IITs should have zero tolerance for discrimination: Dharmendra Pradhan

The premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) should have zero tolerance for all kinds of discrimination and should provide adequate support to students, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.

At a meeting of the IIT Council, the apex coordination body of all the 23 premier engineering colleges, Pradhan also said students of the institutes should be the face of the new India and ready to be global citizens.

The council discussed several steps needed to ensure mental health and wellness of IIT students.

It laid stress on the need for a robust grievance redressal system, increasing psychological counselling services, reducing pressure and highlighting the importance of reducing fear of failure and rejection among students.

The council agreed to enhance support to students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.

It also resolved to enhance the tenure of support to women PhD sholars for an additional year.

The crucial decisions were taken at the 55th meeting of the IIT Council, held after a gap of two years. The last meeting was held virtually in February 2021 in view of the pandemic. This is also the first IIT Council meeting chaired by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The council looks after the administrative and other key affairs at the IITs. It includes directors and chairpersons of all 23 IITs.