Professional Documents
Culture Documents
'Excellence' through
Expulsion
A case of Arbitrary Merit vs Constitutional Mandate
Content
(I)
Introduction
23
(III)
Immediate Background
25
(IV)
31
students
(V)
41
administration
(VI)
45
senior students
(VII)
47
students
Observations
48
(IX)
Recommendations
53
(X)
55
(VIII)
Conclusion
(XI)
Annexure
59
Introduction
History of Higher Education in India and
Consolidation of Brahmanical Merit
Before we get into the details of the fact finding report, a
glimpse of how Higher education was established and
consolidated in India, in its present form, would be very
useful. This historical account would briefly deal with
three aspects (a) Rationale, nature and function of
Universities and non-university educational institutions
in India (b) Major actors in the establishment of higher
education in India (c) the social composition of its
beneficiaries.
Such an enquiry, would underline the historical
significance of this fact-finding exercise. The fact-finding
team is convinced that the entry of historically excluded
groups into public institutions is a historical rupture. It
marks a process of democratization for everyone.
Nevertheless, higher education continues to be the
monopoly of Brahmins and upper castes.
Post- Mandal India has witnessed deafening discourses
on merit and quality in higher education. These
discourses have more or less consolidated the merit of
4
were
established
under
the
banner
of
These
colleges
catered
chiefly
to
the
Dr.
Babasaheb
Ambedkar,
in
his
essay
British
nominations
for
the
Brahmanical
s.
Indians
only
after
Europeans
persistently
Commission
for
Scheduled
As per the
Castes
and
vision.
This
politics
was
based
on
10
of
historically
excluded
groups.
Das
notes
that
reservations
naturally
11
and
to
make
definite
and
concrete
12
Concerns . Frontline .
13
rich
people.
IIT
students
were
than
any
other
undergraduate
academic
said.
(News
link
http://www.firstpost.com/business/old-mans-knockoutpunch-nrn-murthys-comments-on-indian-inventionsare-an-eye-opener-2345372.html)
These factories, were since the beginning rewarded
heavily by the government not only in terms of
humungous central funding and subsidies but were also
assured full autonomy in terms of deciding their
administration, curriculum and functioning. A legal
sanction was provided to this autonomy through The
Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which laid down the
rules
for
governing of
the
IITs
specifically.
on
'secondary
and
higher
education'
students
the
affirmative
policy
was
16
('Class
IV'
employees),
the
scenario
is
13
17
19
influential
institutions
have
significant
20
ventures,
technology/student
achievements
and
holding
festivals
current
international
and
initiatives
marketing
using,
if
education
has
happened
in
the
more
21
(like
the
private
universities,
deemed
22
consisted
of
Anoop
Kumar
(Independent
the
facts
pertaining
to
the
for
SC/ST/OBC
students
by
We
would
also
review
the
the
upkeep
of
constitutional
promises
and
24
Immediate Background
On 15th June 2015, IIT Roorkee, the oldest engineering
institute in Asia, released an official memorandum
expelling 73 1st year students from BTech/IMT/MSc.16
This notice was released during the summer vacation
when students are generally not on campus. None of the
expelled students were officially informed about their
expulsion through e-mail or speed post. They were
informed mostlyby their seniors. The immediate reason
for this mass expulsion as explained by the official
memorandum
and
later
by
IIT
(Roorkee)
in
16
25
73
ST
31
SC
23
PD
OBC
See : http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/90-4-of-iit-roorkeesexpelled-students-were-from-reserved-category-decision-unfair-forall/6527 ; Also see reports in the online portal ' Youth ki Awaaz'
.
17
26
General
challenge
approached
the
the
institutional
Uttarakhand
decision,
High
students
Court
with
27
K.G. Balakrishnan, P.
29
their
individual
interviews
and
biographical
34
35
number
completed
their
schooling
in
English
proficiency.
English
relevant
to
their
36
often
spoke
over
the
microphone,
39
40
academic
activities.
Irrespective
of
whichever
an
appointment..
However,
he
soon
lost
42
44
students
also
told
us
about
some
other
46
47
20
48
Observations
A. Lack of Institutional Support and Infrastructure
for Students from Diverse Backgrounds:
language
coaching
classes,
summer
slow
tracking
classes,
programme
announced
administration
at
the
by
time
the
of
the
in
the
final
years
of
the
programme.
The
remedial
provided.
classes
However,
the
were
never
documents
Students'
access
to
the
institutional
regarding
the
same
was
step
undertaken
to
'undo'
the
that
it
remains
accommodative
The
rules
are
really
arbitrary
and
52
Recommendations
The FFT recommends the following to ensure that the
rights of the students are safeguarded:
The
expulsion
of
students
is
Anti
Public
auditing
of
funds
received
under
21
53
and
Student
Union
should
be
The
institution
should
have
in
any
case
whatsoever.
For
re-
discrimination,
often
camouflaged
in
the
disregard
for
diversity
on
campus
by
students,
community
members
and
political
autonomy
should
be
subject
to
the
57
scientific
revolution
or
dismantled
58
Annexure (a)
59
60
Annexure (b)
61
Annexure (c)
62