Despite constitutional safeguards and statutory mechanisms, caste discrimination persists in India's premier higher education institutions. Examine the causes and suggest institutional reforms.

Article 17 abolishes untouchability, and Articles 15(4)–(5) and 46 have widened access for SC/ST students. The UGC's 2012 Equity Regulations require Equal Opportunity Cells on every campus [3]. Yet in September 2026, a Dalit student named Sahil Wakode died by suicide at IIT-Bombay, and an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was filed against faculty members [1]. Reservation has opened the door, but campuses have not yet made these students equals.

Causes of persistence

• Mechanisms act only on complaints: SC/ST cells, liaison officers and grievance committees act only when a student comes forward [2]. They are run by the same institution the student would be accusing, so an empty complaint register can reflect fear rather than fairness.
• Power asymmetry: Faculty control grades and supervision, which makes students reluctant to speak up. In the IIT-Bombay case, the FIR names faculty members [1].
• Institutional defensiveness: IIT-Bombay first publicly said the student had been caught cheating. It later withdrew this and apologised for prejudging the probe [1].
• Social stigma and isolation: The "merit versus quota" narrative isolates reserved-category students. The Supreme Court's National Task Force (NTF) on student mental health lists caste discrimination among the factors affecting student well-being [5].
• Data blind spot: NCRB counts students as one broad group, not by type of institution [2]. Even so, 13,044 students died by suicide in 2022 [6]. Without caste-wise campus data, each death is treated as a one-off.

Institutional reforms

• Independent equity bodies: Put the Equity Committees under the UGC's 2026 Regulations, which include civil-society members, into practice quickly [4]. Include outside members in inquiries, as students have demanded [1].
• Link discipline to welfare: Any malpractice proceeding should include a counsellor and a same-day follow-up with the student. Adopt a binding code of conduct for faculty [1].
• Participatory governance: Give students seats on academic and non-academic committees [1].
• Transparency: Publish caste-wise data on student deaths and complaints every year. Tie accreditation and rankings to equity audits.
• Early outreach: Use mentorship, bridge courses and trained counsellors to reach struggling students before a crisis. The NTF has recommended this approach [5].

Caste discrimination on campus persists because of reactive mechanisms, unchecked power and missing data, not because laws are absent. Proactive, independent and accountable institutions can make the promise of Article 17 real inside the classroom and advance SDGs 4 and 10 (quality education and reduced inequalities). This would turn premier institutions into drivers of social mobility and fraternity.