Existing measures effectively address caste discrimination concerns at universities: NAAC

NAAC assures Supreme Court that its accreditation process addresses caste discrimination, mental health, and equal opportunities in HEIs.

Weeks after the Supreme Court directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to collate complaints of caste discrimination across higher education institutions (HEIs) in India, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has now told the top court that its existing measures for assessment and grading of HEIs “effectively address concerns related to caste-based discrimination, mental health, and equal opportunities”.

The NAAC was responding to the batch of pleas filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, respectively, who had prayed for the Supreme Court to act on caste discrimination allegedly “rampant” at universities, arguing this had claimed their children’s lives.

In the counter affidavit filed by the NAAC, an autonomous body of the UGC, which is also listed as a respondent in the pleas, the accrediting body said that it’s “holistic approach to accreditation, which includes the detailed evaluation of the SSR (Self Study Report) and assessment of both qualitative and quantitative data ensures that institutions maintain the highest standards of equity, inclusivity, and social responsibility”.

The NAAC said that SSRs assess 87 specific metrics directly related to “mental well-being, equal opportunities, and overall welfare of students”, which includes monitoring of quota implementation. It added that there are mandated requirements for universities to set up grievance redressal mechanisms, specifically mentioning the ones just for sexual harassment and ragging.

The petitioners had argued that the NAAC does not have any caste discrimination related metrics or indicators in their accreditation process.

In their counter affidavit, the NAAC went on to say that it requires institutions to implement “specific measures to foster an inclusive environment where students of all backgrounds, whether cultural, regional, linguistic, or socio-economic, are encouraged to thrive”. This includes “sensitizing students and staff to the constitutional values of equality, justice, and non-discrimination, as well as ensuring that institutional policies reflect these values”.