Abstract
This article focusses on the growth of higher education within the framework of preferential treatment and supportive measures for the benefit of different social groups, namely, the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, minorities and women. It also reviews the educational policy discourse which assigns several functions to higher education. Some of these are: equity for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes; mainstreaming for the minorities, and equality for women. It demonstrates that the educational policy fails to integrate these functions which remain sectoral aims even at the conceptual level. Further, in the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic Indian society, the parametres of gender, caste, class and region are crucial in determining access to higher education. Again, gender becomes the all inclusive negative parameter conferring cumulative and competing disadvantages on women. Lastly, the educational policies and programmes are unable to encompass the complex social reality within a single framework and are, therefore, unable to bridge the gap between policy and practice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal, M. (1988).A Trend Analysis of Primary Education of Girls in Uttar Pradesh since Independence. M.Phil. dissertation, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Ahmad, K. (1979). ‘Equity and women's higher education’,Journal of Higher Education, 5(1).
Ahmad, K. C. (1985). ‘The social context of women's education in India 1921–81’,New Frontiers in Education, 15(3), 1–36.
Ahmed, Suhail. (1987).Hindu and Muslim Women in the Professions: A Comparison of the Social Background of Teachers and Doctors of Aligarh Muslim University, M. Phil. dissertation, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Basu, Aparna. (1974).Growth of Education and Political Development in India 1898–1920. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Chanana, Karuna. (ed.) (1988).Socialisation, Education and Women: Explorations in Gender Identity. New Delhi: Orient Longman.
Chitnis, Suma (n.d.). ‘Education For the Integration of the Indian Polity’, mimeographed.
Dickinson, D. N. (1971).The Christian College in Developing India: A Sociological Inquiry. Madras: Oxford University Press.
Galanter, Marc. (1984).Competing Inequalities: Law and the Backward Classes in India. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Haider, M. Ghani. (1988).Social Context of Higher Education: A Study of the Social Background of Women Teachers of Jamia Millia Islamia. M.Phil. dissertation, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.
India, Government of (1959).Report of the Committee on the Status of Women. New Delhi: Ministry of Human Resource Development.
India, Government of (1975).Towards Equality: Report of the Committee on the Status of Women. New Delhi: Ministry of Human Resource Development.
India, Government of (1983).Report of the High Power Panel on Minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Weaker Sections. New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs.
India, Government of (1986a).National Policy of Education. New Delhi: Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
India, Government of (1986b).Eighth Annual Report of the Minorities Commission For the Period 1.4.1985 To 31.3.1986. New Delhi.
India, Government of (1986–87).Twenty-eighth Report of the Commissioner For Scheduled Tribes, 1986–87, New Delhi.
India, Government of (1988).National Perspective Plan For Women 1988–2000 A.D.. New Delhi: Department of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
India, Government of (1990a).Selected Educational Statistics: 1988–89, Studies in Educational Statistcs No. 1-1990. New Delhi: Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Planning and Monitoring Statistics Division.
India, Government of (1990b).NPE 1986: Towards Enlightened and Humane Society: Report of the Committee For Review of NPE 1986. New Delhi: Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Minault, G. (1981). ‘Sisterhood or Separatism? The All India Muslim Ladies Conference and the Nationalist Movement’ in Minault, G. (ed.)The Extended Family: Women and Political participation in India and Pakistan. New Delhi: Chanakya Publications.
National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration. (n.d.).Higher Education in India: A Survey. New Delhi.
Papanek, H. and Minault, G. (eds.) (1982).Separate Worlds: Study of Purdah in South Asia. New Delhi: Chanakya Publishers.
Seal, Anil. (1968).Social Background of Indian Nationalism: Competition and Collaboration in the later Nineteenth Century. London: Cambridge University Press.
Singh, Nandita. (1985).Some Socio-Cultural Factors in Education: A Case Study of the Impact of Parda on the Education of Women in U.P. (1927–47). M.Phil. dissertation, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.
University Grants Commission (1990).Annual Report For the Year 1988–1989. New Delhi: University Grants Commission.
Woodsmall, Ruth F. (1936).Moslem Women Enter a New World. New York: Round Table Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
First published inHigher Education Reform in India, eds. Philip G. Altbach and Suma Chitnis (New Delhi: Sage Publication India Pvt. Ltd.).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chanana, K. Accessing higher education: the dilemma of schooling women, minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in contemporary India. High Educ 26, 69–92 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01575107
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01575107