Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) in the HEIs

University Grants Commission has Launched “Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) in the HEIs”. The following are the objectives of the guidelines:

1. Improving equitable access to quality education for SEDGs through bridge courses, earnwhile-learn, and outreach programme;
2. Extending and ensuring basic facilities and amenities to SEDGs for inclusive, healthy, safe, and secure environments on campuses; and
3. Setting up SEDGs Cell for the purpose of sensitization of all stakeholders, policy implementation, monitoring, equalizing access to inclusive quality higher education, ensuring respectful dignity, promoting egalitarian and constitutional values, and grievance redressal in the HEIs.

The following measures are suggested in the NEP 2020 to achieve the above objectives:

1. Make admission processes more inclusive.
2. Make the curriculum more inclusive.
3. Develop bridge courses for students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds.
4. Ensure sensitization of faculty, counselors, and students on the gender-identity issue and
   its inclusion in all aspects of the HEI, including curricula.
5. Strictly enforce all no-discrimination and anti-harassment rules.
6. Develop a road map that contains specific plans for action on increasing participation
   from SEDGs, including but not limited to the above items.