Universal Access to Education in India: Problems and Prospects

By : M. Asad Malik , Ram Kumar

Page No: 318-338

Abstract
Education is a powerful weapon of social empowerment and effective mode of restoring self esteem. The purpose of education is to unlock the immense potentiality in the human resource of the nation. While the State is obligated to provide the education to all, many a time, the economic deprivation causes hurdles to access education for people without adequate resources. Though, in India welfare of the people has always been an actionable item in the agenda of the governments – from allocation of a portion of gross domestic product for education to making ‘right to education’ a fundamental right – and several efforts have been made by the governments, still education is not accessible to all due to various socio-economic reasons. This article discusses the status of education in India and role of law in making education accessible to all. Article will also focus on various programmes and policies of the government related to education along with the problems associated with the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The article also endeavours to comprehend the shortcomings of our present education system and on the bases thereof some strategies and alternatives, which should be adopted for making education universally accessible in India, have been suggested.
 

Authors :
M. Asad Malik: Professor, Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
Ram Kumar: Deputy Legal Advisor, SIDBI, New Delhi.