Thread by @LiveLawIndia

#SupremeCourt hears PIL filed by the mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi assailing caste discrimination in higher educational institutions (HEIs)

Bench: Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi

SG Tushar Mehta: 391 suggestions received after publishing of draft regulations…expert committee has said that suggestions need to be examined and accordingly, draft regulations need to be amended

J Kant: There are some very good suggestions…1 or 2 may be problematic

SG: Some suggestions found favorable by the Committee…report filed to UGC, matter pending at that level.

#SupremeCourt #CasteDiscrimination

Sr Adv Indira Jaising (for petitioners): This was filed in 2019…much water has flown under the bridge…many people have committed suicide even after filing of the petition…draft regulations have been published, we gave suggestions…2 coordinate benches of this court have tried to address the issues…we are interested in preventing student suicides...we came to court with a simple grievance that regulations were not being implemented...

J Kant: I read your note...I understand there are 10 points...protection of complainants, mental health counselling, personal liability for negligence, audits, action for non-compliance, etc...our proposal is now that matter is pending with UGC, we direct today that these points be also considered for incorporation in the proposed regulations

Jaising: Grateful. But a time limit may be imposed.

#SupremeCourt

J Kant: Let them apply their mind and see how they revert

Jaising: We are looking forward to a judgment which addresses discrimination based on caste. Please leave it open for me to address you on these issues before anything is finalized, that's my only request. We have been waiting for a patient hearing since 2019

Order: Ld. SG informs that suggestions received against the draft regulations were considered by an expert committee and opinion of the Committee is under active consideration of UGC-the competent authority to notify regulations.

#SupremeCourt

Order: Sr Adv Jaising has submitted a brief note highlighting various suggestions that according to her deserve to be incorporated in the regulations...we find that following issues have been broadly highlighted in the note...

Court records the issues highlighted in its order.

#SupremeCourt

Order: Since a copy of the brief note has been handed over to ld. SG, let the same be forwarded to UGC alongwith this order for consideration of the suggestions that have come from the petitioners. We have no reason to doubt that UGC, upon consideration of the above suggestions, as also those incorporated in the report of the Expert Committee, or such suggestions that may have been received from other stakeholders, shall make an endeavor for publication of the final decision on notification [within 8 months].

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