Realities on Participation of Scheduled Caste in India: The Benefits of Social Inclusion in Higher Education through Social Work Interventions.

This article examines the participation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in higher education in India, highlighting persistent challenges despite constitutional guarantees of equality and affirmative action through the Reservation policy. Using data from the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) and National Sample Survey (NSS), it reveals that while SC enrolment in higher education has gradually increased, it remains below national averages, with significant disparities across states and premier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The study underscores socio-economic barriers, caste-based discrimination, and inadequate support systems as key obstacles to SC students' access, retention, and completion in higher education. It advocates for inclusive policies, robust monitoring mechanisms, and social work interventions to promote equity, empowerment, and social justice for SC students within India's complex higher education framework.