A new analysis of higher education enrolment in India shows a significant shift in caste representation over the past decade, with students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) now constituting the majority across universities and colleges.
The findings, based on 13 years of All-India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) data, counter longstanding claims about “upper-caste dominance” in the sector.
The study by the Centre for Development Policy and Management (CDPM) at IIM Udaipur examined AISHE data from 2010–11 to 2022–23, covering 60,380 institutions and 43.8 million students.
Researchers Venkatramanan Krishnamurthy, Thiyagarajan Jayaraman, and Dina Banerjee describe the dataset as among the most extensive assessments of caste representation in Indian higher education.
“This report shatters several widespread misconceptions about the social composition of students in Indian higher education,” said Prof. Krishnamurthy. “Contrary to the prevailing narrative, students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes overwhelmingly dominate enrolment and significantly outnumber General Category students.”
According to the analysis, the combined SC/ST/OBC share of enrolment rose from 43.1 per cent in 2010–11 to 60.8 per cent in 2022–23.
In 2023 alone, SC/ST/OBC enrolment surpassed that of General Category students by 9.5 million. Meanwhile, the General Category share declined from 57 per cent in 2011 to about 39 per cent in 2023, even after including Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students.
American sociologist Dr. Salvatore Babones welcomed the findings, noting that the paper “lays out the data on access to higher education by caste category” and should inform India’s reservation debates. Former Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, quoted in the report, reiterated the need to extend the creamy-layer principle to SC and ST communities, cautioning that repeated benefits to the same families could create “a class within a class.”
Co-author Thiyagarajan echoed the concern, saying AISHE data shows that opportunities for SC, ST, and OBC students are now “above average,” and the focus should shift to ensuring equitable distribution within these groups.
CasteFiles’ analysis of the same dataset, cited in the report, found that SC/ST/OBC students make up 62.2 per cent of enrolment in government institutions and 60 per cent in private institutions, signalling a widespread demographic shift.
The report also notes that General Category students show a year-on-year decline in absolute enrolment and increasingly compete with SC/ST/OBC students entering general (non-quota) seats on merit.
Calling for policy reassessment, Prof. Banerjee said the findings underline the importance of an evidence-based approach to equity and the need to revisit policy frameworks.
Dr. Babones added that social policy must be driven by data to remain effective. The study, published by IIM Udaipur’s CDPM, is available for researchers, journalists, and policymakers examining long-term structural changes in Indian higher education.