The Hindu News Update Service

The Hindu News Update Service

Behind the Quota strikes
'Venugopal played active role in quota agitation'
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): In a damning report, a committee set up to investigate allegations of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students in the institute has said the administration headed by noted cardiac surgeon P Venugopal played a pro-active role in last year's anti-quota agitation.
"There is sufficient evidence to support the view the administration of the AIIMS headed by the Director Dr Venugopal played a proactive role in the organisation of the agitation," said UGC chairman Prof S K Thorat in his report.
The report, which was submitted on Saturday to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, said about 69 per cent of these medical students report they did not receive adequate support from teachers.
The Committee, which was set-up in the wake of media reports and complaints to the government of harassment and abuse of SC/ST students at AIIMS in September, said of the total response about 72 per cent of students mentioned some kind of discrimination being faced in teaching session.
The voluminous report, which has annexures running into several pages, including clippings from newspapers, said that one third of the students have given caste background as reason for avoidance by the teachers.
"Thus it emerged that SC/ST students do not receive the kind of support that other students receive from their teachers. Given the dependence of students on teachers for learning and skill, the lack of adequate support to the SC/ST reflects in performance and psychological problems," the report, which is available to PTI, said.
"About 88 per cent students mentioned they got fewer marks from what they expected. Only 20 per cent mentioned they got feedback on their answers papers. About 84 per cent mentioned that their grades were affected because of their caste," it said.