THORAT COMMITTEE REPORT Caste Discrimination in AIIMS

Economic and Political Weekly June 2, 2007

Thorat Committee Report

The country’s premier medical college, the All-India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi was
and continues to be the centre of aggressive anti-reservation
agitations that began in early 2006. Following harassment from
upper caste student groups, the scheduled caste/scheduled
tribe (SC/ST) students moved out of their randomly allotted
hostel rooms to live in clusters among themselves. When the
complaints by these students were reported in the media, the
government appointed a committee headed by University
Grants Commission chairperson, Sukhdeo Thorat to investigate
and report on the matter.
The struggle that SC/ST students face to enter premier
institutions of higher learning seems mild compared to what
they have to put up with later. On top of coping with academic
challenges (especially if they are the first among their families
to make it to these higher echelons of learning) and a totally
unfamiliar environment, many dalit students have to deal with
the hostility that comes with being a “reserved category student”.
At present there are 55 undergraduate medical students in
the reserved category out of a total of 250 undergraduate
students and the committee interacted with 25 of them. It began
with a very telling experience. Despite requests to display notices
about the committee’s meetings, no notices were displayed
at prominent places. As a grant-in-aid institution, the AIIMS
is expected to comply with all the directives of the government
and provide for the constitutionally guaranteed safeguards to
the weaker sections. Despite this, there is no grievance redressal
mechanism to deal with complaints of non-compliance of
constitutional protection or a special cell to help SC/ST students
cope with academic, financial and language difficulties.
Educational institutions, notes the committee, are required
to undertake remedial coaching for the SC/ST students for
enhancement of their language skills and also other “catching
up programmes”. AIIMS has not done so despite 84 per cent
of the SC/ST students saying they need such coaching. Again,
the faculty here would have a dominant role to play in the
students’ progress, not merely via classroom teaching but also
through personal interaction. The examination system in AIIMS
has a 50 per cent internal assessment component. Most of the
students complained that teachers were inaccessible and plain
indifferent towards them. About 85 per cent of them said they
do not get as much time with the examiners as their highercaste counterparts do. Nearly 76 per cent reported that the
examiner wanted to know their caste background; about 84
per cent said their caste background was solicited either directly
or indirectly.
The committee found that over a period of time around 29
SC/ST students have moved from their allotted rooms to be
closer to other SC/ST students. The one-month of ragging
to which the authorities turn a blind eye is sheer hell for these
students since they are publicly subjected to caste-based
questions, taunts and jeering. Many of the students said they
moved because their rooms would be locked from outside
repeatedly while they were in, vulgar abuse would be scrawled
on the doors and it would be made clear that this would stop
only if they moved to floors where other SC/ST students
stayed. They also faced social isolation, refusal to share books
and notes and objections to sharing seats in class. While the
general messes are open to them, they find it difficult to access
the private messes. Again, “casteist” attitudes lead to low
participation of these students in cultural events like ‘Pulse’
and sports activities. In short, every aspect of academic life
that makes it an enjoyable experience and helps to balance
the stress of rigorous studies is fraught with more stress and
conflict for the SC/ST students.

Nor is the situation better as far as the junior residents
(postgraduate students) are concerned. The committee has
quoted case histories to show that those who supported the
pro-quota movement actively had to suffer for it. It also notes
that the AIIMS follows a reservation policy in the selection
of junior residents, which is unique, not sanctioned by the
constitution or the directives of the central government. As far
as the SC/ST faculty are concerned, their written complaints to
the committee are of a serious nature, ranging from non-filling
of reserved posts to denial of opportunities to develop better
skills and gain further experience. In the selection of senior
residents and faculty, the post-based roster system is not followed,
the liaison office does not deal with their appointments
and has not submitted any reports to the government about
the institute’s compliance with reservation policy/rules regarding
such appointments, as is required by law. Consequently,
the reservation policy for students, resident doctors and faculty
is dealt with by the administration in an ad hoc manner.
The committee has recommended that AIIMS should initiate
a dialogue between the faculty and the SC/ST students, take
steps to ensure greater interaction between all categories of
students, undertake remedial coaching and also deal with the
complaints of the faculty. It has also suggested that the AIIMS
set up a joint committee of students, residents and faculty to
study the social divide on campus. According to the committee,
“the AIIMS authority has not recognised the gravity of the
social divide that has emerged over a period of time. Neither

did it develop any mechanism to check this tendency of caste

divide.” Even more serious, a number of representations from

the SC/ST students were simply ignored by the authorities.
Ensuring admission to institutions of higher learning for the
socially discriminated is meaningless if even premier colleges
funded by the government do not take even the most basic
steps to make this access meaningful

MPs allege caste-based discrimination at AIIMS

Press Trust of India
Posted online: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 1658 hours IST

New Delhi, March 21: Parliamentarians on Wednesday staged a demonstration at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) alleging caste-based discrimination against medicos at the institute.

The premier healthcare institute had been rocked with student protests a few months back after a group of medicos claimed that some of them were failed in examinations because they belonged to a different caste.”Students are failed on caste basis. They face discrimination from day one. We have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met the health minister and raised questions in Parliament,” said Rajya Sabha member Nirmala Deshpande.

Deshpande, who was leading a group of five MPs in the protest at AIIMS, Ajay Singh, a final year student belonging to the Scheduled Caste was allegedly discriminated against and failed in the examination.

She claimed that the AIIMS governing body had ordered a re-test under a different set of examiners, which was flouted and the same examiners failed Ajay Singh for a second time.

EVEN IF I NEVER BECOME A DOCTOR, I WILL NOT GIVE UP THIS FIGHT

( http://www.tehelka.com )

I was in Class viii when I first heard about AIIMS, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. My mother was a nurse, and the doctor she worked with in Etah, my hometown, had a nephew at AIIMS. He visited Etah once, and my mother was very keen that I meet him. “You need to read a lot if you want to go to AIIMS,” he said. That’s when I told myself I’d study there somehow, someday.

The harassment peaked during the anti-reservation protests of 2006. They were always trying to start fights so they could bash us up. Derogatory remarks were common: ‘Yeh chamar log kya karenge?’

My father, who drives an autorickshaw, wouldn’t have been able to send me to Delhi for coaching had it not been for my Physics teacher who helped me get a concession on the fees. I got into AIIMS with 66.16 percent, the same as the “General” cut-off that year. Nirpat Singh, the autodriver, and Munni Devi , the nurse, were very proud of their son. It was a big moment for all of us when we entered the campus of India’s premier medical sciences college.

As soon as my parents left, I was summoned by my neighbour, a senior, who asked me to introduce myself. Among other things, I told him I had stood first on the Scheduled Caste list. The next moment I found myself outside the room, on the ground; he had pushed me out. That was just the first day. The next time he tried to insult me, I told him I’d complain. While he never spoke to me as long as he was on campus, he told his friends about the incident and they boycotted me too.

Ever since, I have been reminded of my “low” status every moment I have been here. I was the only “Category” student in my wing. One day, I found this on my door: “Nobody likes you here. F**k off.” On another day: “Everybody can use the carom board, but not Room No 45.” People would bang and kick at my door at all hours, disappearing by the time I opened it. They tried their best to make me leave, but I told myself I wouldn’t, no matter what. I gradually isolated myself from them, and started interacting only with others from the “Category”.

I had been to school at the Navodaya Vidyalaya for seven years, and I knew about casteism from my experience there, but it was nothing compared to AIIMS. In school, I used to think I wouldn’t have to go through the same humiliations if I were at a big institution. I came to the biggest of them all, but in vain. At least we would eat together at Navodaya.

It is true that not all General Category students are casteist, but caste cuts through everything at AIIMS. They won’t talk to us. We have no representation in the students’ union this year. They won’t let us play cricket; in a basket ball match, they won’t pass us the ball once. The hatred was out in the open in 2003, during Pulse (AIIMS’ annual medical college festival). They beat up a Dalit student so badly that it was a miracle he survived. We went to complain, but the administration was ready only to dismiss both parties: those who attacked and those who were attacked. Having been beaten up, he didn’t want to go through that, so he withdrew.

The harassment reached a high during the anti-reservation protests of 2006. There were more than a thousand outsiders staying on campus during those days. They slept in our hostels and ate in our messes. Derogatory remarks were common: “Yeh chamar log kya karenge?” They were always trying to start fights so they could bash us up. They even made plans to beat up a few resident doctors. There was no point complaining. Nobody was willing to listen. The media chose to portray last year’s events as if everyone at AIIMS — scs, sts and obcs included — was against reservation. “Category” juniors were dragged out during ragging and forced to participate in the protests; in many of these, they came under baton charges from the police. I could see them going through trauma; I took the initiative and told the director that ragging was being prolonged even after the stipulated time. Nothing happened. They also beat up our gym secretary, a “Category” student. That got all of us very upset. Pushed to the wall, we decided to submit a memorandum. The director, Dr P. Venugopal, promised to act within 24 hours — and he did. All the people we named were informed, and all of them came to each one of us and threatened us with dire consequences if we did not withdraw the complaint. We didn’t; instead we wrote another, this time to the President of AIIMS. There was no response. Then we went to the media.

We were accused of obstructing Pulse 2006. They did that to malign us and turn student sentiment against us. We put up posters clarifying our stand — we had nothing against Pulse, we just wanted the harassment stopped. During Pulse, a cd was circulated with a film showing the burning of books written by Babasaheb Ambedkar. I called a press conference against the film; I didn’t get much support. An enquiry committee was appointed, and they asked me why I was out to tarnish AIIMS’ reputation. I told them I had no choice when no help was forthcoming.

Never before had a “Category” student raised his voice this way.

They decided to teach me a lesson, and send out a message to all the “Category” students of the campus. They failed me in my final professional exam, which was in December. If I fail three times, I will be disqualified. My re-examination was video-recorded — though it is unheard-of, I wouldn’t have had any problem had they informed me beforehand. I wrote another complaint to the director about this illegal recording. A day before the results were due, my result was leaked. Posters were pasted all over campus declaring that the student who had complained and called the press conference had failed. I filed a police complaint. We held a series of protests, as a result of which the Centre formed a committee headed by the University Grants Commission chairman Sukhdeo Thorat, to look into the matter. The AIIMS director did not even allocate it a room, and the hearings happened off-campus. I gathered everyone and we went to depose in groups.

I knew I would fail when the only question I was asked on my viva was: “What is your involvement with the Thorat report?” Six or seven students had scored lower in the internal marks than I — all passed, I did not. I was failed in medicine in my re-professional exam by one-and-a-half marks. We later got to know that the faculty association had passed a resolution two days before the vivas that no one would take my re-examination viva. And the director still hasn’t accepted the governing body’s order to grant me re-examination with a new set of examiners.

All this is being done to scare my juniors. My case will be an example, since I am in my final year.

I had an opportunity recently for an internship at the University of Penn-sylvania. AIIMS couldn’t do anything about it, so they got in touch with their seniors there, who, as I have heard, assured them they would “set me right”.

If I am not destined to be a doctor, I won’t be. But I will not give up this fight. Even if I never become a doctor, I have a great satisfaction already. No voices were heard in the past. Now people are willing to come to protest. There are 45 “Category” boys at AIIMS, and whenever there is a protest, at least 40 of them turn up.

Though my father is an auto driver, people respect him in my hometown. My parents have taught me to safeguard my dignity at all costs, and that’s what I am doing now. Though it was not easy, I don’t feel it has been all that tough either.

As told to Praveen Donthi

Jun 02 , 2007

(AJAY KUMAR SINGH Born in 1982. Grew up in Etah in Uttar Pradesh. Gained admission in 2002 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Is in his MBBS final year )

SC/ST students at AIIMS face discrimination

Posted online: Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 1353 hours IST

(http://www.expressindia.com)

New Delhi, May 6: SC/ST students at AIIMS face discrimination at all levels right from consultation with teachers, during examinations and even in hostels, a committee probing discrimination at the institute said slamming authorities for not recognising the gravity of the social divide.

The committee, headed by UGC Chairman Prof S K Thorat, in its report said their is sufficient evidence to support the view that AIIMS administration headed by the Director P Venugopal played a proactive role in the organization of the anti-quota agitation last year.

The report, which was submitted to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, said SC/ST students face discrimination at all level right from consultation with teachers, in the classroom, during examination and even in hostel.

Saying that AIIMS should address the issue immediately, it held that “the consequences of the social exclusion for SC/ST are far more serious as this has developed in to psychological problems and a sense of insecurity among them”.