Long way to go

It is now three decades since the Indian Constitution declared its commitment to the uplift and the welfare of the Scheduled Castes. In keeping with this commitment, both the Central and the State Governments have allocated massive funds and instituted several programmes for their advancement. Much of this investment is in the form of facilities for education. The assumption underlying this investment is that education makes for mobility and secures advancement.

What is the outcome of this investment in the education of the Scheduled Castes? Who are the beneficiaries of the educational facilities provided? Are the facilities. uniformly utilized by the several Scheduled Castes? Do Scheduled Caste students have 'equal' access to all educational institutions? How 'backward'are those who make their way up to high school and college? To what extent. does caste figure in their backwardness? Are Scheduled Caste students readily accepted by their non-scheduled caste classmates? What are the difficulties that continue to be faced by Scheduled Caste students? How do they view their own situation and what is their outlook on, and reaction to, the measures provided for their advancement? This report on a survey of Scheduled Caste high school and college students, organized through an unusual venture of inter-State and inter-university cooperation in research, and conducted in fifteen States covering all the regions of the country, tries to answer some of these questions.

The report is basically descriptive, in that presents the data that were obtained from survey. However, in the course of discus and interpretation of the data the author has tried to raise some vital issues in connection with the concept of elevating the status of the Scheduled Caste through education. She has also tried to draw some guidelines for revision of the existing policies and programmes.