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Updated: Feb 07, 2017 07:39 IST

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) tops the list of Central universities that witnessed caste-based discrimination against Dalits in 2015-16. The university registered 19 such cases, followed by Gujarat University with 18 complaints , according to the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Incidentally, JD(U) MP Ali Anwar Ansari on Monday also slammed BHU for trampling the rights of students by imposing restrictions on eating non-vegetarian food for female students, hostel timings and round-the-clock access to internet.

The UGC’s figures on caste-based discrimination were reported in response to a question in Lok Sabha on Monday.

In 2015-16, there were 102 complaints of discrimination against Dalits and 40 against tribals in 18 central universities . The issue of caste discrimination on campuses had come to light after Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula committed suicide at the University of Hyderabad last year.

After his death, a number of SC/ST students from across the country had came forward and expressed their insecurity in higher educational institutions.

BHU vice-chancellor Prof Girish Chandra Tripathi, however, claimed there was no caste-based discrimination in BHU.

“No such case came into my knowledge. As I haven’t seen the report, it is not appropriate to comment,” he said. The UGC’s figures, as provided by the government in the Lok Sabha, are based on the reports submitted by universities.

Both UP and Gujarat have the maximum number of universities that have reported castebased complaints. In Delhi, seven such complaints were received from Indira Gandhi National Open University and three from Jawaharlal Nehru University. JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said, “We have a separate equal opportunity cell. Each complaint is thoroughly investigated,” he said