MPs allege discrimination against SC, ST students at AIIMS

MPs have sought PM Manmohan Singh`s intervention in the matter, requesting him to seek a detailed report from the institute`s administration.

New Delhi: Alleging discrimination against SC, ST and OBC students at AIIMS, 54 MPs have sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s intervention in the matter, requesting him to seek a detailed report from the institute`s administration.

In a letter to Singh, the MPs also informed that AIIMS has not fulfilled the criteria for appointment of doctors and other medical staffs from backward communities, creating a backlog against these.

"There are serious allegations of discrimination against SC, ST and OBC students in AIIMS. The institute has failed to recruit doctors from reserved categories. It has also not followed recommendations of committees set up by government in this regard," Lok Sabha MP Mangani Lal Mandal said.

Several MPs representing SC, ST and OBC communities have been alleging caste discrimination in national level universities and institutions.

"We have held several protests against the cases of caste discrimination in national level educational institutions. This issue has been raised several times in Parliament also," Mandal said.

On their letter, he said, "We have requested the prime minister to look into the matter and seek a report from AIIMS administration. We also informed him that the institute has overlooked the recommendations of committees set up by government to look into these allegations."

Following allegations of discrimination against students from reserved categories, the government has set up committees to look into the matter.

"The government had set up Thorat Committee to look into the allegations of caste discrimination in AIIMS. The committee had given its recommendation asking the institute to clear backlog in appointment from reserved categories. But nothing has been done in this regard," he said.

He claimed that students from reserved categories have been repeatedly failed by the AIIMS faculty and "one student from ST community even committed suicide after facing repeated discrimination in the institute".

Recently, the NCSC also recommended action against people found guilty of caste discrimination in AIIMS, taking into account the report filed by a committee headed by Bhalchandra Mungekar.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.