Educational progress of SC/ST in the state of Maharashtra: A theoretical perspective

The need for empowerment of schedule caste and schedule tribes and making them a part of mainstream is the focus of government of India and particularly Maharashtra government since independence. Empowering through education is the tool that without question can help realizing this dream of government. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have different histories of social and economic deprivation, and the underlying causes of their educational marginalisation are also strikingly distinct. However, a comparison of educational outcomes among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes yields a common picture that the government has sought to address through a common set of policy prescriptions. In this paper, we have tried to examine the educational progress and issues concerning education access for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe groups in Maharashtra and also highlighted their unique problems, which may require divergent policy responses.