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PARAKH 2024 data highlights persistent learning gaps among SC, ST, and OBC students across India, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive, equity-focused interventions in pedagogy, policy, and inclusive education for all.
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India’s constitutional and policy commitments, exemplified in Article 46, the Right to Education Act (2009), and the National Education Policy 2020, call for inclusive and equitable access to quality education. However, despite these significant national efforts, recent data from the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 reveal that persistent learning gaps remain among Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) students. This article examines student achievement patterns, national averages, and disparities across social groups for major Indian states, particularly in language and mathematics.
PARAKH 2024 data outlines an almost consistent pattern across most states in all grades and subjects: a hierarchy where "Others"[1] students outperform OBC students, who in turn outperform SC students, with ST students consistently ranking lowest. One of the most concerning trends is how social group gaps widen as students progress through school. At the national level, in Grade 3 Language, the gap between Others and ST students averages 5 percentage points; by Grade 9, this expands to 13 points. This widening is not merely a failure of the education system in providing compensatory support, but reflects deeper systemic inequities — including curriculum delivery that assumes uniform readiness, limited scaffolding as concepts grow more complex, and the cumulative effects of social and economic disadvantage.
At the national level, in Grade 3 Language, the gap between Others and ST students averages 5 percentage points; by Grade 9, this expands to 13 points.
At Grade 3, social group gaps in both Language and Mathematics remain modest in many states, typically within 2–5 percentage points. Yet several states stand out for sharp disparities even this early. West Bengal records a 15-point gap between ST and Others in Language (48 vs. 63), along with 11 points between OBC and Others and 8 points between SC and Others—a pattern rarely seen at this stage. Jharkhand follows with 9–10 point gaps across all groups (SC 54, ST 54, OBC 53 vs. Others 63). Such early inequities often reflect barriers linked to home–school language mismatches, low pre-primary exposure, and high teacher shortage rates. Even in high-performing states, inequities are visible: in Kerala, ST learners score 70 in Grade 3 Language compared to 78 for Others, and in Punjab, the ST average is 73 against 81 for Others. Here, high system averages mask the persistent disadvantage of tribal and migrant households, where barriers stem less from teacher availability and more from spatial and social isolation.
Figure 1 and 2: National Trends in Language and Mathematics by Social Group
Source: Prepared by the author using data from the PARAKH Dashboard 2024
A comparison of Grade 3 outcomes with earlier National Achievement Survey (NAS) rounds (2017, 2021) confirms that while scores fluctuate slightly, the overall pattern remains unchanged. Here, it is important to note that while NAS refers to the ‘General Category’, PARAKH’s ‘Others’ classification is broader, encompassing all students outside SC, ST, and OBC groups, including those from social and religious groups outside constitutional classifications. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate this stagnation in learning outcomes: all groups have seen limited progress, and the achievement hierarchy is reproduced almost identically across all three assessments. For example, in Language, Others scored 68.1 in 2017, 64 in 2021, and 66 in 2024, while ST students scored 65.3, 61, and 61, respectively. Mathematics trends show a similar plateau, with OBC learners declining from 64.2 in 2017 to 60 in 2024, while SC students remain virtually flat across cycles (61.9 in 2017, 57 in 2021, 60 in 2024). This long-term continuity suggests that systemic inequities are not self-correcting, even under successive reform efforts.
Figures 3 and 4: Grade 3 Language and Mathematics Scores Over Time by Social Group
Source: Prepared by author, using data from NAS Dashboard 2017, NAS Dashboard 2021, PARAKH Dashboard 2024
By Grade 6, disparities widen significantly. Nationally, SC students score 54 in Language against 61 for Others, while ST students average just 51. In Mathematics, ST learners average 41 compared to 50 for Others. State-level patterns highlight the accumulation of disadvantage. In West Bengal, ST students average 45 in Language and just 33 in Math, while Others reach 59 and 45 respectively. Telangana shows similar exclusion: SC students score 39 in Grade 6 Math versus 51 for Others, a 12-point gap. The highest gap is seen in Kerala, where ST students score only 61 as compared to 82 percent by Others in language (a staggering 21-point gap for one of India’s top performing states) and 47 vs. 63 in Mathematics – a 16-point difference. In contrast, Himachal Pradesh again maintains relative equity, with Grade 6 Math scores tightly grouped (SC 51, ST 53, OBC 53, Others 54), illustrating how consistent deployment and multi-grade schooling mitigate inequalities. In Assam, Grade 6 Language sees “Others” score slightly below SC, ST, and OBC learners (55 vs. 56), reversing the usual hierarchy. By Grade 9, inequities become stark and entrenched. Nationally, ST students average 47 in Language compared to 60 for Others, and only 32 in Mathematics compared to 40. Several states display particularly wide gaps: in Jharkhand, SC and ST students average 45–46 in Language versus 62 for Others (16–17 point deficit), while in Math, ST learners score 30 compared to 42 for Others. Odisha shows similar stratification, with ST students at 49 in Language and 34 in Math, while Others reach 68 and 47 respectively. Even in high-performing systems, the pattern holds. In Kerala, SC and ST students average 68 and 64 in Grade 9 Language compared to 80 for Others, a 12–16 point gap; in Mathematics, SC and ST average 42 and 40, against 49 for Others. Punjab likewise reveals internal inequities: ST learners score 52 in Grade 9 Language compared to 70 for Others – creating an 18-point gap. Conversely, states such as Assam and Himachal Pradesh contain disparities more effectively: in Assam, Grade 9 scores are nearly flat across groups (Language: SC 51, ST 51, OBC 55, Others 53; Math: SC 35, ST 33, OBC 35, Others 37), while in Himachal Pradesh, Language scores range narrowly between 62–68 across all groups.
Figures 5-8: Language and Mathematics scores by social group in Punjab and Kerala
Source: Prepared by the author, using data from the PARAKH Dashboard 2024
Taken together, the evidence underscores three critical dynamics. First, early gaps grow wider with progression, indicating that the education system does not provide effective remedial or compensatory support as curriculum complexity increases. Second, mathematics is a sharper site of exclusion, severely constraining pathways to higher education and skilled employment. Third, high performance does not guarantee equity: Kerala and Punjab, despite strong systems overall, continue to reproduce caste-based hierarchies unless targeted interventions are made.
High performance does not guarantee equity: Kerala and Punjab, despite strong systems overall, continue to reproduce caste-based hierarchies in education.
The Government of India has sought to address equity in learning outcomes for SC, ST, and OBC students through a mix of scholarships, residential schooling schemes, and targeted welfare initiatives. However, recent data reveal that despite a consistent increase in budgetary allocations, there has been a notable decline in the number of student beneficiaries. For instance, while central assistance for the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students nearly doubled from approximately ₹2,710 crore in 2019-20 to ₹5,475 crore in 2023-24, the number of beneficiaries concurrently decreased by 12.7 percent. This discrepancy is attributed to systemic and procedural challenges that impede policy implementation. A primary cause is the mandatory Aadhaar linkage for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which, while intended to streamline fund transfers, has created a significant barrier for students in rural areas due to limited access to devices, low digital literacy, and unreliable connectivity. An additional impediment is the protracted delays in fund disbursement, which can result in students waiting two to three years for their scholarships and facing subsequent financial penalties or the withholding of academic documents by institutions. Beyond financial and logistical policy, the educational system must address pedagogical and social barriers, including the persistence of caste-based discrimination. The persistence of caste-based discrimination in both overt and covert forms presents a profound impediment to classroom participation and equitable learning. Mother tongue education, as advocated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, for instance, is likely to result in further improvement as its implementation progresses.
Despite scholarship allocations nearly doubling, the number of SC student beneficiaries has declined, pointing to systemic and procedural bottlenecks in implementation.
To effectively address these multifaceted challenges, a forward-looking framework for educational equity is essential. This requires a shift from a singular focus on financial support to a comprehensive strategy that integrates targeted academic, psychological, and institutional interventions through:
Ishika Ranjan is a Research Intern at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Ishika Ranjan is a Research Intern at the Observer Research Foundation’s Centre for New Economic Diplomacy and a final-year undergraduate at Ashoka University, studying Economics ...
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