Between 2018 and 2023, there have been over 19,000 dropouts from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at all Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
In answer to a written query in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar provided this statistic.
The government was questioned about the number of SC, ST, and OBC candidates who dropped out of IITs, IIMs, and other central universities in the previous five years by Tiruchi Siva, a member of the Indian Parliament who represents Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, she inquired as to “whether Government has conducted any study in regard to the reasons for the high dropout rate of OBCs, SCs, and STs students in these higher educational institutions.”
Sarkar responded by revealing that 6901 OBC applicants, 3596 SC students, and 3949 ST students dropped out of Central Universities. Likewise, 2544 OBC applicants, 1362 SC students, and 538 ST students dropped out of IITs. Furthermore, in the last five years, 133 OBC, 143 SC, and 90 ST applicants have dropped out of IIMs.
“The Government has taken various steps like fee reduction, establishment of more institutes, scholarship, priority access to national level scholarships to aid the students with poor financial backgrounds to pursue their education. For the welfare of SC/ST students the schemes like ‘waiver of tuition fees in IITs’, grant of national scholarships under Central Sector Scheme, scholarships in Institutes etc. are also there,” Sarkar said.