New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has found that the numbers of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students enrolled in private higher educational institutions (HEIs) is “abysmally low”, and recommended the implementation of reservation quotas in educational institutions, including private ones, proportional to the population of SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The recommendations are a part of the parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports' 370th report, which was  tabled in parliament on Wednesday (August 20).

The bipartisan committee is headed by the Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh.

The committee in its report said that while the data furnished by the Department of Higher Education said that about 40% of students at private HEIs are OBC, 14.9% are SC and 5% are ST, data provided by the universities show on the other hand that “the numbers of OBC students admitted therein are considerably low while the numbers of SC and ST students in above mentioned Universities are abysmally low”.

Its report said that of a total of 5,137 students at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science during 2024-25, about 514 students were OBC (~10%), 29 were SC (~0.5%) and four were ST (~0.08%), although it also noted that some students did not declare their category.

In O.P. Jindal Global University, out of a total of 3,181 students, 28 were SC and 29 ST (less than 1% each).

In Shiv Nadar University, out of a total of 3,359 students, 48 were SC and 29 were ST, which is 1.5% and approximately 0.5% respectively.

“The Committee therefore, recommends the Department of Higher Education to implement reservation quotas in educational institutions, including private ones, proportional to the population of SCs, STs and [OBCs],” the report said.

“Also, the Department should ensure its compliance through a central oversight/monitoring body like UGC [University Grants Commission], National Commission for Backward Classes and SC/ST Commissions to monitoring implementation of Article 15(5) of Indian Constitution, ensuring these institutions report admission data annually [sic].”

Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Sub-section 5 says that the state can make special legal provisions relating to the admission of socially or educationally backward communities – or for SCs and STs – to educational institutions, including privately run ones, “whether aided or unaided by the state”.

The committee in its report recommended that the Union and state governments allocate dedicated funds for private educational institutions and HEIs to increase seats, build infrastructure and hire faculty while implementing reservations.

Noting that students from marginalised communities face challenges in competing in entrance exams or keeping up with curricula due to poor foundational education in rural areas, the committee recommended that the Department of Higher Education study bridging models, including courses and free coaching for entrance exams among other things, that private HEIs can adopt to support effective implementation of Article 15(5).

“Similarly, the Department may also provide scholarships which can bear the burden of living costs in hostels to students taking admission through quotas in private HEIs,” the report said.

The committee said that in view of caste-based discrimination in HEIs, the strict anti-discrimination policies must be enforced and sensitisation programmes must be conducted for students and faculty.

“The Committee observes that Article 46 of Indian Constitution directs the State to promote educational and economic interests of [SCs], [STs] and other weaker sections of society and Article 15(5) serves as a tool to achieve this constitutional mandate.

“The Committee, therefore, recommends that implementation of Article 15(5) should be aligned with Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Article 46 to promote holistic upliftment [of] SEBCs [socially and economically backward classes], SCs, STs and EWS categories,” the report said.

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