Positive Discrimination Policy Of Higher Education In India

The government of India has long been taking Positive Discrimination as a vital strategy to improve the social and economic status of the SC/ST/OBC, accelerate their social and economic position and so to get them actively involved into the main stream of Indian society, when witnessing the struggling and suffering of the SC/ST/OBC caused by discrimination, exclusion and abolishment from mainstream society of India. The Constitution of India entrusts the development of higher education a major responsibility to the central government of India. Higher education today is an essential driven force for exploring human potentials, enhancing national competitiveness,re-adjusting social structure, re-establishing social value and improving inclusive development.Therefore, Positive Discrimination in higher education plays a decisive role in achieving equality in higher education sector and the society as a whole.With the assistance several research methods, namely, documentary analysis, comparative analysis, case study and statistical method, this dissertation targets Positive Discrimination in higher education in independent India and analyzes the birth and growth of Positive Discrimination, the relevant items in the Constitution and other major policies, the executive institutions,implementation process, the oriented values, and the final effects.The Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India has gone through three major periods – the foundation of republic, 1960 s to age before economic reform and the post-reform era.This dissertation believes that the caste issues, the tribal issues, the caste and tribe policies in British colonial era, the Positive Discrimination thoughts of the founding fathers of India, and the political,social, economic and educational status in post-independent India have great influence on the birthand development of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India. In the foundation period when India was in face with social and political chaos as well as the economic tension, the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India was more of good willing and national developmental principle, but not effective and specific work and done. 1960 s to age before economic reform witnessed the gradual development and completion of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India. Guiding by the investigation and evaluation of early work, the government of India took measures to adjust the Reservation Policy, enforce the education facilities and resources and provide more economic assistance. The post-reform era is the age of further implementation and completion of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India in which access to higher education, education retention and education results become the focuses of the government.This dissertation mainly discusses the content of the policy in the second chapter. It is believed that the Constitution, being the highest level of policy, is the core and fundamental principle of Positive Discrimination, while other protective policies of SC/ST/OBC performs as the guardian of Positive Discrimination, and the national educational policies point out the acting guidance. The Constitution of India, being the cornerstone of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India, enacts several clauses to protect and guarantee the political, economic, social and educational fundamental rights of the SC/ST/OBC and abolish the discrimination and deprivation against them. With the guardian of the Constitution, the House of People in India formulates several acts and policies to prevent the SC/ST/OBC from being victims of discrimination, deprivation and atrocity. The Indian administrations continuously adjust and enact many Positive Discrimination policies, including the very influential National Education Policy and Reservation Policy, while the administrative departments of educational issues directly under the government of India put forward more targeting Positive Discrimination policies in higher education, which as a whole makes the effective and practical implementation possible.Based on the study of policy effects, the dissertation concludes that after years of implementation, the Reservation in Admission Policy effectively raises the GER of SC/ST/OBC to a close level of the constitutional requirement, so to better off the equality in entrance opportunity to higher education. Therefore, it is suggested that currently the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India should turn its focus to the education retention and results issues of SC/ST/OBC, pursuing the equity in process and consequence. Being the flag scheme of India, thePost-Matric Scholarship helps the SC/ST/OBC students to finish their university education by providing certain economic assistance, but due to the limitation in primary and secondary education,SC/ST/OBC students feel trap in academic dilemma, while the schemes of upgrading merit and free coaching which aiming at improving SC/ST/OBC academic performance cannot achieve the expected result. The structural contradictions between higher education supply and market demand,as well as the inferior positon of SC/ST/OBC in resources transformation between generations within the background of market economy lead to a more disadvantaged situation in labour market competition. And the Reservation in Public Services Policy and the schemes to enforce employment of SC/ST/OBC can hardly satisfy the demand of these students.This dissertation attempts to analyze the oriented values of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education sector in independent India, and sorts out four basic values. The first is to center the prominence on equality and justice, which can be manifested by the views that the Positive Discrimination in higher education is the historical compensation for the SC/ST/OBC, is to the benefit of social and economic equity and highlights the government duty to achieve democracy and equality. The second is to emphasize the all-leveled sustainable development. Benefiting from the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education which favors the SC/ST/OBC students in allocating entrance opportunity, resources in education process and employment, the SC/ST/OBC students are provided with opportunity to finish their college education and the competence to fight for their development. Consequently, individual development will blood in the sustainable development for the community or classes, and the society in the end. The third is the pursuit for inclusiveness. With the attention to personal development concerns of SC/ST/OBC students, the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India creates more chances of upward mobility for them, which radiates and influences their community, castes, tribes and classes to work for better social and economic living. This dissertation believes that the upward mobility breaks through the traditional control of caste system and regional limitation, and the competent SC/ST/OBC students can participate into the social development and to construct a more inclusive society. The fourth is to promote the diversity in market elements and social culture, and the values of diversity in the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India is in consistence with the multi-cultural pursuit and reality of globalization era. Due to the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education,the students from diverse castes, tribes and social classes are the necessary elements of campus diversity in India. When SC/ST/OBC graduating from colleges, their presentation in labour marketenriches the diverse construction of labour forces, accelerates the vitality of business organizations,and so to achieve the social diversity.The Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India holds the same value-orientation with the policy of equality in higher education of China. India and China are both major developing countries with long history and in fast growth, and have to deal with the social equality issues and higher education equality issues caused by historical and cultural reasons,economic growing patterns, regional constrains, scientific and technological development limits, and the imbalance between rural and urban areas, regions, ethnic groups and social classes in urban areas.Therefore, the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India and its implementation can be selectively applied into the study and implementation of the policy of equality in higher education of China. The Report of the 18 th CPC National Congress, the Report on the Work of the Central People’s Government in 2016 and the National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Education Reform and Development(2010-2010) all emphasize the strategic importance of developing educational equality. On the ground of the research of the Positive Discrimination policy in higher education of India, this dissertation suggests that the policy of equality in higher education of China should attach more importance to further deepening the equality in entrance opportunity, promoting the equality in education process and focusing the equality in education result.