In last 5 yrs, 19,000 backward-class students quit higher education: Min

According to the Ministry of Education, nearly 19,256 students from OBC, SC and ST categories have dropped out from Central universities, IITs, and IIMs during 2018-2023. Union Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar shared the data in response to a written question in the Rajya Sabha. Yes, you read that right.

While 14,446 students from the three categories dropped out from Central universities during the period, 4,444 students dropped out from IITs and 366 from IIMs, the minister said.

“In the higher education sector, students have multiple options and they choose to migrate across institutions and from one course or programme to another in the same institution. The migration or withdrawal, if any, is mainly on account of securing seats by the students in other departments or institutions of their choice or on any personal ground,” Sarkar was quoted by a news agency.

“The government has taken various steps like fee reduction, the establishment of more institutes, scholarship, priority access to national-level scholarships to aid the students with poor financial backgrounds to pursue their education.”

The minister said the Centre has initiated various schemes like ‘waiver of tuition fees in IITs’, grant of national scholarships under the Central Sector Scheme, scholarships in institutes etc for the welfare of SC and ST students.