All varsities, colleges to get online complaint portal for caste-based discrimination

Though the University Grants Commission (UGC) had issued periodical circulars to implement online complaint portal, most of the colleges and universities in the State failed to have such a facility.

Accordingly, the officials and faculty members of higher education institutions were instructed to abstain from indulging in any kind of discrimination against any community or category of students.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department said that a fresh circular has been issued to all the State-owned universities and its constituent colleges to immediately implement online complaint cell.

“All universities and colleges were instructed to implement the online complaint portal within one month starting from July 1,” he said, adding that after developing a web portal to lodge complaints, institutions were also asked to maintain a complaint online register data, which will be sent to the government on a monthly basis. “Another copy of the register should be sent to the UGC for verification,” he added.

According to the official, the online register would contain the number of complaints received during the month.

“It will contain how many complaints have been settled/solved,” he said adding that the register will also have the record of action taken. Similarly, the institution should maintain comprehensive data about the mode of solving the issues, he said.

The official also pointed out that only a few colleges in the State have adhered to the UGC norms by creating a separate online complaint cell for backward community students so far.