The Kuvempu University will introduce reservation for victims of sexual abuse and their children for admission to PG courses from 2016-17.
Jogan Shankar, Vice-Chancellor of the university, told The Hindu that one seat will be reserved in each PG department for victims of sexual harassment, including those rescued from child and human trafficking, children of Devadasis, and other women who were sexually exploited.
The university will request the Department of Social Welfare to consider such students as belonging to the Backward Classes and reimburse a part of the fee they pay to the university. The rules that guide the admission for such students will be drafted soon, he said.
Confidentiality issue
Prof. Jogan, however, admitted that maintaining the confidentiality of such students could pose a challenge. Neither the classmates of such students nor the teaching faculty would be aware that the student has been sexually exploited or the child of a victim. A committee headed by the Vice-Chancellor will be formed to select them for the PG course, he said.
To avoid misuse of the reservation facility, the application submitted by such students will be thoroughly screened.
The university will take the opinion of the experts with Odanadi Seva Samsthe and other organisations involved in rescuing children subjected to sexual harassment and trafficking.
The University of Mysore has already introduced reservation for such students.
One seat will be reserved in PG courses
for children of Devadasis too
