Reserved category students in AIIMS face discrimination: Panel

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. This is how a member of the Thorat committee describes the testimonies of reserved category students of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences regarding the discrimination they suffered on the campus.

Committee member Shyam Prasad, who is also chairman of the National Board of Examinations and president of the academic council of AIIMS, said the findings of the committee reveal that something is terribly wrong with one of the best institutions in the country and the rights enshrined in the Constitution are not being protected either by society or government.

He, however, cautioned against using the report to play any blame game or to target AIIMS director P Venugopal by turning it into a ministry versus Venugopal issue, "The director of the institute is mentioned only in one sentence, while there are 300 pages on the unfair deal meted out to reserved category students. Hence, it is more urgent to take steps to correct a situation which is as bad as apartheid," Shyam Prasad said.

The committee has based its findings on a survey questionnaire which was answered by 25 reserved category students of AIIMS out of the total of 50 such students.

It found that 84 per cent students were being discriminated against and 76 per cent alleged that teachers asked them questions related to their caste background.

The report also said that the caste background and the prejudice against them was reflected in the internal assessment as well as in the grading of the students. About 84 per cent of students said their grading was affected by their caste background. Another 84 per cent said they were facing violence and segregation in hostels.

According to Shyam Prasad, the government should take responsibility for the occurrence of such discrimination rather than blame anyone.

He said these students have been there for five years, much before Venugopal became a director. It is another matter that Venugopal came at a time when things took a turn for the worse and he did play a role, he said.

The health ministry has, meanwhile, scheduled a discussion on the report for next month at the governing body meeting of AIIMS.

Sources said disciplinary action against Venugopal was certain to follow.

The ministry has, however, paid heed to the Thorat committee recommendation to set up an internal committee within AIIMS to study the social division in the institution and to suggest remedies. "A committee is being set up," sources said.