Equal opportunity cells just token bodies in city univs

New Delhi: Mandated for years as an institutional mechanism to address discrimination and promote inclusion, equal opportunity cells at several universities across Delhi have largely been functioning as token bodies — often tucked away in easy-to-miss rooms on campuses, thus limiting their visibility and outreach to students they are meant to serve. These cells exist in line with University Grants Commission's 2012 regulations on Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions, which mandated their constitution.The functioning of the cells came under focus amid a controversy surrounding the commission's equity regulations notified in 2026, the implementation of which was stayed by Supreme Court following protests, prompting a closer scrutiny of how the cells have operated so far. Across universities, they run with minimal faculty support. Its members hold additional charges alongside their regular academic and administrative responsibilities and, in some cases, rely on student volunteers for outreach.In the absence of dedicated staff, accessibility to these cells depends on the availability of faculty. They do not have independent administrative set-ups and operate through largely informal systems. This arrangement can raise concerns about conflicts of interest in cases involving complaints against persons holding positions in the administration, faculty members said. The handling of complaints reflects this informal structure. At Delhi University, an official of the cell said it had not received any caste-based complaints so far, with other plaints being referred informally to the concerned department or college. At Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the cell had recorded 28 complaints over a five-year period till May 2025. They included cases of caste-based discrimination, most of which were resolved within the university's administrative framework. TOI reported last May that JNU's cell had been struggling with low complaint numbers and its limited visibility on the campus, which officials linked to low awareness of the mechanism rather than absence of discrimination. The report noted that the cell had not received dedicated funding since 2015 and continued its activities with support from the university. At both universities, officials acknowledged that these cells largely functioned as token bodies constituted in response to earlier advisories mandating their formation, without clearly laid-down procedures, enforcement powers or time-bound grievance redressal mechanisms. The equal opportunity cells are also entrusted with other responsibilities, such as organising sensitisation programmes, conducting workshops on equity and inclusion, facilitating fee waivers and financial assistance for students from marginalised backgrounds, supporting persons with disabilities with assistive equipment and coordinating access to scholarships and funded research opportunities. However, the university officials said the absence of dedicated funds had constrained the functioning of these bodies. An official of the DU cell, who requested anonymity, said. "We provide fee waivers, conduct several activities and offer services for students, including persons with disabilities, but we largely function without funds. The last funding we received from the grants commission was at least a decade ago. After that, whenever something needs to be done, we have to approach the university. Sometimes the funds come through, sometimes they don't." Members of DU's cell said it did not hold meetings for a prolonged period, limiting its ability to review issues or plan activities on a regular basis. Such cells are also in place at Jamia Millia Islamia, Ambedkar University Delhi and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Queries seeking details on complaints, staffing and funding from these universities did not receive any response.