The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued notices to the Directors of IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay, along with the Ministry of Education, seeking an action-taken report on allegations of caste discrimination in campus placement processes. The complaint, filed by education activist and IIT-B alumnus Dheeraj Singh in November 2023, alleges systemic bias against Scheduled Caste (SC) students.
The NCSC’s notice, dated January 15, comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s recent intervention in addressing caste discrimination within higher education institutions. The apex court has sought detailed reports from the University Grants Commission (UGC) on such complaints nationwide.
According to reports, Dheeraj Singh’s complaint highlighted discriminatory practices that allegedly affected over 300 SC students during the 2023-24 placement cycle. He alleged that placement forms at both IITs required students to disclose their caste category and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) ranks—details that can reveal their socioeconomic background. Screenshots of these forms were submitted as evidence. The allegations came in the wake of a series of suicides by students belonging to SC community at IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi.
NCSC officials acknowledged delays in processing the complaint, citing technical glitches that required manual handling of several cases. The IITs and the Ministry of Education have been given 15 days to respond to the Commission’s notice.
