Recommendations for Reservation in Private Higher Education Institutions
A parliamentary panel has suggested implementing reservations for different categories in private higher education institutions to address the low representation of certain groups. This recommendation includes:
- 27% reservation for OBC (Other Backward Classes).
- 15% reservation for SC (Scheduled Castes).
- 7.5% reservation for ST (Scheduled Tribes).
The panel noted the "considerably low" and "abysmally low" number of OBC, SC, and ST students in select private institutions like BITS-Pilani, OP Jindal Global University, and Shiv Nadar University, where less than 1% of students belonged to the ST category.
Need for Legislative Action
- Education should serve as a key instrument for achieving social justice.
- The current lack of reservations in private institutions is seen as a barrier to social justice.
- Article 15(5) of the Constitution allows the State to include private institutions in reservation schemes, but they are not currently obliged to implement such policies.
- The panel urges the implementation of Article 15(5) to align with the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act of 2006, which applies to centrally funded institutions.
Financial Implications and Government Support
- The committee recommends that the government fully cover the financial implications of introducing reservations.
- It suggests a reimbursement model similar to the one used for private schools.
- Dedicated funds should be allocated to private HEIs to:
- Increase seats.
- Build infrastructure.
- Hire faculty.
- Ensure no reduction in general category seats.
Role of State Governments
- The Department of Higher Education stated that state governments should legislate provisions for reservations in private universities, as they are established by state acts.
Current Student Enrollment Statistics
According to the All India Survey of Higher Education data for 2022-23:
- SC students make up 15.5% (67.87 lakh students) of total enrollment.
- ST students account for 6.4% (28.25 lakh students).
- OBC students comprise 38.9% (1.7 crore students).
