SGRC Elect Atharva Salve Calls for Mandate Clarity and Grievance Redressal Reforms

On the evening of Monday, 12th May, Atharva Salve (UG '27) was elected as the undergraduate student representative to Ashoka University’s first Student Grievance Redressal Cell (SGRC), following elections held on 9th May. He secured 86 votes, winning against one other candidate, Mihir Eshan (UG’28), who received 20 votes.

In compliance with the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2014 Regulations, Ashoka University established the Student Grievance Redressal Cell (SGRC) earlier this year. The committee, as mandated for all higher education institutions, addresses issues ranging from admissions, infrastructure, discrimination, unfair academic practices, to harassment. Chaired by Professor  C. S. Rajan for this academic year, it comprises faculty, administrative members, and student representatives and began operating earlier this year. The University shall appoint two student representatives to the SGRC, one from the undergraduate cohort and one from the postgraduate/PhD cohort.*

Salve’s term began amid growing student concerns regarding the effectiveness and transparency of institutional redressal mechanisms, particularly in recent incidents of administrative overreach, such as random room inspections held by the wardens and the temporary suspension of cross-access of select students across residence halls. 

According to UGC guidelines, the body must meet regularly, maintain a public grievance register, and resolve complaints within 15 days. One of the primary aims of the SGRC is to enhance transparency in administrative procedures and promote greater accountability within the university. 

The SGRC representative, according to Salve, is expected to work with both the student government and the administration during their term. 

However, Salve has flagged issues related to the committee’s visibility and functional clarity. In an interview with The Edict, Salve highlighted that the SGRC currently lacks a formal and publicly available mandate, contributing to procedural ambiguity and limited student engagement with the committee.

According to Salve, “multiple redressal bodies operate simultaneously at Ashoka — including the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH), the Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC), the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), and Residence Life.” The absence of well-defined jurisdictions across these bodies has led to delays in grievance redressal and confusion among complainants, something he refers to as a “bureaucratic clutter”. “What I aim to do as an SGRC rep is to define things clearly—so if someone is having a problem, they can easily narrow down which body to approach,” he said. 

Central to Salve’s campaign was a proposal to draft and publicly release the SGRC’s mandate and align it with UGC norms. This includes specifying the types of complaints the cell is empowered to address, establishing reporting protocols, and releasing periodic reports on redressal outcomes. Salve also stated that he will work toward publishing annual SGRC reports to improve student awareness. “Many students don’t even know what the SGRC is,” he noted during the candidate nomination.

Students can share their complaints with the SGRC by filling out a form on Ashoka University’s official website.

*The Edict has reached out to the Office of Student Affairs and the SGRC chair regarding the delay of the Postgraduate/PhD student representative election; this article will be updated when we receive a response. 

(Edited by Tanisha Pandey, Madiha Tariq and Fatema Tambawalla)