JNU has declined the media reports that the University is allegedly practising discrimination against the teachers and students of Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribe. “Such allegations have no evidence and are clearly made to vilify an institution that has always stood for all marginalised section of the society.” JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar told NDTV.
The allegations on the administration about the discrimination were put forth by a delegation of JNU faculty members of SC and ST community. Reportedly, the delegation even requested the Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to move the government regarding the issue.
However, in its defence, JNU administration said that its admission policies and practice have been successful in providing seats and reservations to ST and SC students. “All SC and ST candidates who qualify in the written examination in the entrance test are called for viva voce without shortlisting,” the Registrar added. Regarding the hostel allotments, the Registrar stated that allotting rooms to SC and ST students has been the administration’s foremost step.
Further, the administration clarified that it is not discriminating against the teachers of SC and ST communities either. The Registrar mentioned that the seats of SC and ST non-teaching staff have already been filled. The vacant seats of teaching staffs will also be occupied soon. “The university also started a special drive to fulfil the backlogs in SC/ST teaching positions in recent past,” he added.
