-B wary of mentioning caste on campus: Report
1 year, 9 months ago

Most SC/ST students at IIT-B wary of mentioning caste on campus: Report

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: According to a draft report of a survey conducted by IIT Bombay’s SC-ST student cell last year, nearly one-third of the 388 SC/ST students said that they did not feel comfortable openly discussing their caste identity on campus. “The number maps how hostile, insensitive and unsafe a place IIT Bombay is for SC/ST students,” notes the draft report, adding …

IIT-Bombay Dalit student death | Senior says Darshan Solanki felt alienated by roommate
1 year, 9 months ago

IIT-Bombay Dalit student death | Senior says Darshan Solanki felt alienated by roommate

The Hindu  

March 13, 2023 12:08 am | Updated 07:28 am IST - New Delhi Eighteen-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki’s roommate, a General Category student, had “reduced” talking to him after they found out about each other’s ranks, following which Mr. Solanki had asked about the procedure to change his hostel room allocation, a senior of the Chemical Engineering student told the …

Ranks of over 37% SC, ST students asked, reveals survey in IIT-Bombay
1 year, 10 months ago

Ranks of over 37% SC, ST students asked, reveals survey in IIT-Bombay

The Hindu  

“Even EWS people feel that they come here through genuine reservation as compared to us. Months before this Open House on caste-discrimination, IIT-B’s SC/ST Students Cell had conducted a detailed survey of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students in February 2022, in which 388 SC/ST students participated, out of whom, 77 students described in detail the kinds of caste-based discrimination …

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay student body Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle rejects interim report, faculty speak out
1 year, 10 months ago

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay student body Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle rejects interim report, faculty speak out

The Hindu  

The interim report concluding that 18-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki’s death was not caused due to caste discrimination released by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay was “strongly rejected” by the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle, a student body on campus, in a public statement issued on Tuesday midnight. The students questioned how the panel had linked his interest in …

IIT-Bombay panel rules out casteism for Dalit student’s death
1 year, 10 months ago

IIT-Bombay panel rules out casteism for Dalit student’s death

The Hindu  

Twenty days after the death of 18-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki inside the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, the administration’s internal investigation has ruled out caste-based discrimination, and concluded that it appeared to be a “tragic” case of suicide, in an interim report submitted to authorities on March 2. Sharing the interim report with the campus, IIT-B Director Subhasis Chaudhuri …

The Kota-quota hierarchy at IIT
1 year, 10 months ago

The Kota-quota hierarchy at IIT

The Hindu  

Trigger warning: the following article contains potentially distressing material; please avoid reading if you feel disturbed by suicide For a couple of fleeting hours on February 20 under Mumbai’s hot sun, the banner #JusticeForDarshanSolanki was held high. ” Another joined in: “We are the ones being discriminated against through the reservation system.” Subtle segregation A few weeks after Solanki’s death, …

Dalit student’s death | IIT-B knew depth of issue and yet said discrimination not an issue, says APPSC
1 year, 10 months ago

Dalit student’s death | IIT-B knew depth of issue and yet said discrimination not an issue, says APPSC

The Hindu  

A day after the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay admitted to having conducted two surveys in 2022 promising to end caste discrimination and “culture of exclusion”, the APPSC, a student body of the campus, said on Friday, “The institute already knew the depth of the issue and yet they keep saying there were only few complaints of caste discrimination. Every …

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay admits to conducting surveys to end ‘culture of exclusion’
1 year, 10 months ago

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay admits to conducting surveys to end ‘culture of exclusion’

The Hindu  

Two days after it said “discrimination by students, if at all it occurs, is an exception”, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay on Thursday admitted that it had conducted two campus-wide surveys that documented different kinds of caste discrimination faced by Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students and the consequent mental health issues they were facing, as reported by The Hindu on …

After Suicide in IIT-B, Former UGC Chief Demands Mandatory Civic Learning Course
1 year, 10 months ago

After Suicide in IIT-B, Former UGC Chief Demands Mandatory Civic Learning Course

The Quint  

The death of Darshan Solanki, a first-year BTech student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, has reignited discussions around caste discrimination and harassment on campus. Sukhdeo Thorat, economist and former chairperson of the University Grants Commission, said that the higher educational institutions have not shown much initiative in addressing the discrimination faced by lower caste students on campus. In …

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay denies charges made by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle
1 year, 10 months ago

Dalit student death | IIT-Bombay denies charges made by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle

The Hindu  

While no steps can be 100% effective, discrimination by students, if at all it occurs, is an exception, the Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay, said on February 14 in a statement refuting charges of institutional failure to create safe spaces levelled by the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle after an 18-year-old Dalit student, Darshan Solanki, allegedly died by suicide on …

After IIT Bombay student's ‘suicide’, group alleges ‘caste discrimination'
1 year, 10 months ago

After IIT Bombay student's ‘suicide’, group alleges ‘caste discrimination'

Hindustan Times  

A day after an 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, located in Powai area, allegedly died by suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus, a student group alleged that he was driven to take the extreme step due to discrimination against Scheduled Caste students on the campus. The Powai …

IIT-Bombay student commits suicide, students' group alleges caste discrimination at campus
1 year, 10 months ago

IIT-Bombay student commits suicide, students' group alleges caste discrimination at campus

India TV News  

A day after an 18-year-old Indian Institute of Technology Bombay student, Darshan Solanki allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the 7th floor of hostel building, a student group has alleged that students from "non-urban, non-English speaking backgrounds, oppressed castes and low-income families" face immense harassment and discrimination on the campus. While an investigation has been initiated, a student group Ambedkar …

Dissecting caste discrimination in Indian universities from admissions to placements: Part 1 - IITs | Data Point podcast
2 years, 2 months ago

Dissecting caste discrimination in Indian universities from admissions to placements: Part 1 - IITs | Data Point podcast

The Hindu  

In July, The Hindu’s data team published a story that revealed major disparities in the admission rate of PhD candidates from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other backward classes backgrounds. Data released by the Lok Sabha found that in nine IITs, across India, the acceptance rate for SC/ST/OBC PhD candidates was at or below 8%, despite all of these universities …

IIMs Violate PhD Reservation Policy, Dalit Students 'Denied Seats': IIT Bombay Students Body
2 years, 4 months ago

IIMs Violate PhD Reservation Policy, Dalit Students 'Denied Seats': IIT Bombay Students Body

News 18  

As many as nine Indian Institutes of Management have violated the reservation norms for PhD admissions, as per Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle, a students’ body at IIT Bombay. As per data collected from the last five years through RTI filed by APPSC, a total of 188 Dalit Bahujan Adivasi students were denied their seats in the IIMs. According to …

IIT Bombay Plans to Introduce Mandatory Caste Awareness Academic Course
2 years, 6 months ago

IIT Bombay Plans to Introduce Mandatory Caste Awareness Academic Course

News 18  

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is planning to start a mandatory course on caste awareness. The decision to start this caste and racial sensitization course is taken by the SC/ST cell active in the institution. The surveys also enquired students about their opinions on holding more sensitization events and the introduction of a mandatory academic course on caste sensitization. …

‘Watershed’: Dalits hail US university’s caste discrimination ban
2 years, 11 months ago

‘Watershed’: Dalits hail US university’s caste discrimination ban

Al Jazeera  

Activists behind the move by the California State University system say it will accelerate the civil rights movement for caste equity in the US. Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a Dalit American activist and executive director of Equality Labs civil rights organisation, considers the addition of caste protections at CSU systems a “watershed moment” for the community. “We respectfully disagree with the position …

US protests trigger calls by India’s Dalits to end discrimination
4 years, 7 months ago

US protests trigger calls by India’s Dalits to end discrimination

Al Jazeera  

Spurred on by the anti-racism protests in the United States, Dalits have called on India to acknowledge centuries of oppression they have endured. “We extend our solidarity because we feel them and we have faced discrimination ourselves,” said Omprakash Mahato, president of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association, a Dalit organisation at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. ‘Good moment to …

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