28 December 2024: The Hindu Editorial Analysis

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1. Marginalised by caste, marginalized in education

Topic: GS2 Social Justice Education

Context

• The financial obstacles encountered by marginalized students in India underscore the systemic inequalities that affect access to education.
• Increasing tuition fees in prestigious institutions such as IITs and IIMs further compound the economic and social barriers faced by Dalit and underprivileged students.
• The ongoing issues of caste-based discrimination and employment challenges highlight an urgent need for comprehensive systemic reforms.

Supreme Court Intervention in Atul Kumar’s Case

• In a notable instance, Atul Kumar, a Scheduled Caste student, lost his place at IIT Dhanbad because he was unable to pay the ₹17,500 seat booking fee.
• In response, the Supreme Court of India invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to secure his admission.
• Unfortunately, many similar cases remain unreported, leaving deserving students without opportunities due to financial limitations and systemic inequalities.

Rising Tuition Fees

• Government initiatives such as the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” have resulted in significant increases in fees at top-tier institutions.
• For example, IIT undergraduate fees surged by 200% in 2016, escalating from ₹90,000 to ₹3 lakh annually.
• Tuition fees at IIMs have also seen substantial increases: IIM-Lucknow by 29.6%, IIM-Ahmedabad by 5%, and IIM-Calcutta by 17.3%. Additionally, IIT-Delhi doubled its M.Tech semester fees from ₹26,450 to ₹53,100 for the 2022-23 academic year.
• These tuition hikes create formidable challenges for marginalized students attempting to pursue higher education, even with programs like Vidyalakshmi, which offer limited interest-free scholarships.

Impact on Marginalised Students

• The escalating costs of education significantly impact marginalized communities, hindering their access to prestigious institutions, even when they possess competitive qualifications.
• The financial pressures associated with these costs have led to tragic outcomes, including 122 student suicides across IITs and IIMs between 2014 and 2021.

High Dropout Rates

• A considerable number of students choose to leave their studies due to the financial burdens they face.
• For instance, during the 2017–2018 academic year, 2,461 students dropped out of IITs alone.
• Over a span of five years, more than 13,500 students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) have exited central universities, IITs, and IIMs.

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Historical and Ongoing Caste-Based Barriers

• Dalits frequently find themselves in low-paying, undesirable job positions, which perpetuates their social and economic marginalization.
• Moreover, in urban sanitation work, over 92% of laborers come from SC, ST, or OBC backgrounds. Within IITs, faculty representation is considerably imbalanced, with 95% of faculty positions held by upper-caste individuals, and many departments entirely lacking SC, ST, or OBC faculty.

Persistent Challenges for Dalit Students

• Despite constitutional protections, Dalit students often confront significant hurdles, including poverty, discrimination, and social prejudice.
• Caste-based discrimination and social isolation compound their struggles, leading to emotional distress and, in some tragic instances, suicides.
• Recent incidents reported at institutions such as IIT Bombay and various medical colleges underscore the urgent issue of casteism within the educational landscape.

Employment Challenges for Marginalised Students

• The interplay of familial expectations and high unemployment rates intensifies the pressures faced by students.
• In 2024, approximately 38% of graduates from IITs (around 8,000 students) across 23 campuses were left unplaced.
• For those from marginalized communities, the challenges of securing employment are further complicated by their caste identities.

Conclusion

To cultivate an inclusive and equitable landscape in higher education and employment, it is imperative to confront the challenges posed by escalating tuition fees, caste-based discrimination, and disparities in employment opportunities.

PYQ: How have digital initiatives in India contributed to the functioning of the educational system in the country? Elaborate your answer. (250 words/15m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-1 2020)

Practice Question:

The increasing burden of tuition fees combined with systemic caste-based discrimination severely limits access to quality education for marginalized communities in India. Analyze the implications of these obstacles on social equity and propose strategies to enhance inclusivity in higher education. (150 words/10 marks)

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