The Role of Caste in Indian Higher Education

In India, higher education stands as a potential pathway to social mobility, but for millions from marginalised communities, this path is obstructed by entrenched caste-based discrimination and the increasingly privatised structure of the education system. The introduction of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG) in 1991 marked a shift toward market-driven reforms, including in the education sector.

Privatisation has not only widened the gap in accessibility but has also further marginalised oppressed communities who struggle to break free from cycles of socio-economic disadvantage. The high costs and absence of reservation policies in private institutions make these spaces largely inaccessible to Dalit and Adivasi students, perpetuating an exclusive system.

Privatisation and Exclusion

In itself, education has long been a tool of power and privilege, dominated by higher castes for centuries. Education serves as a form of modern capital, upon which the privileged castes have leveraged their inherited advantages and accumulated resources to reinforce their dominance in society (Subramanian, 2015).

Since the 1990s, the government of India has been promoting privatisation of higher education. Privatisation has transformed higher education into a commodity, where one's financial capability determines access. The creation of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) in 2017 marked a shift from grants to loans for universities, burdening public institutions with financial constraints.

Retention and Access

According to the National Sample Survey Organisation (2011–12), the under-represented castes—SCs, STs, OBCs— represented 71.5 percent of the total population and hold poor representation in the educational and professional circuit. The enrolment rate for upper caste students in class XII for 2021-22 was 30%, while for SC and ST students it was just 18% and 8%, respectively.

Upon instances when they go for higher education, students face costs associated with fees, which includes tuition fees, examination fees, development fees, and other compulsory payments. According to Bhoi (2013), the cost of enrolling a single child from an SC household in a private secondary institution constitutes 23.3% of their household income.

Merit and Privilege

The neoliberal emphasis on "merit" and "efficiency" has deepened caste-based inequities in India, embedding structural barriers into education and employment systems. Merit, often framed as an objective measure of academic achievement, is frequently invoked to delegitimise reservation policies designed to address historical and systemic injustices.

Elite private institutions and preparatory schools overwhelmingly admit students from upper-caste backgrounds, offering extensive resources such as experienced teachers, extracurricular activities, and influential peer networks.

Institutional Discrimination

Caste hierarchy is a part of everyday life (Seigworth and Gardiner, 2004) and explicitly and subtly seeps into languages, traditions, religious practices, commerce and social consciousness. According to the racial microaggressions model (Sue et al., 2007), caste-based discrimination occurs at three levels: individual, institutional and cultural.

Deshpande and Zacharias (2013) recorded seventeen suicide cases of Dalit students in various elite institution across India. One of the most appalling official reports regarding institutional discrimination was reported by the Thorat Committee (2007).

Conclusion

B.R. Ambedkar, in his Memorandum to the British Government in 1928, had predicted that the 'past may again be made to live in the present', unless the system is reformed and policies are developed to increase the access of depressed caste/class to education and the gap between them and high castes/class is reduced (Ambedkar, 1982).

Education must move beyond traditional merit concepts, with institutions fostering critical thinking and empathetic environments. Addressing these systemic issues through awareness, financial support, and accountability is crucial for achieving true inclusion in education.