UGC asks HEIs to 'urgently' conduct mentorship survey for SC, ST, OBC students; leaves out minorities

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities to urgently conduct a “Need assessment on mentorship for students from vulnerable sections” across schools, higher and vocational educational institutions. The move comes amid the 8-week deadline set by the Supreme Court for UGC to finalise the anti-caste discrimination regulations.

NITI Aayog has taken up the initiative to develop a mentorship framework for students belonging to SC, ST, and other marginalised sections of the society.

In this regard, a working group was also constituted under the chairmanship of VK Paul, member, NITI Aayog, along with a sub-group on “Mentorship framework for students in Higher Education belonging to Vulnerable Sections” under the chairpersonship of MN Srinivas, AIIMS New Delhi director.

The sub-group, formed to suggest a broad framework for suitable adoption by universities as per their specific requirements, will be conducting two surveys –

1. Need Assessment on Mentorship for students in Higher Educational Institutions (HEls), and

2. Study of the mentorship ecosystem in HEIs.

NITI Aayog to conduct two mentorship surveys

Two structured questionnaires have also been developed, one for students of HEIs, and another for faculty for primary data collection. Each questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete, and participants will be provided with an option to opt out of the survey at any time. The information shared “will be kept confidential”, it added.

Universities have also been asked to consider the task as “most urgent” and complete both questionnaires by September 25. As per the previous circular issued on September 6, universities had time till September 30 to complete; however, the deadline has been advanced by five days.

It comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court decision over a PIL filed by the mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi seeking a robust regulatory mechanism to prevent caste discrimination on campuses and inaction of the administrations.

The purpose of the survey is to understand the challenges faced by students belonging to SC, ST, and OBC categories. The findings of the survey will help in designing an effective mentorship programme to enhance academic success, career opportunities, and personal growth, it said.

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Deliberate omission of minorities: SIO

The move has drawn criticism from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), which condemned the exclusion of minorities, especially Muslims who are one of the most educationally deprived groups, from the NITI Aayog’s mentorship survey.

Calling it the "deliberate omission" as discrimination and not equity, the SIO in a statement said: “True mentorship and equity require an inclusive approach that recognises all marginalised groups; any framework that sidelines minorities undermines the constitutional promise of equality and social justice in education.”

The survey is expected to cover at least 5,000 students in 500 HEIs across the country.