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ASSIGNMENT

ON

CC/102

(Contemporary India and Education)

Topic: ‘Educational Opportunities & Marginalization’

Submitted to: Dr. Louise V.L. Rinsangi Submitted by: Lalduhawmi

1st Semester

Roll n.o: 17

DISTRICT INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

AIZAWL, MIZORAM
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Q. Educational opportunities and Marginalization.

Educational opportunities:

India is a democratic country. The success of democracy depends upon education of its citizens.
So, educational opportunities are to be provided to individuals to develop their personalities into
the fullest extent.

In India, inequality of educational opportunities is a reality that has been existed for generations.
Tracing back to the traditional caste system, i.e., the British period, the British accentuated the
inequality of educational opportunities imposed by the traditional caste system. However, after
independence, India adopted a Constitution. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution emphasizes
equality of status and of opportunity (M. Dash, 2004). Also, Kothari Commission (1964-1966)
lay down that, ‘one of the important social objectives of education is to equalize opportunity,
enabling the backward for underprivileged class to use education as a means to improve their
condition.’ (Ravi, 2015)

The term opportunity simply means a situation in which it is possible for you to do something
that you want to do (Collins Dictionary). The concept of educational opportunities can be
interpreted in two ways: Horizontal equality which stress on treating all constituents in equal
manner and secondly, Vertical equality which stress on special consideration to bring about
equality of opportunity (Santhosh,S. 2016)

Thus, Educational opportunities can be defined as

 ‘Those opportunities that aim to enable individuals to acquire knowledge and certain
skills, and to cultivate certain capacities’ (Summer, 2017)
 ‘Providing special assistance and making efforts to bring up the less advanced areas and
sections of society to a certain minimum level’
 'A representative individual of any racial or regional group has the same probability of
succeeding as the representative individual of any other racial or regional group'
(Gutherie, 1969).

Most commonly, we associate educational opportunities with access to educational institutions

such as schools and universities, but apprenticeships and professional development and training
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also provide educational opportunities. In addition, there are many informal types of educational
opportunity. These include public debates and lectures as well as time spent reading, practicing,
or thinking outside of a school context. Opportunities belong to agents. In a social system if all
the individuals are treated as equal, they get equal opportunities for advancement. In case
educational opportunities are unequally distributed, the inequalities in the social structure
continue to be perpetuated. Educational opportunities for a child are also determined by his
family, class and neighborhood consideration.

The following articles in the category of Fundamental Rights have a special bearing on education
in India-

1. Article 14: Article 14 also ensures that the State shall not deny to any person equality
before law or equal protection of law within the territory of India. In relation to
education, it is evoked to regulate rules of admission and thus acts for ensuring education
for all.
2. Article 15: This Article guarantees prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion,
race, caste, sex or place of birth by the State. It also ensures equality in educational
opportunities in India.
3. Article 16: this article also ensures that the government can make reservations in favor
of any backward class of the citizens.
4. Article 21(A): the 93rd Amendment of the Directive principles of State Policy declares,
“The State shall endeavor to provide free and compulsory education for all children until
they complete the age of 14 years.” Thus, it provides equal opportunity to all primary
education for all children.
5. Article 29 (ii): this article declares that no citizen shall be denied admission into any
educational institution maintained by the state or receiving aid out of state funds, on
grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them’.
6. Article 45 also ensures equality of educational opportunities to all on the lines of Article
29, 21 (A). Article 15, 29, 46 entrust responsibility of equalization of educational
opportunity in all parts of the country to the Government of India and to that end, give
special assistance to the backward areas or States.
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7. Article 46: the Sate shall promote with special care the education and economic interests
of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the weaker sections of the society.

The fundamental right of equality clearly signifies that in the eyes of law, no distinction can be
made on the basis of any position, caste, class or creed. Side by side the right of equality of
opportunities to all is also provided. The equality of opportunity is meaningless, unless there are
equal opportunities for one’s education.

National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, calls for providing equality of educational
opportunities to all, not only in terms of access but also in the conditions for success. Right to
Education (RTE) Act, 2009 also states that all children in the age group 6-14 years have the
fundamental right to get free education. It also highlight that the state government will ensure
that no discrimination is exercised against children belonging to weak and deprived classes. This
act also ensure that parents/ guardian will be responsible to admit his child/ ward in the age
group of 6-14 years in school, thus, responsible for providing opportunities for education to his
child or ward.

Besides, The University Grants Commission (UGC) has all along given emphasis in enhancing
participation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Minorities, Other Backward
Classes (OBCs), Persons with Disabilities (as defined in the PWD Act, 1995) and Women in
higher education. The UGC is committed not only to strengthen the ongoing programs, but also
continued to innovate meaningful programs with great vigor to achieve increased participation of
SC, ST, Minorities, OBC, PWD and Women in higher education.

Marginalization:

Marginality is an experience that affects millions of people throughout the world. When a group
of people are made to feel of lesser importance, deprived of the facilities and opportunities, and
forced to the margin or the edge of society by those in powers is called as marginalization
(Khillare, 2019).

 The Encyclopedia of Public Health defines marginalization as ‘to be marginalized is to be

placed in the margins as thus excluded from the privilege and power found at the center.’
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 Peter Leonard defines marginality as, “…being outside the mainstream of productive
activity or social reproductive activity.”

In general, the term ‘marginalization’ describes the overt actions or tendencies of human
societies, where people who they perceive to undesirable or without useful function, are
excluded, i.e., marginalized. These people, who are marginalized, from a GROUP or
COMMUNITY for their protection and integration and are known as ‘marginalized groups’. This
limits their opportunities and means for survival (Karthikeyen, 2017)

Marginalization can be broadly divided into two forms (Mangal, et.al. 2019)-

i. Individual Marginalization: It is concerned with the social exclusion of the individuals

at their personal or individual level. It results in an individual’s exclusive
marginalization. For such marginalization, we may cite examples like marginalization of
widows, single mothers, poor, disabled persons, etc.
ii. Community Marginalization- Here, an entire community or group having minority
status may be found to face marginalization at the hands of the majority group. The
marginalization of the black in European countries, women, Scheduled caste, Scheduled
tribes, etc., can be cited as examples of such marginalization.

Marginalized group might be socially, economically, politically and legally ignored, excluded, or
neglected, and, therefore vulnerable to livelihood change. Marginalised groups are often left
behind by national educational policies, denying many people their right to education.

The factors responsible or causes lying behind marginalisation are resulted through the apathy
shown and discriminatory attitude adopted for the individuals and minority groups by the
majority, powerful and status enjoying section of the society. this apathy and discriminatory
attitude germinated in the mind and behaviour of the majority group is based on the stereotypes
prevailed in the society and negative attitude developed in their mind involving gender biases,
poverty, differentiations based on caste, religion, health condition, disabilities and so on (Mangal
et.al, 2019)

Sometimes, whole societies can be marginalized at national and global levels, while classes and
communities can be marginalized from the dominant social order within the local level. Most
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vulnerable marginalized groups in almost every society can be summarized as below (Khillarre,
2011).

i. Women: Under different economic conditions, and under the influence of specific
historical, cultural, legal and religious factors, marginalization is one of the
manifestations of gender inequality. In other words, women may be excluded from
certain jobs and occupations, incorporated into certain others, and marginalized in others.
In general they are always marginalized relative to men, in every country and culture.
ii. People with disabilities - People with disabilities have had to battle against centuries of
biased assumptions, harmful stereotypes, and irrational fears. The stigmatization of
disability resulted in the social and economic marginalization of generations with
disabilities, and, like many other oppressed minorities, this has left people with
disabilities in a severe state of impoverishment for centuries. The disabled face various
types of barriers while seeking access to health and health services. Among those who are
disabled women, children and aged are more vulnerable and need attention.
iii. Ethnic Minority: The term, ethnic minority, refers to marginalized people of the same
race or nationality who share a distinctive culture. Every large society contains ethnic
minorities. They may be migrant, indigenous or landless nomadic communities.
iv. Schedule Castes - The caste system is a strict hierarchical social system based on
underlying notions of purity and pollution. Caste based marginalization is one of the
most serious human rights issues in the world today, adversely affecting more than 260
million people mostly reside in India. Caste-based discrimination entails social and
economic exclusion, segregation in housing, denial and restrictions of access to public
and private services and employment, and enforcement of certain types of jobs on Dalits,
resulting in a system of modern day slavery or bonded labor. However, in recent years
due to affirmative action and legal protection, the intensity of caste based marginalization
is reducing.
v. Scheduled Tribes: The Scheduled Tribes like the Scheduled Castes face structural
discrimination within the Indian society. Unlike the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled
Tribes are a product of marginalization based on ethnicity. In India, the Scheduled Tribes
population is around 84.3 million and is considered to be socially and economically
disadvantaged. They are mainly landless with little control over resources such as land,
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forest and water. They constitute a large proportion of agricultural laborers, casual
laborers, plantation laborers, industrial laborers etc. This has resulted in poverty among
them, low levels of education, poor health and reduced access to healthcare services.
vi. Elderly or Aged People: Elderly: Ageing is an inevitable and inexorable process in life.
In the modem world, it is seen that the elderly care is the most neglected group of
population. Children of elderly in many families consider expenditure on care for elderly
such as on their health and nutrition as wasteful investment. The stereotypes, that the old
age people are usually subject to such kind of illness, add further to their neglect.
vii. Sexual minorities: Another group that faces stigma and discrimination are the sexual
minorities. Those identified as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual experience various
forms of discrimination within the society and the health system. Due to the dominance
of heteronomous sexual relations as the only form of normal acceptable relations within
the society, individuals who are identified as having same-sex sexual preferences are
ridiculed and ostracized by their own family and are left with very limited support
structures and networks of community that provide them conditions of care and support.

Thus, from the above points, it can be stated that marginalization refers to individual or groups
who live at the margin of the society. It is also called Social exclusion. However, numerous
programmed have been launched for the upliftment of marginalized group. Also, the Indian
Constitution of India has adopted different articles for the provision to protect the right of the
vulnerable and assure that they are provided with education and protected by law.
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REFERENCES

1. Alam, K. & Halder, U.K. (2018). Constitutional rights and marginalization in education in

India. Multi-Disciplinary, Peer-Reviewed journal. 4 (7).

Retrieved from: http://researchgate.net ; access on: 27th Aug, 2021.

2. Bhatia & Bhatia. (2019). A book of education for beginners (Rev.ed). Bawana, Delhi:

Kalyani Publishers.

3. Dash, M. (2004). Education in India: Problems and Perspectives. Delhi: Atlantic Publishers

and Distributors.

4. Indira Gandhi National Open University. (2017). Unit 3: Marginalization. IGNOU.

Retrieved from: http://egyankosh.ac.in; access on: 27th August, 2021.

5. Khillare, R.L. (2019). Issues in contemporary India and education. New Delhi: Educreation

Publishing. (Pg: 29-30)

Retrieved from: http://books.google.in ; access on 29th Aug, 2021

6. Lal, R.B., & Sinha, G.N. (2014). Development of Indian education and its problems. Meerut:

Vinaj Rakheja.

7. Mangal, S.K., & Mangal, S. (2019). Childhood and growing up. Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt.

Ltd.

Retrieved from: http://books.google.in ; access on 30th Aug, 2021

8. Ravi. S. S. (2015). Education in emerging India. Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

Retrieved from: http://pdfdrive.net ; access on: 28th Aug, 2021.