All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Organizations’ Press Note
Dr. Udit Raj, National President of the AICOSCSTO , has unveiled the discrimination against Dalit students in admissions to the DU. The procedure for admissions to the first year commenced on 4th June. For SC/ST students, it turned out to be an ordeal as they had to face discrimination even in a mundane endeavor like securing admission. The General category students have the facility to apply online, but the admission procedure has not been computerized for SC/ST students.
Over the first 4 days, about 50,000 applications were filed online by general category candidates. The authorities have made applying for admissions an onerous task for the SC/ST candidates by excluding them from the online application facility. In contrast, the General category students may file their applications at any of the centres – Miranda House College, Facility of Arts (North Campus), Swami Shradhanad College, Dy. Dean Office (South Campus), Atmaram Sanatan Dharm College, P.G.D.A.V. College, Gargi College, Shyam Lal College, Rajdhani College, Bhagini Nevidita College. They can also file their applications at any one of the 12 allocated Post Offices.
On one hand, in all, there are 22 centres allocated to General Category students and on the other hand, there are merely 4 centres allocated to SC/ST students, i.e., Facility of Arts (North Campus) Dy. Dean Office (South Campus), Rajdhani College amd Shyam Lal College. It is sheer and clear injustice toward the SC/ST candidates. To avail application forms, the SC/ST candidates have to provide their caste certificates and class 12th marksheets but the same yard stick is not applicable to General Category candidates.
Furthermore, the application forms are available only till 2 p.m. for the SC/ST candidates but, for the General category candidates they are made available till 4 p.m.The General category candidates are only to file their O.M.R sheets, but SC/ST candidates are to file two-paged forms; self verified SC/ST caste certificates-xeroxed and original copies; Self verified Class 10th certificates and Marksheets-original and xeroxed copies; self verified Class 12th Marksheets and Certificates-original and xeroxed copies or Self Verified copy of Provisional Certificate and two self verified passport-sized photos (extract from Directions for SC/ST candidates, from page 9 of the Information Bulletin 2012-13). This is grave injustice towards the SC/ST applicants.
It is noteworthy, that Original certificates of the SC/ST applicants are re-examined upon entry and that as of now, none of the certificates of the general category students are being examined. For this reason, the candidates from far off places return disillusioned. According to the national consensus, there are no SC/STs in Delhi, therefore, it implies that all the reserved seats are to be filled by SC/ST candidates from outside Delhi. Ask yourself – an SC/ST candidate from Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh has come to secure admission to the DU, how will he understand the intricacies of the admission procedure?
Dr. Udit Raj illustrates this scenario as an instance of clear discrimination but apart from this, he remarks, SC/ST students have to encounter veiled discrimination at many levels. Students complain of not being allocated the colleges, courses and subjects of their choice even if they have secured good marks. It seems that all these loopholes and extraneous intricacies of the admission procedure are a premeditated effort to make it impossible for them to attain education. Hence, the Government should take note of this matter and take necessary steps at the earliest behest. Although, half the application time has gone by, but not all is lost yet. The government should direct the University to introduce reforms to rectify the damage and also warn it that no misdemeanor towards the SC/ST students shall be tolerated in the future.
Media In charge
Abhishek Katiyar
AICOSCSTO.
