IIT Madras Data Shows Forward Caste, Financially Weaker Students Well Represented; Raises Questions Over EWS Quota

Data on the representation of students from various caste backgrounds and economic strata of society collected by IIT, Madras has raised questions over the need for a quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in higher education institutes, reports The New Indian Express.

Firstly, the statistics about 2017 and 2018 student admissions into various courses offered by the varsity showed that almost all the 50 per cent or so of the open category seats had been clinched by applicants from the Forward Castes (FC). As an example, there were 256 open category seats for the BTech course in 2018, out of which 255 seats went to FC candidates, with only one being take up by an OBC applicant.

Further breaking down the data as per the financial backgrounds of students, it has been revealed that of the 854 students who had taken admission in BTech and dual degree courses, a clear majority of 568 students belonging to families with annual incomes below Rs 10 lakh.

On the other hand, the 10 per cent EWS quota being implemented by the incumbent government is applicable for students whose family incomes are below 10 per cent and who do not avail of any other quota benefits. The data backs the view that such sections of the population are already quite well represented in student intake.