Social transformation among the deprived sections: role of Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan

The concept of social transformation involves an array of activities and interventions that affect the socio-economic parameters of the people to have a desired perceived affect. These activities are initiated at the behest of government or organisation to achieve some laid out objectives. The ensuing paper studies the impact of Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) on socio-economic transformation of the people. The impact has been studied at macro as well as micro-levels and provides a bag of mixed experiences.

SSA at the national or macro level has succeeded in bringing about significant changes in the socio-economic variables as could be seen through the performance of SSA programme. However, at micro or regional level, SSA's progress has been marked by disappointments as well. The study shows that poor performance of SSA at the micro level could be attributed to non functionality or poor pro-active level of cooperation and support among the grass root level organisations, which were envisaged to play a major role in shaping the socio-economic transformation of the people and region. Further, this intervention have also not succeeded in motivating, sensitizing and mobilizing the people at large and attributes it largely to the prevalence of rigid caste and class base structure of the society in these region who have so far succeeded in countering the governments guidelines that encourages democratic forces to operate and facilitate the smooth functioning of the programme. It is relevant to recall that these regions have remained the traditional ground of feudal classes who have ruled it for centuries with iron hand. The provisions stated in the SSA guidelines are being seen as the potential threat by these powerful classes over the sovereignty in power sharing. The mere fear of losing power and hold to the down trodden has not got down well with them and they have been resisting it tooth and nail. These regions have often witnessed the skirmishes between these classes and that too has adversely affected the development profile of the region but also the performance of the programme as well.