Page 7 - Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity forthe SocioEconomically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) in the HEI

Section - I

Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs)

1.1 Introduction:

Accessibility of quality education to all has been a major challenge in countries all over the world. In
India, there are several disadvantaged groups, such as women, minorities, SCs and STs, OBCs, PwDs,
EWSs, who lag behind others in the field of education. Taking all together in the development of
the nation is the prime goal of the Government of India. Accordingly, the National Education Policy
(NEP) 2020 emphasizes the need to address the issues of students belonging to Socio-Economically
Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs).

The students belonging to SEDGs face several challenges and difficulties in accessing quality education
because of socio-cultural, economic, and historical reasons. The NEP 2020 has indicated people with
the following identities as Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) and emphasized on their
increased participation, particularly in higher education:

(i) Gender Identity:
• Female (Girls and Women make up about half of all SEDGs and, in particular, those
belonging to underrepresented groups have multiple disadvantages)
• Transgender.

(ii) Social Backwardness Identity:

• Scheduled Castes (SCs)
• Scheduled Tribes (STs)

(iii) Educational and Economic Backward Identity:
• Non-Creamy Layer among Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
• Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs)
• Students from the vernacular medium schools

• First Generation Learners

(iv) Minority Identity:
• Religious Minorities
• Linguistic Minorities

(v) Persons with Disabilities and Benchmark Disabilities.

• A person with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment,
• A person with not less than forty percent of a specified disability as certified by the
certifying authority.

(vi) Vulnerable and Low Socio-economic conditions:
• Migrant communities, Denotified and Nomadic Tribes
• Low-income households Below Poverty Line (BPL)
• Child beggars and Children in vulnerable situations

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University Grants Commission