If securing an admission in JNU is a challenging task for SC/ST students, then mastering the medium of instruction - English - is no less daunting. Of 22.5 % students of this category, most enroll into JNU's refresher course. This way they manage to pull through post graduation.
"These students have gaps in their knowledge and this gets accentuated with poor English. We conduct a year long course for such students at the School of International Studies. This factor is a big deterrent in their performance," said a JNU professor. JNU has a fairly liberal policy for OBC quota students.
While OBC Women candidates are given 10 points in their written exams, OBC men are given 5 points. Those from backward districts are give 5 or 3 points. Teachers feel that reserved category students from the Northeast are able to cope better due to their familiarity with English.
Most SCST students are average to good performers. Of course, brilliant exceptions are always present. "The margin of students dropping out from JNU from the reserved category is very limited," the professor added.
