New Delhi: In a surprising revelation that challenges prevailing perceptions, a new report titled “A Survey of Muslim-managed Public and Private Institutions of Higher Education in India” has found that more Hindu students (around 55%) are pursuing higher education in Muslim-managed institutions across the country compared to Muslim students (around 42%). The report, compiled by the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Study and Research (CSR) along with NOUS Network Pvt. Ltd., provides empirical evidence against the misinformation surrounding Muslim-managed educational institutions.
The findings of the report were discussed at a roundtable event held here in the national capital recently attended by educators, policymakers, and stakeholders, who applauded the report as a valuable resource for addressing existing challenges faced by the Muslim community in higher education. However, concerns were also expressed over the grim situation of the community, particularly their meagre share in higher education and their sharp dropout rates.
In his welcome speech, Dr. Mohammed Rizwan, Director of the Centre for Study and Research (CSR), presented the vision of CSR and asserted that the report is a “myth-buster” that provides empirical evidence against the prevailing misinformation among certain sections of society. “To our knowledge, no such study has been conducted to date, and there is currently no data available on the number of institutions for higher education affiliated with the Muslim minority group, while this research represents the first attempt of its kind to address this critical gap,” Dr. Rizwan stated.
The report reveals that in Muslim-run universities, Hindus constitute the majority of students (52.7%), while Muslims make up 42.1%. This pattern holds true for colleges managed by the Muslim minority as well, where Hindus are the largest student group (55.1%), followed by Muslims (42.1%) and other minority groups (2.8%).
Prof. Salim Engineer commended the CSR and NOUS team for conducting such an important study but cautioned that the findings regarding the community’s education situation are not encouraging. He emphasized the need to encourage the community by recognizing its accomplishments and contributions in the past 75 years of independence, despite facing challenges such as communal riots and a challenging post-partition atmosphere.
Prof. Salim criticized the apathy of successive governments towards the Muslim minority, lamenting that numerous studies, including the noteworthy Sachar Committee report, have been conducted on the community’s socio-economic and educational status, but their recommendations have largely been debated without significant implementation.
Ali Javed, CEO of NOUS Network Pvt. Ltd., expressed his hope that this report would be an indispensable resource for academics, policymakers, and anyone invested in educational advancement, significantly contributing to the understanding of Muslim-affiliated higher education institutions.
Highlighting the study’s findings, researcher Abid Faheem pointed out that Muslims constitute over 14% of India’s population, but their representation in higher education remains low at only 4.8%. He expressed concern that despite the Sachar Committee report on the socio-economic and educational status of the Muslim community released 17 years ago, there has not been much progress.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sanghmitra, Chairperson of the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at Jawaharlal Nehru University, appreciated the CSR and Nous Networks team’s work in clarifying some widely held misconceptions about the Muslim community. However, she expressed concern about the gap between policy and reality, noting that the Amitabh Kundu Committee report, which followed the Sachar Committee report, showed minimal progress in the community’s status despite the evidence and recommendations presented earlier.
Former chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission Dr. Kamal Farooqi emphasized the importance of shifting the Muslim community’s fundamental attitude and mindset towards education. Professor Sadia Halima, an economics professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University, asserted the need to shift focus from mere literacy rates, enrollment figures, and the number of students or institutions to prioritizing knowledge and quality education.
Former civil servant Akhtar Mahboob Syed stressed the importance of data collection and studies to understand the socio-economic state of the Muslim community. He suggested that the community itself needs to gather data on the effectiveness of existing schemes aimed at improving education for minorities, as the government is unlikely to do so.
According to the report, out of the total 1,113 universities in India, only 23 universities (2.1%) belong to the Muslim minority. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of Muslim universities, followed by Karnataka. Around 69.9% of Muslim universities are located in urban areas, and the majority (43.5%) are privately managed.
Out of the total 97,928 students enrolled in Muslim universities in the academic year 2021-22, 42.1% are Muslims, 52.7% are Hindus, and 5.2% belong to other minority groups. Regarding Muslim students, there were 26,039 (63.09%) male students and 15,236 (36.91%) female students enrolled in higher education.
In terms of colleges, out of the total 43,796 colleges in India, only 1,155 colleges (2.6%) are managed by the Muslim minority community. Of these, 141 (12.2%) are technical colleges registered with the All India Council for Technical Education. Despite making up 73.4% of all minority groups, Muslim minority communities only have a 16.6% share in technical colleges, while other minority groups, comprising 26.6% of the population, hold an 83.4% share.
The report further reveals that 6.4% of Muslim colleges in India are exclusively for girls, and 85.5% of Muslim minority colleges are private (unaided), 10.6% are private (aided), and 3.9% are government colleges. About 57.8% of Muslim minority colleges are located in rural areas.
Out of the total 524,441 students enrolled in Muslim minority colleges in the academic year 2021-22, 42.1% are Muslims, 55.1% are Hindus, and 2.8% belong to other minority groups. In terms of Muslim students, there were 104,163 (47.18%) male students and 116,622 (52.82%) female students enrolled in higher education.
The report also highlights that 96.4% of Muslim minority colleges did not participate in the NIRF ranking of 2023, and none of the colleges secured a position in the top 100 in the NIRF 2023 college rankings.
While the report sheds light on the challenges and opportunities within higher education for the Muslim community, it also reveals the community’s resilience and contributions to the educational landscape. As the discussion at the roundtable event highlighted, there is a need for targeted interventions, policy reforms, and a shift in mindset to address the underrepresentation of Muslims in higher education and ensure inclusive and equitable access to quality education.