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Journalism of Courage

1. Delhi
2. Out of 642 faculty members at IIT Delhi, 20 are from Scheduled Caste, 8 belong to Scheduled Tribe

Out of 642 faculty members at IIT Delhi, 20 are from Scheduled Caste, 8 belong to Scheduled Tribe

The faculty also alleged that research on caste-related issues faces resistance from within the institution

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Written by Vidheesha KuntamallaNew Delhi | Updated: May 3, 2025 17:23 IST

As per the Central government's reservation norms, institutions like IITs are required to maintain 15% reservation for the SC category and 7.5% for the ST category (Facebook/IIT Delhi)

Only 3.1% (20) of the 642 faculty members at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, and just 1.2% (8) are from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category — a shortfall of 76 SC and 40 ST faculty members, or 11.9% and 6.3% respectively, The Indian Express has learnt.

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As per the Central government’s reservation norms, institutions like IITs are required to maintain 15% reservation for the SC category and 7.5% for the ST category.

The data for SC/ST representation across the institute, including teaching staff, students and non-teaching staff, was furnished to the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes last month ahead of a review visit on April 11 by the panel’s members, it has been learnt.

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In their memoranda submitted to the panel, representatives of students and teachers flagged concerns related to research pushback and placement concerns, among others.

The data, which gave an overview of student representation over a decade, revealed that the intake for the SC category for undergraduate programmes was around 13.85% in 2015-16. This went up to 14.92% in 2024-25. For the ST category, the institute saw a surge from 6.92% to 7.46% in the same period. In postgraduate programmes, the percentage went from 11.27% in 2015-16 to 13.11% in 2024-25 for the SC category, and from 3.54% to 4.31% for ST candidates.

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In PhD programmes, the admission for SC students rose to 9.69% in 2024-25 from 8.88% in 2015-16, with ST student admissions surging to 3.28% in 2024-25 from 0.97% in 2015–16.

The Parliamentary Committee’s visit was part of a broader review of the implementation of Constitutional safeguards for marginalised communities by premier institutes.

An official memorandum issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on March 26 underlined that the Committee’s “on-the-spot local study visit” would examine “implementation of reservation policy in student admissions, in faculty and non-faculty positions, along with other measures undertaken to safeguard the rights of SC/ST teachers/ad-hoc teachers/employees.”

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The Committee, chaired by MP Faggan Singh Khulaste, held interactions with faculty and students during its visit and met with the ST and SC faculty and student representatives to hear their grievances.

Meanwhile, as per sources, IIT Delhi in its responses concerning the faculty representation, stated, “The institute undertakes all the necessary steps to ensure adequate representation from all the categories.. “ Institute specifically encourages applicants from the SC/ST /OBC/EWS category as well as persons with disability. On many occasions, few candidates are shortlisted from the ones who’ve applied, and even fewer are finally recruited. This leads to a scenario where fewer faculty members are on roll than the sanctioned strength.”

On student admissions, the institute in its responses said, “There are no unfilled seats in all course-based programmes.”

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In PG and PhD programmes, “some students leave due to the resignations on personal, medical, better job opportunity, and better prospects,” said the institute.

Students and faculty members also submitted memoranda to the panel. “Many departments do not have a single SC/ST faculty,” read the memorandum submitted by teachers’ representatives on April 11.

“The under-representation is severe,” they wrote, pointing out that key hiring panels such as the Recruitment Advisory Committee (RAC) have “increased the workload of SC/ST community and also exposed them to further conflicts and pressure at the department level.”

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“So far, no SC/ST faculty has been offered any key administrative position at the level of Dean or Associate Dean,” the faculty memorandum noted.

The faculty also alleged that research on caste-related issues faces resistance from within the institution. “The ethics committee often makes a mockery of the research objectives and does not permit the faculty to even move beyond their title slide to explain the full plan,” the memorandum stated. “Sometimes undignified language is used about the SC/ST community and the researcher,” it added.

Even when projects are approved and funded, faculty members said, “SC/ST faculty receive little support to run their research projects… these challenges are not recognised by the institute.”

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Mental health concerns, issues related to scholarships, the need for caste sensitisation, and “the need to ensure zero tolerance towards caste discrimination in placements” were among flagged by students in their memorandum. “The current counsellors are neither trained nor equipped to understand the complexities and trauma arising from exclusion, oppression, and caste-based discrimination,” wrote the students. “This insensitivity has prevented students from availing the services in general.”

“The lack of representation of the SC/ST community among faculty members makes the students feel isolated and less connected with them…” the memorandum read.

Calling for “transparent placement,” they wrote, “Measures should be taken to ensure that students are not asked about the rank/category while sitting for placements…. If any company is found to be engaging in such practices, it should be debarred from attending the placement drive.”

Calls and messages to Khulaste went unanswered. The Indian Express reached out to Press Relations Officer Shiv Yadav and Director Rangan Banerjee but received no response in this regard.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Buddhism

Auction of ancient Indian gems ‘imbued with presence of Buddha’ condemned

Sotheby’s sale of Piprahwa gems, excavated after burial with Buddha’s remains, denounced as perpetuating colonial violence

David Batty

Fri 2 May 2025 09.00 BST

Buddhist academics and monastic leaders have condemned an auction of ancient Indian gem relics which they said were widely considered to be imbued with the presence of the Buddha.

The auction of the Piprahwa gems will take place in Hong Kong next week. Sotheby’s listing describes them as being “of unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance” and many Buddhists considered them to be corporeal remains, which had been desecrated by a British colonial landowner.

Prof Ashley Thompson, of Soas University of London, and the curator Conan Cheong, both experts in south-east Asian art, also claimed the auction raised ethical concerns about the ownership of treasures “wrongfully acquired during the colonial era”.

The gems, which are expected to sell for about HK$100m (£9.7m), are being sold by three descendants of the British engineer William Claxton Peppé, who in 1898 excavated them on his estate in northern India. They include amethysts, coral, garnets, pearls, rock crystals, shells and gold, either worked into pendants, beads, and other ornaments, or in their natural form.

The gems were originally buried in a dome-shaped funerary monument, called a stupa, in Piprahwa, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India, about 240-200BC, when they were mixed with some of the cremated remains of the Buddha, who died about 480BC.

The British crown claimed Peppé’s find under the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act, with the bones and ash gifted to the Buddhist monarch King Chulalongkorn of Siam. Most of the 1,800 gems went to the colonial museum in Kolkata, while Peppé was permitted to retain approximately a fifth of them.

More of the Piprahwa gems in the Sotheby’s auction. Photograph: Sotheby’s

Thomson said: “For the vast majority of devotees, these gem relics are not inanimate objects – they are imbued with the presence of the Buddha.

“The relics – bones, ash and gems – were all found together inside the funerary monument, and were meant by those who deposited them to be together in perpetuity. When excavated they were categorised as human remains on the one hand and gems on the other. This sale perpetuates the colonial violence of that separation.”

Venerable Dr Yon Seng Yeath, the abbot of Wat Unnalom, the headquarters of Cambodia’s Mahanikaya Buddhist order, said the auction “disrespects a global spiritual tradition and ignores the growing consensus that sacred heritage should belong to the communities that value it most”.

Mahinda Deegalle, a Buddhist monastic leader and emeritus professor at Bath Spa University, said the sale was “appalling” and a “humiliation of one of the greatest thinkers in the world”.

More of the Piprahwa gems ready for auction. Photograph: Sotheby’s

Chris Peppé, a great-grandson of William Claxton Peppé who owns the gems along with two other relatives, said none of the Buddhist temples or experts he had consulted over the past 10 years regarded them as corporeal remains.

“[These] arguments don’t represent Buddhist popular opinion,” said Peppé, a film editor and director based in Los Angeles. “They belong to Buddhist scholarship and don’t help us find a way to get the gems into Buddhist hands. The Piprahwa gems were relic offerings made at the time of the reinterment of the Buddha’s ashes over 200 years after his passing.”

The film-maker, who wrote a piece for Sotheby’s about his family’s custodianship of the gems, said they had considered donating them to temples and museums but this proved to be problematic. “An auction [in Hong Kong] seems the fairest and most transparent way to transfer these relics to Buddhists and we are confident that Sotheby’s will achieve that,” he added.

One of the experts Chris Peppé consulted, John Strong, a professor emeritus of religious studies at Bates College, Maine, said the gems could be regarded in several ways. He said some experts and devotees saw them as special offerings intended to honour the bodily remains of the Buddha, while others viewed them as a special kind of relic, symbolising “the ongoing incorruptibility of the quality of Buddhahood”.

A Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “We conducted requisite due diligence, including in relation to authenticity and provenance, legality and other considerations in line with our policies and industry standards for artworks and treasures.”

Telangana

Telangana Congress leaders thank Governor for sending BC reservation bills to President after caste census decision

A Congress leader demanded that the Central government accept the bills sent by the state government to enhance the BC reservations.

TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud looks on as Congress MLC Vijayashanti presents a shawl to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday(Photo | Express)

Express News Service

Updated on: 

03 May 2025, 8:06 am

2 min read

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HYDERABAD: The BC leaders from the ruling Congress, including TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, called on Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and expressed their gratitude to him for sending the Bills — pertaining to enhancement of BC reservations to 42% in education, employment, and politics — to President Droupadi Murmu for consideration.

Although the Governor has sent the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025, and The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services Under the State) Bill, 2025 on April 8, the Congress leaders chose to thank him only after the Centre took a decision to conduct caste census along with Census 2025.

Later speaking to the media, Ponnam Prabhakar said that Telangana under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has become a role model to the nation in successfully conducting caste census, and making legislations, increasing BC reservations to 42%.

The minister said that they have thanked the governor as the latter sent the bills for consideration. He welcomed the Central government decision to conduct a caste survey along with the census. He demanded that the Central government accept the bills sent by the state government to enhance the BC reservations.

TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the Congress government passed Bills in the state legislature to increase reservations to BCs as promised in Kamareddy Declaration.

The other Congress leaders who met the governor were Government Advisor K Keshava Rao, MP M Anil Kumar Yadav, former MPs Madhu Yaskhi Goud, V Hanumantha Rao, M Anjan Kumar Yadav, MLCs Baswaraj Saraiah, Dande Vital and Vijayashanti.

Bills sent on April 8

Although the Governor has sent the Bills on April 8, the Congress leaders chose to thank him only after the Centre took a decision to conduct caste census

Caste Census: Ensure the Enumeration of SCs under Sub-classification and migrant SC/ST Communities

in India

by E A S Sarma

03/05/2025

Enumeration of different castes and sub-categories of SCs as apart of the current decadal Census exercise, in the context of the Supreme Court’s Judgement on sub-classification within SC categories, should serve as a means to do adequate justice to empower them and also for restoring the Constitutional rights of migrant SC/ST communities

To

Smt Droupadi Murmu

President of India

Rashtrapati-ji,

I refer to a recent announcement made on behalf of the Union Government that caste-wise enumeration would hereafter be a part of the decadal Census exercises to be undertaken by the government (https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/caste-data-to-be-part-of-next-population-census-centres-big-announcement-101746010277205.html)Instead of allowing such a decision to remain a statement arising from mere political expediency, it should be read in conjunction with the land-mark judgement pronounced by a Seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on August 1, 2024 on the validity of 

sub-classification within Scheduled Caste categories (https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/caste-data-to-be-part-of-next-population-census-centres-big-announcement-101746010277205.html), in order to empower those subcategories of the Scheduled Caste individually, and also for restoring the Constitutional rights of all those among both the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs), who have migrated from their parent States to other States, either as a result of extreme social discrimination or as a result of physical threat, or in search of livelihoods.
Inordinate delay in Census enumeration:

Citing the Covid virus that swept across the country  at the beginning of this decade, the Centre chose to take an unprecedented decision to defer the 2021 Census indefinitely, depriving the country of a reliable database of population enumeration for formulating and implementing several important development schemes. A scientifically conducted population enumeration would have helped in authenticating the otherwise questionable Aadhar identity system and setting right the highly deficient system of electoral rolls.

Similar to the Covid crisis, if not more virulent, the Spanish flu of 1918-20 caused the death of 18 million people (roughly 5.6% of the population of India at that time). Even such a devastating virus scourge across the country, when no adequate vaccination facilities were available and when the then available communication facilities were thoroughly inadequate, did not deter the then Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI) from conducting the Census exercise for 1921 right on time, as the government at that time earnestly felt committed to the idea of governance based on hard data. 

I would earnestly appeal to your high office to ensure that the present government conducts the much-delayed Census for the current decade without any further delay so that the country may have the benefit of having authentic population data for planning.

Enumeration of sub-categories of the SC population:

As a sequel to the above cited Supreme Court judgement, several States have set up expert committees to take into account the population of different sub-categories of SCs based on the  outdated 2011 Census, which did not fully enumerate the sub-categories accurately, as required for the current exercise. In the 2011 Census, while many sub-categories of SCs were covered, it ignored the fact that some sub-categories were known by different names in different regions, though they were subject to the same extent of discrimination and disempowerment across the board. This has resulted in under-estimating their State-wise numbers, which in turn has done inordinate injustice to them in terms of the intent underlying the apex court’s judgement.  For example, in Andhra Pradesh (AP), there is a sub-category of SCs known as “Rellis” who are often described as “dalits among dalits” (http://ijar.org.in/stuff/issues/v3-i7(1)/v3-i7(1)-a023.pdf) a fact recognised as such by several  government-appointed Commissions in the past, including the Justice Ramachandra Raju Commission (1996-97) which pointed out the inadequacy of  population count of the Rellis. In addition, there are several other sub-categories closely related to the Rellis, but known by different names, though they are forced to pursue similar unhygienic and marginal occupations and subject to similar discrimination and disempowerment. As a result, the sub-categories akin to the Rellis have not been enumerated accurately and meted out the kind of justice they deserve.

While conducting the current decadal Census, RGCCI should be directed to keep in view the far reaching implication of the apex court’s judgement, identify the groups of sub-categories coming under the same class of disempowerment correctly and enumerate their numbers accurately. 

Otherwise, the Census exercise for the current decade will carry forward the same inaccuracies that characterised the 2011 Census and continue the injustices of the past.

Sections of SCs that migrated to other States:

Since SC categories are notified State-wise under the Constitution, sections of the SCs who have migrated to the other States in search of livelihoods have lost their Constitutional rights. For example, sections belonging to the Relli community of the northern region of AP have migrated to States such as Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, W.Bengal, Assam and so on. Similarly, in different States, there are other groups of SC migrants from parent States who face difficulty in claiming their Constitutional right to reservation in the State where they are presently located (https://ncsc.nic.in/storage/state_reviews/VKu1R53scgmlDBdb1nGcNT80MwQPiS9N7RnSYzfq.pdf) 

The current Census should enumerate such migrants so that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in consultation with the NCSC, may restore their right to reservation, as they were forced to migrate from their parent States to avoid social discrimination and in search of better livelihood opportunities 

Sections of STs that migrated to other States:

ST categories are similarly notified State-wise under the Constitution and sections of STs who had to migrate from their parent States to other States as a result of physical threats, inadequate livelihood opportunities etc. have lost their Constitutional right to reservation in public services, when they migrated.

For example, “Gutti Koyas”, notified under the Constitution as “Muria Gonds” (ST) in Chhattisgarh, facing physical threats in their parent State, have migrated in large numbers to the neighbouring Telangana, AP and Odisha. It is estimated that there are around 6 lakh Gutti Koyas in AP and Telangana and another 1.5 lakhs in Odisha, subject to sub-human conditions of living. In the States where they are presently located, they stand deprived of their ST status and have lost their Constitutional right to reservation and their rights under the Fifth Schedule. 
Similarly, there are other sections of Gonds notified as an ST in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, AP, Maharashtra and Odisha, who have had to migrate to Tamil Nadu and other States where they have lost their Constitutional status as an ST .

Dalit News

Karnataka’s Dismal 1% Conviction Rate: BANAE’s SOS to Rahul Gandhi—Curb SC/ST Atrocities in Congress-Ruled States

Government statistics reveal that between 2012 and 2024, Karnataka’s conviction rate in such cases was a mere 2.47%, plummeting to below 1% in 2024, as per a recent newspaper report.

BANAE proposed stringent action against officers obstructing the implementation of the POA and PCR Acts. Image Source- https://bit.ly/2RNFnsB

Geetha Sunil Pillai

Published on: 

04 May ..Mumbai- The Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar National Association of Engineers (BANAE) has written a compelling letter to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, highlighting the alarmingly low conviction rate of less than 1% in cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC–ST) in Karnataka in 2024, as reported by recent news. This is the lowest in India, highlighting a grave failure in the implementation of protective laws.

In the letter, BANAE’s National President, Nagsen Sonare, references an advisory issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on July 2, 2024, based on the 27th National Review Meeting held on November 21, 2023, for the effective implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (POA Act) and the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act. The advisory, dispatched via Speed Post on July 3, 2024, to all state Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries (Home), and Directors General of Police, outlined critical measures.

These include establishing special courts and exclusive police stations, providing specialized training for police and judges, collecting evidence in each atrocity case, filing chargesheets within 60 days as mandated by the POA Act, ensuring police protection for victims and witnesses, and offering immediate relief and rehabilitation. It also emphasized public awareness campaigns, training on the Indian Constitution, rule of law, and stringent provisions of the PCR and POA Acts.

Despite these clear directives, Sonare expressed dismay at the lack of political and administrative will in most states, including Karnataka, to enforce these laws effectively. Government statistics reveal that between 2012 and 2024, Karnataka’s conviction rate in such cases was a mere 2.47%, plummeting to below 1% in 2024, as per a recent newspaper report.

BANAE has urged Rahul Gandhi to direct Karnataka’s Principal Secretary (Home), Director General of Police, and Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) to implement the MHA’s July 2024 advisory, along with previous advisories issued annually since 2011, in letter and spirit. This, they believe, will boost conviction rates and safeguard the dignity, lives, and liberty of the SC–ST community.

Additionally, BANAE proposed stringent action against officers obstructing the implementation of the POA and PCR Acts. They suggested that the Social Welfare Minister include a specific column in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of IAS, IPS, and state service officers to evaluate their performance in enforcing these laws, compelling greater accountability.

The letter calls for urgent action in Congress-ruled states—Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh—to address this crisis. Sonare emphasized, “We hope for immediate steps to prevent atrocities and ensure justice for the SC–ST community in these states.”

Senior journalist and Dalit leader Indudhara Honnapura, while welcoming Karnataka’s move to establish special police stations, cautioned that their success depends on adequate infrastructure, funding, and the appointment of socially committed officers. “These stations must not become dumping grounds for punishment transfers. The move will only be meaningful if implemented effectively,” he stated.

BANAE enclosed copies of the MHA advisory and the newspaper report with the letter, pressing Rahul Gandhi for swift intervention to protect the rights and dignity of the SC–ST community in Congress-governed states.

Dalit News

"They Scratched My Chest, Insulted My Dignity”—Dalit Nurse's Suicide Note Raises Alarming Questions on Casteism and Police Complicity in Rajasthan

Kavita's suicide note poignantly captures her despair: “It’s better to live one day like a lion than 100 days in fear… I fought for my family’s safety, but even they don’t support me. I don’t want a life filled with casteism, untouchability, and people’s filthy gazes.”

AI generated representational image

Geetha Sunil Pillai

Published on: 

04 May 2025,

Jodhpur – A 26-year-old Dalit woman, Kavita Chauhan, took her own life on Friday, May 2, after enduring alleged molestation, physical assault, and caste-based harassment by her neighbors, compounded by police inaction. The tragic incident, stemming from a minor dispute, has ignited protests in Jodhpur, with Kavita’s family and community demanding justice, the arrest of the accused, and the suspension of the police officer in charge.

The incident began on April 30 in Keerti Nagar’s HUDCO Quarter, where Kavita’s mother, Bindu Devi Chauhan, was washing the courtyard of their home. A few water droplets splashed onto a neighbor’s SUV, sparking a violent reaction from Shankar Lal Bishnoi, his wife, and their sons, Rajendra (alias Raj) and Vikas (alias Vicky).

The family allegedly assaulted Bindu Devi, Kavita, and her 20-year-old brother, Anand. According to the victims, the assailants clawed at Kavita’s chest and face, and Anand’s hands, in an act described as an attempt to outrage her modesty. Kavita’s suicide note explicitly mentions the caste-based humiliation and molestation she endured, stating, “These people scratched my chest with their nails, they insulted my dignity. I don’t want a life filled with casteism, untouchability, and people’s filthy gazes.”

The victims sought justice at the Mata Ka Than police station, arriving at 8:30 AM. However, they were made to wait for nine hours, only to be told by Station House Officer (SHO) Bhanwar Singh Jakhad that the server was down. The police eventually registered a case under minor charges of breach of peace, allowing the accused to be released immediately. Kavita’s family alleges that this leniency emboldened the perpetrators, who then drove their Scorpio SUV around the victims’ home, intimidating them further. The suicide note accuses the police and a local councillor, Jani Devi, of colluding with the accused, with Kavita writing, “The police supported them. Councillor Jani Devi also backed them.”

Devastated by the trauma, fear, and lack of support, Kavita, a nurse at a private hospital, hanged herself at 12:30 PM on Friday, 2 May. Her suicide note poignantly captures her despair: “It’s better to live one day like a lion than 100 days in fear… I fought for my family’s safety, but even they don’t support me. I can’t tolerate this anymore—casteism, court cases, and no job prospects.” The note highlights the caste-based discrimination she faced, pointing to the accused—Raj, Vicky, and their mother—as primary tormentors.

The Dalit community and Kavita’s family have since staged protests, surrounding the Mata Ka Than police station and blocking Bhadwasiya Road. They demand the arrest of the accused and the suspension of SHO Jakhad, vowing not to allow Kavita’s body to be moved for post-mortem until their demands are met. Demonstrators allege that the accused, belonging to an upper-caste community, were shielded due to their social status and political connections. They claim Jakhad dismissed their pleas, stating, “Nothing will happen to them, they’ll be released.” The councillor reportedly added, “They have connections at the top, settle the matter privately.”

The police have now registered a case against four individuals for abetment to suicide, with Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mandor) Nagendra Kumar assuring that arrests will be made soon. However, the community remains skeptical, citing systemic bias and police complicity in protecting the accused.

Kavita’s death has brought renewed attention to the pervasive issue of caste-based violence and institutional apathy toward marginalized communities. Her family, consisting of four sisters and a brother, is now left grappling with grief and fear, with no father to support them. The protests continue as the community seeks justice for Kavita, whose final words echo a desperate plea for dignity in a society marred by caste prejudice.