Tribal Development through Formal Education among Agarias of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Education is a powerful means of development in any community. Various formal and nonformal forms of education exist in different societies. Education has been institutionalized in the form of formal education in the schools and higher educational institutions in the remote and tribal areas gradually with the changing educational policies and programmes in the independent India with the advent of developing educational infrastructure and awareness in the remote areas. This resulted in the gradual increase in the percentage of literacy rate. But, perhaps few groups could not come up effectively in full pace along with their cohabits and become part of this developing change in their villages and surroundings, due to their situational demerits. Agaria tribe is one of such groups residing in the adjacent part of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. A survey of Agaria tribe in done utilizing the scientific research methods in the few pockets of this area ranging from Dindori district in Madhya Pradesh to Kawardh and Bilaspur districts in Chhattisgarh. This paper includes the situational analysis of socio-economic and educational status of the Agaria people residing in the districts of Chhattisgarh.