The Centre on Friday decided to constitute a judicial commission to probe into the circumstances of Dalit student Rohith Vemula’s suicide after a fact-finding committee constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development submitted its report. HRD Minister Smriti Irani also spoke to Vemula’s mother.

Additionally, said a Ministry press statement, a programme will be launched to sensitise academic administrators about understanding and handling problems faced by socially, educationally and economically disadvantaged students. All VCs, senior administrators, wardens, administrative staff and registrars will be compulsorily put through this orientation programme, for which a special module will be prepared.

The Ministry will also set up a special mechanism to receive and take quick action on the grievances of these students.

Zero tolerance “There should be zero tolerance for any acts of discrimination on campus. A special charter would be issued to all the higher educational institutions in this regard,” said the HRD Ministry in its statement.

“The Peer-group Assisted Learning (PAL) of IIT-Gandhinagar would be extended to all the HEIs, under which mentors would be arranged for the socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged students not only to assist them in education, but to support them with regards to challenges being faced by them within their institutions,” it added.

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