Parliament Question: Drop-outs from IITs

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3451 ANSWERED ON 10/08/2026 Drop-outs from IITs

3451. Shri S Venkatesan:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class

(OBC) students who have been dropped-out from the Indian Institutes of Technology

(IITs) during the last three academic years;

(b) the details of the reasons for such drop-outs;

(c) whether Equal Opportunity Cells have done anything to stop such drop-out and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether all IITs have Equal Opportunity Cells, if so, the details of IITs having such cells; and

(e) the number of times Equal Opportunity Cells met and transacted business during the last three academic years, institute-wise along with the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (e): In the Higher Education sector, students have multiple options even after they join a particular institute. Sometimes students join one stream and but choose to shift to another stream in the same or different institute. Occasionally, students, after joining an institute, leave and join some other institute within India or abroad. In some cases, students enrolled in joint courses, complete only one course and join work. Students also leave institutes due to medical reasons and are permitted to join back after a break. Many students apply for both engineering and medical courses and upon selection in medicine, may leave the engineering college or vice - versa. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also envisages greater flexibility in higher education by providing students with multiple entry and exit options in academic programmes.

The policy provides for flexible curricular structures that enable students to enter and exit programmes at different stages, thereby removing rigid boundaries and facilitating lifelong learning.

The Government is committed to provide equitable access to the highest-quality education across the country to all sections of the society. To make higher education affordable in Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), relaxations in tuition fee of Under Graduate (UG) program is provided notonly to the socially weaker section but also to the economically weaker section of the society.

This includes complete fee waiver for SC/ST and PwD students & full remission of fee for economically weaker students (whose family income is less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum) and also 2/3rd remission of fee for other economically weaker students (whose family income is between Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh per annum).

Further, to increase access in Higher Education, the Government has taken various steps like Financial Assistance and Scholarships like Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan

(PMUSP) Scheme, fee waiver/reduction of disadvantaged groups, study loans like PM Vidyalakshmi scheme, establishment of more institutes, student support system like Establishment of Counselling Cells, strengthening of Grievance Redressal Mechanism, providing Remedial Coaching, initiatives under online and digital learning (ODL) like SWAYAM, National Digital Library (NDL) and e-PG Pathshala. Further, in light of NEP 2020, a slew of initiatives for academic reforms have been undertaken like Multiple Entry and Exit Options, Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) etc.

Equal Opportunity Cells have been set up in the IITs to oversee the effective implementation of Policies and Programs for disadvantaged groups, to provide guidance and counselling with respect to academic, financial, social and other matters and to enhance the diversity within the campuses. In order to proactively address any issues of SC / ST students, Institutes including IITs have set up mechanisms such as SC / ST students’ cells, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Committee, Student Social Club, Liaison officers, Liaison Committee etc.

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