Soon, sensitisation course on caste-related issues at IIT Bombay

IITB Director said the administration was finalising the framework for a sensitisation course on caste-related issues and intended to make it mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff, according to a communication between the Education Ministry and the institute. 

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is hiring a permanent Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe student counsellor for the campus. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had sent a notice to the institute for failing to provide mental health support to the institute’s Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, The Hindu reported. 

The NCST had issued a three-day ultimatum to IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri, seeking a detailed report on what action the institute had taken to address the issue. 

IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri has informed the NCST of this development. He said in a letter, “We remain committed to supporting our SC/ST students.” 

In a reply to the NCST, Chaudhuri said the institute had already started taking several measures to address the issues raised by the students. The administration was finalising the framework for a sensitisation course on caste-related issues and intended to make it mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff, according to a communication between the Education Ministry and the institute. 

The institute said it was in the process of training existing student counsellors at the Student Wellness Centre on addressing caste-based mental health issues. The counsellors are interacting with an external agency specialising in this aspect, to be able to use it at IIT Bombay, the report added. 

Read more: 

• Notice to IIT Bombay over lack of mental health support for SC/ST students 
• IIT Madras launches minor stream in personal, professional development 
• BV Raju Institute of Technology to start MTech course in data science, says Principal