IIT: Spike in Reserved Candidates’ Dropouts

Between 2018 and 2023, more than 25,593 students from reserved categories (OBCs, SCs, and STs) dropped out from Central Universities, IITs, and IIMs, according to data shared by Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar in Rajya Sabha. Experts believe that family pressure, academic performance, and job urgency are the main reasons for the dropout.

Most dropouts were from postgraduate and PhD programs, but exact numbers weren’t cited. For postgraduate and PhD students, the top reasons cited were getting job offers in public sector enterprises and personal preferences for better opportunities elsewhere.

For undergraduate students, the main reasons for dropping out included making wrong choices, poor performance, and personal or medical issues.

This data is concerning as many students don’t get proper opportunities to study in these prestigious institutes. These dropouts represent a kind of injustice to the students who are in desperate need or want to study but can’t get admission due to reservation and other causes.