New Delhi:In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar revealed that a total of 13,626 students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories have dropped out of central universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) over the past five years.
Addressing concerns about the high dropout rates among OBC, SC, and ST students, Sarkar stated that student migration across institutions and courses, as well as personal reasons, contributed to the dropout figures. He mentioned that mechanisms like SC/ST students’ cells, equal opportunity cells, and grievance committees have been established to address any issues proactively.
The data shared by Sarkar indicates that 4,596 OBC candidates, 2,424 SC, and 2,622 ST students dropped out of central universities. Additionally, 2,066 OBC candidates, 1,068 SC, and 408 ST students left IITs, while 163 OBC, 188 SC, and 91 ST candidates dropped out of IIMs during the same period.
The government has implemented various measures, such as fee reduction, establishment of more institutes, scholarships, and priority access to national-level scholarships, to support students with poor financial backgrounds in pursuing their education. For SC/ST students, schemes like the ‘waiver of tuition fees in IITs’ and national scholarships under the Central Sector Scheme are in place.
Moreover, Sarkar highlighted the establishment of mechanisms within institutes and UGC’s instructions for promoting equity and fraternity among students.
