The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Ashoka varsity to set up ‘equal opportunity’ cell amid protests
AFTER WEEK-LONG protests by a section of Ashoka University’s students demanding a caste census on campus and an anti-discrimination cell, the varsity has decided to set up an Equal Opportunity cell to improve policies on inclusion and diversity.
In a statement on Tuesday, it said: “Ashoka University prioritises inclusion and diversity and follows all relevant norms prescribed for private universities. The University engaged with its students over the last few weeks, including (at) a Town Hall meeting with the Vice-chancellor last week, and shared its position which is consistent with the Government of India, Government of Haryana, and UGC norms.”
“We are actively working on creating an Equal Opportunity cell, whose role will include making recommendations to the University to improve prevailing practices and policies on inclusion, diversity and sensitisation. It will have faculty, staff, and elected student representatives as members and will be operational soon...,” it added.
Headingtheprotestistheuniversity’ssocialjusticeforum(sjf), anindependentstudentbodyadvocating the rights of those from ethnic and religious minority backgrounds. Speaking to The Indianexpress,astudentinvolved in the protest said on condition of anonymity: “We asked for an equal opportunity cell and a caste census on campus three months agoafterwhichwedidnotseeany progress, so we decided to hold a demonstration.”
The forum had previously demanded an independent antidiscrimination cell as well.
In an email to the student body on March 12, the SJF called for a sit-in protest as “the V-C had failed to establish an EOC by the timeline he had stated”.
As per SJF’S statement, the protest started with three demands: A comprehensive and anonymous annual caste census that includes students, faculty and workers; an annual event called the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture, where the university will invite speakers and panelists from marginalised communities to speak on social justice; a change in fee payment policy which blocks ID cards and keeps students locked out of facilities like Google Classroom and mess meals, if they pay fees late, which disproportionately affects those from marginalised communities.
Following this, V-C Somak Raychaudhury sent an email to students on Tuesday evening. He wrote: “... emails from (SJF) misrepresented both the intent and particulars of conversations I had with students last week... In the meeting, I’d explained why at the current time, the university would not be holding a census. It is, however, agreed that an annual lecture, with a focus on matters of inclusion, justice and representation, would be planned... For matters related to fees... there are well-defined processes and offices that students can reach out to...”
“Over the last few... months, I have been in conversations, on aspects of inclusion and sensitisation, with students and faculty... one of the outcomes... was a commitment to establishing an Equal Opportunity Cell... (It) is currently in the process of being composed... it will be announced shortly,” the email added.