Enrollment of SC, ST and OBC Students in Higher Education Increased at a Rate Higher Than the National Average Over Five Years

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As per a recent nationwide survey on higher education, the percentage of students belonging to marginalised communities, including SC, ST, and other backward castes, has increased higher than the national average in the last 5 years.

New Delhi: According to the most recent nationwide survey on higher education, the percentage of students belonging to marginalised communities, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward castes, has surpassed the national average in the last five years.

The Ministry of Education's report reveals that between the academic years 2017-18 and 2021-22, there has been an overall growth of 18.1% in the number of students enrolled in higher education institutions. However, for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, this growth is higher at 25.43%.

The most significant increase was observed in the number of scheduled tribe (ST) students, showing a remarkable growth of 41.6% over the past five years. Meanwhile, the enrollment of other backward caste (OBC) students increased by 27.3% during the same period.

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Since the academic year 2014-15, there has been an 80.1% increase in the enrollment of female ST students, with an addition of 7.5 lakh students.

The data indicates that five years ago when overall enrollment was 3.66 crore, the enrollment of SC community students was 52.8 lakh. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of students in this category, reaching 66.22 lakh in 2021-22.

Similarly, in 2017-18, 19.13 lakh ST students were part of the higher education system, and by 2021-22, this figure had risen to 27.1 lakh. In the OBC category, five years ago, only 12.83 lakh students were enrolled, and this number has now climbed to 16.33 lakh in 2021-22.

There has been a remarkable improvement in women's enrollment across SC, ST, and OBC categories. Female SC enrolled students increased from 25.1 lakh in 2017-18 to 31.71 lakh in 2021-22, reflecting a substantial growth of 26.6% over five years. The count of female ST students also saw a significant rise, reaching 13.46 lakh in 2021-22 from 9.1 lakh in 2017–18, marking a notable increase of 47.6%. Similarly, in the OBC category, the number of female students experienced a growth of 27.2%, reaching 78.19 lakh in 2021-22 compared to 61.44 lakh in 2017-18.

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In India, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education for the 18-23 age group is estimated at 28.4. Conversely, students from the SC and ST communities exhibit GERs of 25.9 and 21.2, respectively. (The Gross Enrollment Ratio is a significant indicator of a population's participation in higher education, with higher GER values indicating increased enrollment within the specified age group.)

However, the same positive trend did not extend to the data concerning the Muslim community. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the enrollment of Muslim students stood at 21.1 lakh. Over five years, minority enrollment witnessed a modest increase of only 14.7%, progressing from 18.4 lakh in 2017-18 to 19.22 lakh in 2020-21. The enrollment of female Muslim students in 2021-22 was 10.4 lakh, a slight rise from 8.98 lakh recorded in 2017-18.

Since 2011, the education ministry has conducted this survey, encompassing all higher educational institutions nationwide that provide higher education. The survey gathers comprehensive information on various parameters, including student enrollment, teacher data, infrastructure details, financial information, etc.

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