New Delhi, May 10, 2023 (PPI-OT): The government of India’s policies vis-à-vis the welfare of minorities, especially Muslims, have come under scanner as a massive decline has been noticed in the enrollment of Muslims in higher education in 2020-2021 compared to the figures for other communities which have shown a grossly upward trend. The issue recently came to light as an article written by professors Christophe Jaffrelot and Kalaiyarasan S. in The Indian Express drew attention to the anomaly. They cited data from the Education Ministry’s report “All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21 (AISHE)”. Although the report was out in February, the article titled “Muslim in Higher Education: A Sobering Tale” published on May 09 focused on the decline.

“The recently released All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21 shows some contrasting trends,” reads the article. “Enrollment of Dalits, Adivasi’s and OBCs (other backward classes) in higher education has increased by 4.2 per cent, 11.9 per cent and 4 per cent respectively compared to 2019-20. The upper castes, whose share in enrollment had been declining with the implementation of Mandal II since the late 2000s, have come back with the highest growth rate of 13.6 per cent. On the other hand, the enrollment of Muslim students dropped by 8 per cent from 2019-20 – that is, by 1,79,147 students. This level of absolute decline has never happened in the recent past for any group”.

When it comes to the decline in different states, the article noted that Uttar Pradesh accounts for 36 per cent of the total decline, Maharashtra (8.5 per cent), Tamil Nadu (8.1 per cent), Gujarat (6.1 per cent), Bihar (5.7 per cent) and Karnataka (3.7 per cent). Except in Tamil Nadu, Muslims alone witnessed an absolute decline in their enrollment. As per the article, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir accounts for 26 per cent decline in enrolment of Muslim students. “While the states that have a larger share of the Muslim population account for the higher share of decline, small states too show similar trends. For instance, between 2019-20 – 2020-21, Delhi lost about 20 per cent of its Muslim students while J and K lost about 36 per cent,” it said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has sharply reacted to the report blaming the Hindutva policies adopted by the Narendra Modi government for the decline. “Muslims are now behind Dalits and Adivasi’s. The most educationally backward group in the country. Where is the so-called appeasement? Where is the so-called secularism? Where is ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ of Modi?” asked Owaisi while putting out a series of tweets on the issue. Awaisi, who is Member of the Indian Parliament from Hyderabad, asserted that poverty and discrimination have barred Muslims from accessing higher education. Add to this, the Modi government is removing support systems for minorities. In Karnataka, they scrapped the 4% quota for poor Muslims. They’ve removed or restricted fellowships and scholarships for minorities, he said.

“Neither secular parties nor Sanghis are willing to accept that Muslims need reservations and scholarships. Not on the basis of religion but on the basis of backwardness. Forcing Muslims to live impoverished and uneducated lives is forcing them to live as second-class citizens,” Owaisi lamented.

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