Financial Barriers in Education
Atul Kumar, a Dalit student, lost his IIT seat due to the inability to pay the ₹17,500 seat booking fee.
Government policies under the "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" led to substantial fee hikes, such as a 200% increase in IIT undergraduate fees from ₹90,000 to ₹3 lakh.
Rising fees in IITs and IIMs make education unaffordable for marginalized students.
Government schemes like Vidyalakshmi, which offers interest-free scholarships, remain insufficient to fully support these students financially.
Impact of Fee Hikes
Fee hikes across top institutions (e.g., IIT-Delhi's 100% increase in M.Tech fees) worsen financial struggles for students, especially from Dalit and OBC communities.
Despite efforts to regulate fees, many students from these communities are unable to afford tuition or pursue studies through loans.
Dropouts and Mental Strain
Over 13,500 Dalit and OBC students dropped out of prestigious institutions like IITs and IIMs due to financial pressure.
Rising fees and caste-based discrimination contribute to stress, leading to suicides and emotional isolation among marginalized students.
Persistent Caste Discrimination
Dalit students face caste-based prejudice, leading to social isolation and mental health issues, as seen in cases of suicides at IITs.
The lack of representation of Dalit faculty in institutions, with only 5% of faculty in IITs from SC, ST, and OBC backgrounds, reflects deep-rooted inequalities in education and employment.
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