search

Caste in Classrooms: Discrimination in Higher Education

deltin55 1970-1-1 05:00:00 views 39

Summary of this article



  • Every day practices on campuses continue to marginalise students and faculty through notions of “merit”, language, and cultural capital
  • Delayed degrees, stalled promotions, verbal abuse, professional isolation, and even deaths reveal that caste discrimination is not incidental but structural
  • Concentrated power among academic authorities and ineffective complaint mechanisms discourage reporting







“There will be outcastes as long as there are castes. Nothing can emancipate the outcaste except the destruction of the caste system.”
B. R. Ambedkar




Article 17 of the Indian Constitution states that “untouchability” is abolished and that its practice in any form is forbidden. Article 15 further provides that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen solely on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of these. Yet, in everyday life, caste hierarchies persist. Across campuses, it re-emerges through everyday academic power.






The persistence of caste in schools and colleges, long believed to be sites of upward mobility and rational thought, turns these institutions into places where notions of “merit”, cultural capital, language, and access (or the lack of it) are highlighted and ridiculed. This discrimination spans the country, from Kashmir to Kerala. There is no respite. These case studies do not represent isolated incidents but rather a systemic pattern.



They point to unchecked authority vested in heads of departments and to weak, ineffective redressal mechanisms. Complainants are routinely questioned about their motives. Very few cases of caste discrimination are reported, largely due to the fear of retaliation, social exclusion, and prolonged struggles with institutional mechanisms that often end up protecting those already in positions of power.



[url=]Related Content[/url]


Kerala Filmmaker Asha Achy Joseph Breaks Silence On Harassment Complaint


A Professor’s Death and the Caste Faultlines in J&K’s Universities


The Higher, The Lower: India's Entrenched Caste Hierarchy Feels Challenged By UGC Guidelines


Yash's Toxic Teaser Controversy Escalates As Christian Group Files CBFC Complaint




[url=]Related Content[/url]

Kerala Filmmaker Asha Achy Joseph Breaks Silence On Harassment Complaint

A Professor’s Death and the Caste Faultlines in J&K’s Universities

The Higher, The Lower: India's Entrenched Caste Hierarchy Feels Challenged By UGC Guidelines

Yash's Toxic Teaser Controversy Escalates As Christian Group Files CBFC Complaint
like (0)
deltin55administrator

Post a reply

loginto write comments

Previous / Next

deltin55

He hasn't introduced himself yet.

410K

Threads

12

Posts

1310K

Credits

administrator

Credits
137831