Only 2 SC, ST Vice Chancellors Among India’s 45 Central Universities: Education Ministry

The Education Ministry has revealed that only two vice-chancellors belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in 45 central universities. While responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on July 24, Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar informed the lower house that as of April 1, 2023, one Vice-Chancellor is from the Scheduled Caste community, one from the Scheduled Tribe community, and five from the Other Backward Class (OBC) community, reported Career 360. The reply came in connection with a question of whether underprivileged socioeconomic groupings such as SCs, STs, and OBCs are appropriately represented in central institutions.

The data also revealed that just 96 professors (one of the highest teaching positions at the university level) are from the SC community, and 22 are from the ST community, out of a total of 1,341 professors in central universities. Similarly, 231 associate professors are from the SC community, and 69 are from the ST community, out of a total of 2,817 professors employed by the central universities.

In addition, there are about 8, 940 professors hired at the central universities, 1,094 are from the SC community and 534 are from the ST community at the associate professor level. Meanwhile, data from the administrative level indicated that just two registrars are from the SC community, two from the ST community, and three from the OBC group.

Here’s the list of caste-wise staff employed in 45 Central Universities as on April 1

Professor (Total-1,341)

• General: 1,146
• Scheduled Caste (SC): 96
• Scheduled Tribe (ST): 22
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): 60
• Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 3
• Person with Disabilities (PWD): 14

Associate Professor (Total-2,817)

• General: 2,304
• Scheduled Caste (SC): 231
• Scheduled Tribe (ST): 69
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): 187
• Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 7
• Person with Disabilities (PWD): 19

Assistant Professor (Total-8, 940)

• General: 5,284
• Scheduled Caste (SC): 1,094
• Scheduled Tribe (ST): 534
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): 1,654
• Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 182
• Person with Disabilities (PWD): 192

The Education Ministry also informed the lower house that there are over 5,000 teaching posts and 15,390 non-teaching posts lying vacant in the 45 central universities in the country.