AIISCA’s Janta Adalat on Caste Discrimination and Institutional Accountability in Higher Education to be held in Nagpur on 22 November

Mumbai- The All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA) has announced a “Janta Adalat”, a People’s Public Hearing focused on caste-based discrimination and institutional accountability in higher education institutions across India. The event would be held at Baba Sahab Ambedkar International Convention Center, Nagpur on 22 November.

The hearing is expected to bring together affected families, students, academics, activists and legal experts to expose institutional failures, hear testimonies and demand justice.

In an official announcement, AIISCA invited students, research scholars, PhD scholars, affected families, and individuals from SC, ST, OBC and other marginalised caste communities to share their experiences of caste-based discrimination, humiliation, exclusion, harassment, and denial of equal opportunities. The call covers incidents in admissions, classrooms, hostels, research supervision, fellowships, examinations, and appointments. Both current students and those who have completed their education are encouraged to come forward.

AIISCA founder Rahul Sonpimple said the objectives of the Janta Adalat are to provide a public platform for families affected by institutional discrimination and alleged caste-based harassment in higher educational institutions; to document the experiences of SC/ST students facing caste discrimination, social exclusion, humiliation and institutional neglect; to examine the role and accountability of educational institutions in preventing caste discrimination and protecting students; to hear testimonies of affected families, survivors and students; to discuss constitutional safeguards, anti-discrimination provisions and institutional grievance-redressal mechanisms; to develop recommendations for making higher educational institutions inclusive, accountable and free from caste discrimination; and to demand effective mechanisms for prevention, investigation, accountability and justice.

About AIISCA

AIISCA is an autonomous Dalit movement organisation founded on 16 July 2023. It describes itself as a cadre-based, non-electoral social movement focused on building leadership at the grassroots and national levels, challenging caste discrimination, and asserting Dalit identity, dignity, and rights. Its national president is Dr. Rahul Sonpimple. The organisation’s main centre is the Savitribai Phule Resource Centre in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It has been active on issues including private-sector reservation, caste atrocities, and student rights.

The organisation has urged affected individuals to share their experiences so that institutional patterns of discrimination can be documented and challenged.

The announcement reflects AIISCA’s broader focus on higher education as a key site of caste-based exclusion and the need for structural accountability beyond individual cases.