Nature and Dynamics of Caste Discrimination on Higher Education Campuses: A Perspective from Below

Abstract

This article tries to understand the nature of discrimination, humiliation and social exclusion, against Dalit students and teachers, prevailing on the campuses of higher education in India. In the light of Article 46 of the Indian Constitution. It records the sources and foundation of the aforesaid phenomena at different levels of the campuses. At the level of appointments of the heads of some 472 institutions; second, appointments of Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and officers; third at the level of admission of students; forth at the level of curricula and pedagogy of social sciences and humanities; fifth, is the way in which general caste teachers interact with Dalit students in the arena of teaching and research, in science streams; sixth, the way general category students interact with Dalit students. Last but not the least the Dalit students and Dalit teachers suffer discrimination and exclusion when they assert to celebrate their own Icons on the campuses. The data is collected through narratives of Dalit students and teachers belonging to various universities and colleges across the country, using purposive sampling. We have also used few government reports and Court judgements, in the article, to substantiate our arguments