SC notice to Centre on Vemula, Tadvi's mothers' plea

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre, the UGC and others on a joint petition files by mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi for taking steps to end caste-based discrimination in varsities and higher learning institutions.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana and Ajay Rastogi admitted the petition for consideration after hearing senior advocate Indira Jaising.

The petitioners sought a direction from the court for strict enforcement of and compliance with the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012.

Abeda Salim Tadvi is the mother of Dr Payal Tadvi, a tribal student of TN Topiwala National Medical College, who committed suicide on May 22, 2019 after being subjected to caste-based discrimination allegedly by her upper caste peers.

Radhika Vemula, a co-petitioner is the mother of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University who committed suicide on January 17, 2016, after being subject to caste-based discrimination in the university.

Their petition, settled by senior advocate Jaising and filed by advocate Sunil Fernandes, claimed that there have been several incidents of caste-based discrimination against members of the SC, ST community which reflected flagrant non-compliance with the existing norms and regulations in place for the same.

"These incidents are violative of the fundamental rights to equality, right against discrimination, equal opportunity, abolition of untouchability, and right to life," the petition said.

They have sought a slew of directions, including the revival and funding of Equal Opportunity Cells on the lines of such other existing anti-discrimination internal complaints mechanisms, and to include members from the SC/ST communities and independent representatives from NGOs or social activists to ensure objectivity and impartiality in the process.