Shifts in Higher Education Institutions: A Rise in Reserved Category Students

For a long time, it was believed that students from the general category dominated the number of enrollments in colleges and universities across the country. However, in the last decade, a major shift has occurred, and the impact of reservations in higher education has become evident. As a result, students from the reserved categories have surpassed students from the general category in enrollment in colleges and universities. Currently, more than 60 out of every 100 students in colleges and universities are from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).

According to a study by IIM Udaipur's Centre for Development Policy and Management, the combined enrollment share of SC, ST, and OBC students was 43.1% in 2010-11. By 2022-23, this figure had increased significantly to 60.8%. In 2023 alone, the number of students from reserved categories was 95 lakh higher than that of students from the general category. Meanwhile, the share of general category students in enrollments was 57% in 2011 but dropped to 39% in 2023.

The study also includes students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The findings are based on the 13-year All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) data. Researchers analyzed the AISHE reports from the years 2010-11 to 2022-23, covering 60,380 institutions and 4.38 crore students. The analysis revealed that the enrollment share of SC/ST/OBC students in government institutions was 62.2% and 60% in private institutions.

This clearly indicates that the social structure of students in educational institutions is changing across all states and subjects. The report states that the number of general category students in total enrollments is decreasing year by year, and they are facing stiff competition from students in reserved categories. Students from reserved categories are now securing seats in general categories based on merit. The study's report breaks long-held assumptions about the social structure of students in India's higher education system.

Professor Venkataramanan Krishnamurthy's report also references former Chief Justice B.R. Gavai's statement, in which he emphasized the need for applying the creamy layer provision for SC/ST students as well. He argued that if reservations continue to benefit the same families repeatedly, a sub-caste may emerge within the reserved category itself. Reservations must reach those who truly need them. According to AISHE's data, the availability of opportunities for SC, ST, and OBC students in higher education is no longer an issue, as it is now above the average.

Now, the focus should be on ensuring that those in the creamy layer do not seize opportunities meant for the more underprivileged sections within their own categories.

Study Findings:

Year	Enrollment Share of Reserved Categories	Enrollment Share of General Category
2010-11	43.1%	57%
2022-23	60.8%	39%
2023	95 lakh more	Lower than Reserved Categories