New horizons and scheduled castes / by C. Parvathamma and Satyanarayana

This book presents a Sociologi cal approach to the problems of Scheduled Castes Students in Higher Education. It views education as a lever of Social Change. The major concern of the authors is to develop an understanding of the condition under which education develops institutional framework capa ble of change. This is compared with condition in which the Scheduled Castes are placed in contemporary Indian Society.

Sponsored by the ICSSR it was the first study of its kind since it was based on detailed reports submitted by over 250 SC col lege students regrding their ex perience during student life, their family background, econo mic conditions social status, educational, occupational and marital aspirations and other factors that exercise control over individual progress.

This is one of the comprehen sive reviews of the changing social, economic and education al status of the Scheduled Castes during the crucial years since 1950. From the data available the authors have tried to ascertain government programmes meant for the benefit of the SCs that suc ceeded or failed. It not only investigates the problems of SC college students but also mea sures how the policy of protec tive discrimination affected the transformations.

The authors recognise that there is at urgent need for the progress of Scheduled Caste masses. They argue that a sig nificant change in public priori ties is required. The analysis provides substantial insight which will help students. tea chers and the general public.