IIT Delhi constitutes SC, ST Cell; IIT Bombay students welcome move

NEW DELHI: Amid the recent suicides at IITs, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has passed the mandate for SC, ST cell. The institute has also included the reservation of PhD and faculty within the mandate.

The IIT Delhi’s SC, ST cell will be responsible to implement, monitor, and evaluate continuously, reservation policies in the institute for admissions and recruitment of both teaching and non-teaching staff.

It also gives the cell power to address academic and administrative grievances. The cell is also responsible for collecting reports and information regarding the Government’s orders on education, training of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Caste (OBC) candidates for evolving new policies or modifying existing policy. The same will be sent to the education ministry, the notice read.

IIT Delhi said that a Grievance Redressal Cell will be maintained by the Cell to help students in solving academic and administrative problems. It will also be responsible for implementing reservation policies in respect of admissions, appointments to teaching and non-teaching positions.

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The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a students' body from IIT Bombay lauded the IIT Delhi’s move to constitute SC, ST cell. “Congrats to APPSC IIT Delhi for pushing this. We demand IIT Bombay to pass the mandate which we have prepared along similar lines. All IITs should.” The student circle further urged all the IITs to constitute SC, ST cell in their respective institutes.

The move comes amid three deaths reported in IIT Bombay and IIT Madras in the last one month. Among the IIT students suicide, one student from IITB, Darshan Solanki, died by suicide due to alleged caste discrimination.