SDG 10.4Support for under-represented groups
UPES pairs every student with a faculty mentor and offers counselling, with extra support for women and for students who face barriers to higher education.
- Mentoring for every student. Each student has a faculty mentor for personal guidance, coordinated by the Dean of Student Welfare.
- Counselling. A full-time psychological counsellor offers group and one-to-one sessions to anyone who needs help.
- Women leaders. The Shakti leadership programme selects women employees for nine months of training in adaptive skills, emotional intelligence, business communication and team management, to prepare them for leadership roles. The programme runs over five modules, and successive cohorts, including Shakti 4, have completed it.
- Students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Project Protsaahan covers tuition, hostel, uniform and laptop costs for meritorious students from the Purkal Youth Development Society.
- Support Centre for Minority Groups. A dedicated, clearly signposted space where students from minority communities can seek guidance, counselling or a supportive conversation on academic or other concerns, backed by the Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Internal Complaints Committee, a Committee for Students with Disabilities and the grievance redressal mechanism.
- Space for every faith. A Prayer Room open to students of all faiths, and a small campus temple, offer quiet places for prayer and reflection.
- Echoes of Inclusion. During Legal Odyssey 2025, the School of Law's induction for new students, a session on 9 July 2025 used skits and reflections to question stereotypes around language, region, class and gender and build a campus culture of empathy.
- Celebrating every shade. Anandotsav 2025, themed "Celebrating Every Shade of Us – Together", brought more than 1,000 employees from different schools, departments, cultures and roles, with their families, together in one celebration of diversity.
- Safe ways to speak up. Students and staff can report discrimination or harassment confidentially to the Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Internal Complaints Committee or the grievance portal.
