http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070012730
Caste bias rampant at AIIMS Deepti Sachdeva, Rajat Kain Monday, May 21, 2007 (New Delhi) AIIMS was at the centre of the reservations row and the debate still rages on about merit and caste. On the face of it, all appears well at the country's premier medical institute. But a closer look revealed a ghetto for the oppressed Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. A final year student confirmed the rampant discrimination in the institute. He was earlier staying in hostel number 1 but had to vacate after he was allegedly ill-treated. He later shifted to the hostel number 5 and now almost all the SC, ST students are made to put up in the hostel number 4 and 5. This is not just the only incident but an example of its own kind. Every year many from all over the country appear for AIIMS admission, of which 50 are selected. Out of these 50, seven seats are reserved for the SCs and four for the STs. Reservation unrest However, the division along the caste lines happens to be a recent phenomenon in the AIIMS hostel, especially after the unrest created by the Youth for Equality, a student outfit last year opposing 27 per cent reservation for the OBC. The students belonging to SC-ST community allege discrimination and further ill treatment like their rooms being locked and sometimes obscene sentences written outside their rooms. Though the administration has denied any such ill treatment of the backward students, the UGC-appointed Thorat Committee in its report had said that there is a widespread caste-based discrimination at the Institute. The Committee was constituted by the Centre in September last year to look into allegations of discrimination against reserved category students. Caste based discrimination is not a recent phenomenon but the way it has grown in the nation's premier institute over the last year is indeed alarming.
