New Delhi [India], July 30 : Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday raised concerns about caste-based discrimination and unequal treatment in the education system.
He highlighted the disparity in tuition fees for OBC students in certain institutions, such as SPA Delhi, where OBC students are charged ₹55,000 while others receive significant waivers.
The Congress MP said in a post on X that the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, charges Rs 55 thousand in tuition fees from OBC students, while the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) get a full tuition fee waiver.
The Delhi government offers reimbursement of tuition fees for SC/ST/OBC students, with 100% reimbursement for families earning less than ₹60,000 per annum and 75% reimbursement for families earning between ₹60,000 and ₹1 lakh per annum.
The Delhi government also provides merit scholarships to SC/ST/OBC students, with awards ranging from ₹420 to ₹1,110 per month for day scholars and hostlers, respectively.
The central government offers post-matric scholarships for OBC students, with maintenance allowances up to ₹13,500 and other benefits.
Posting the purported fee structure of the SPA in a post on X, Tagore demanded answers from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, questioning the lack of parity in fee waivers, and OBC students "still being treated like outsiders."
He said that the differential treatment of OBC students suggested a modern form of caste-based discrimination, where students from backward classes are penalised due to their birth.
"Why does caste decide who pays and who doesn't? Why are OBC students still treated like outsiders in the education system? Why no fee parity for OBCs from low-income backgrounds?" the Congress leader asked on X, tagging the union minister.
He said that such alleged policies of centrally funded higher education institutions are a "continuation of Manuwadi policy through modern forms," and called for the dismantling of such a mindset
"This isn't a technical error. This is the continuation of Manuwadi policy through modern forms...This fight is bigger than one institute. It's a call to dismantle Manuwadi mindsets from our universities, our bureaucracy, our policies," Tagore's post read.
"Is this a fee structure or a modern form of caste tax on the backward classes? We're not asking for special treatment. We're asking for equal dignity. Equal rights. Equal opportunity. If public institutions funded by taxpayers can't ensure fairness, where should OBC youth go? The same families that were once denied education by caste now pay the highest tuition fees in elite institutions," the post added.
To address the concerns raised by Manickam Tagore, the government and institutions can consider implementing the following measures-- Equal Tuition Fee Waivers, provide equal tuition fee waivers for OBC students from similar income groups to ensure fairness and equality; Uniform Non-Discriminatory Policy, develop and implement uniform policies across central institutions to prevent caste-based discrimination and ensure equal treatment for all students and End Caste-Coded Fee Structures, abolish fee structures that differentiate between students based on caste or community, promoting a more inclusive and equitable education system.
The Lok Sabha MP had shared the fee notice circular of SPA, originally published by the All India Other Backward Classes Employees Federation showing the fee structure.
According to the notice, General/OBC category students, including Persons with Disabilities (PwD) have to pay atleast Rs 27,500 regardless of income class (income above or below Rs 5 lacs), whereas the EWS students have to pay 0 tuition fees. However, the students have to pay a Rs 1.5 thousand and Rs 5 thousand registration and enrolment fees regardless of category.