Education for Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups in India: An Assessment

Education as a process would be looked at from two points of view viz one from that of society and the other from that of individual Society seeks to perpetuate itself by passing on its cultural acquisitions to each succeeding generation. Hence the objective of education is to bring out the growth of the individual in the given social context. During the pre-British period, the Untouchable castes were excluded from education and the Tribal groups remained devoid of education as they lived in isolated and away from others. However, the education introduced by the British was open to all; also with higher caste children a few children of the untouchable castes and Tribal groups could also get education. But, as education remained Indian society after independence has committed itself to its all-round development it has started taking measures for its social and education development also along with its political and economic development. It is striving to eradicate whatever inequalities exist between different social groups in India. Some social groups have remained backward for centuries and the Scheduled Castes arid the Scheduled Tribes are the most backward among them.