Guwahati: In three government colleges Assam has released online admission forms that require applicants to specify their caste for seats, sparking outrage among student groups and academics, even as the authorities called it “wrong” by its common software provider. as rejected.
The mandatory “Caste” section of the application form for admission to Handik Girls College, Arya Vidyapeeth College and Karmashree Hiteshwar Saikia College – all in Guwahati – includes the drop-down options Brahmins, Ganaks (a sub-sect of Assamese Brahmins). Kalitas, Kayasthas, Shudras and Vaishyas.
The alleged caste-based scrutiny of applicants was highlighted Students Federation of India (SFI), which said it could not have happened without the knowledge of the government. but the director of higher education Dharma Kanta Mili Said on Thursday that there is no such instruction from the government. “We cannot interfere in the functioning of colleges. The directorate has not asked them to collect caste data.
At Handik Girls College, online admission form submission started last week and a large number of students have already specified their caste and community. The college principal did not respond to repeated phone calls from The Times of India. IT services provider Adroit Digisoft Solutions has included a caste column on its own, said an official who requested anonymity.
“There should be a system to identify students from reserved categories like SC, ST or OBC. But we were not aware that students are being asked to disclose their caste in the admission portal. The college authority may soon drop this section,” the official said.
Software developer KK Gogoi said the firm has decided to drop the caste options based on the objections of the colleges. “We wanted to be more specific. If a student is from the general category, caste information would make his identity more clear,” he said.
Sikhmoni Konwar, principal of Karmashree Hiteshwar Saikia College, said the IT firm has been asked to remove the caste options immediately. “We don’t even keep records of what religion the students follow, let alone caste,” he said. “This time also there was no instruction from the government to enter the caste and religion of the applicants.”
State SFI secretary Nirangkush Nath alleged that the BJP-led government may bring caste mapping in educational institutions. “Some students were unaware of their caste when our volunteers were helping them to fill the form online. Earlier we had never had to disclose our caste.”
The mandatory “Caste” section of the application form for admission to Handik Girls College, Arya Vidyapeeth College and Karmashree Hiteshwar Saikia College – all in Guwahati – includes the drop-down options Brahmins, Ganaks (a sub-sect of Assamese Brahmins). Kalitas, Kayasthas, Shudras and Vaishyas.
The alleged caste-based scrutiny of applicants was highlighted Students Federation of India (SFI), which said it could not have happened without the knowledge of the government. but the director of higher education Dharma Kanta Mili Said on Thursday that there is no such instruction from the government. “We cannot interfere in the functioning of colleges. The directorate has not asked them to collect caste data.
At Handik Girls College, online admission form submission started last week and a large number of students have already specified their caste and community. The college principal did not respond to repeated phone calls from The Times of India. IT services provider Adroit Digisoft Solutions has included a caste column on its own, said an official who requested anonymity.
“There should be a system to identify students from reserved categories like SC, ST or OBC. But we were not aware that students are being asked to disclose their caste in the admission portal. The college authority may soon drop this section,” the official said.
Software developer KK Gogoi said the firm has decided to drop the caste options based on the objections of the colleges. “We wanted to be more specific. If a student is from the general category, caste information would make his identity more clear,” he said.
Sikhmoni Konwar, principal of Karmashree Hiteshwar Saikia College, said the IT firm has been asked to remove the caste options immediately. “We don’t even keep records of what religion the students follow, let alone caste,” he said. “This time also there was no instruction from the government to enter the caste and religion of the applicants.”
State SFI secretary Nirangkush Nath alleged that the BJP-led government may bring caste mapping in educational institutions. “Some students were unaware of their caste when our volunteers were helping them to fill the form online. Earlier we had never had to disclose our caste.”
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