<p>The National Commission for Scheduled Castes recommended prosecution of four faculty members of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, finding them guilty of discrimination against students belonging to the SC community.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The commission said there was widespread discrimination against SC students in top educational institutes, noting that there were complaints against the All India Institute of Medical Sciences as well. <br /><br />The commission had formed a committee headed by Prof Bhalchandra Mungekar to look into a complaint lodged by students from the Safdarjung Hospital-affiliated college when 24 of them failed the Physiology paper in the first year of MBBS. Some of them had repeated the exam for the same paper many times over and still flunked.<br /><br />All of them belonged to the SC category. They alleged discrimination on the basis of their caste. <br /><br />“Physiology paper is the easiest of the three in first year. How can students only from SC category fail time and again in it?” said Manish, one of the complainants. <br /><br />The committee found the student’s claim valid after an investigation of nearly a year.<br /><br />“Several students belonging to SC community were repeatedly failed in their subjects. During the course of our investigation, we have come to a conclusion that there was a feeling of deep-rooted anguish and hatred towards the SC students. We have also given our recommendation for necessary action,” Prof Mungekar said.<br /><br />The committee has found four faculty members guilty -- principal Dr Jayshree Bhattacharjee, head of physiology department Dr Shobha Das, professor in physiology Dr Raj Kapoor and former principal Dr V K Sharma. <br /><br />It has recommended that the scheduled castes commission should take strong action against them. <br /><br />Commission chairperson P L Punia said there is widespread discrimination against SC students in the premier institutes of learning in the country.<br /><br />“There are complaints against AIIMS that students belonging to SC community are facing discrimination. We have decided to issue instructions to all educational institutions like IIMs, IITs and other central universities regarding this,” said Punia.<br /><br />He added that the commission has requested Prof Mungekar to look into similar cases in other top educational institutions and central universities like the Banaras Hindu University. The committee has also recommended appointing a liaison officer in these places to ensure proper treatment to SC students.<br /><br />In a July 2011 document too the NCSC had noted that the college normally allotted roll numbers to the reserved category students in a row. <br /><br />Roll numbers starting from 1 would be given to these students, making their identity clear and leaving ample room for discrimination against them by biased teachers.<br /><br />It also pointed out that the university displayed the column of caste in the attendance sheet, which is also against rules.<br /></p>
<p>The National Commission for Scheduled Castes recommended prosecution of four faculty members of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, finding them guilty of discrimination against students belonging to the SC community.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The commission said there was widespread discrimination against SC students in top educational institutes, noting that there were complaints against the All India Institute of Medical Sciences as well. <br /><br />The commission had formed a committee headed by Prof Bhalchandra Mungekar to look into a complaint lodged by students from the Safdarjung Hospital-affiliated college when 24 of them failed the Physiology paper in the first year of MBBS. Some of them had repeated the exam for the same paper many times over and still flunked.<br /><br />All of them belonged to the SC category. They alleged discrimination on the basis of their caste. <br /><br />“Physiology paper is the easiest of the three in first year. How can students only from SC category fail time and again in it?” said Manish, one of the complainants. <br /><br />The committee found the student’s claim valid after an investigation of nearly a year.<br /><br />“Several students belonging to SC community were repeatedly failed in their subjects. During the course of our investigation, we have come to a conclusion that there was a feeling of deep-rooted anguish and hatred towards the SC students. We have also given our recommendation for necessary action,” Prof Mungekar said.<br /><br />The committee has found four faculty members guilty -- principal Dr Jayshree Bhattacharjee, head of physiology department Dr Shobha Das, professor in physiology Dr Raj Kapoor and former principal Dr V K Sharma. <br /><br />It has recommended that the scheduled castes commission should take strong action against them. <br /><br />Commission chairperson P L Punia said there is widespread discrimination against SC students in the premier institutes of learning in the country.<br /><br />“There are complaints against AIIMS that students belonging to SC community are facing discrimination. We have decided to issue instructions to all educational institutions like IIMs, IITs and other central universities regarding this,” said Punia.<br /><br />He added that the commission has requested Prof Mungekar to look into similar cases in other top educational institutions and central universities like the Banaras Hindu University. The committee has also recommended appointing a liaison officer in these places to ensure proper treatment to SC students.<br /><br />In a July 2011 document too the NCSC had noted that the college normally allotted roll numbers to the reserved category students in a row. <br /><br />Roll numbers starting from 1 would be given to these students, making their identity clear and leaving ample room for discrimination against them by biased teachers.<br /><br />It also pointed out that the university displayed the column of caste in the attendance sheet, which is also against rules.<br /></p>
