Paper short abstract:

The current study explores the issue of social justice in Indian higher education using ethnographic method in the Bihar, India. The study finds that the policy of social justice is partially able to provide benefits the most disadvantaged beneficiary groups and students are able to exercise their agency in self formation in higher education within structural constraints.

Paper long abstract:

The current study explores the issue of social justice in Indian higher education using ethnographic method in the Bihar, India. The issue of Social justice in Indian higher education is most controversial and challenging as India adopted the representative model of social justice in education, employment and in legislative assemblies. Weisskopf (2004) calls Indian affirmative action policy as world’s largest policy for social justice in higher education as it ensures percentage of quotas for the beneficiary groups as per their proportion of population. In the above background the current paper critically examines the Indian affirmative action policy in the context of capabilities approach. The study uses qualitative methodology for the current research work and ethnography method has been used for data collection in an Indian state Bihar. Bihar is consistently standing at the bottom of most of the human development indicators amongst the Indian state. The rationale of the method was to understand the experiences of former untouchables in higher education and how the policies of positive discrimination, individuals and institutions interface in everyday interactions and how these students are able to do and to be in higher education in Bihar, India.

The study finds that the issue of social justice is deeply entrenched in Indian constitutions. The issue of social justice is mere on paper and rules based what Amartya Sen calls it ‘Niti’ based not ‘Nayay’ based and it is truly reflected in higher education as well in Indian context in general and Bihar in particular. The study finds that the goals of the higher education institutions are still not just in either of policy perspective or in everyday functioning. The study also finds that the policy of social justice is partially able to provide benefits the most disadvantaged beneficiary groups located in different hierarchy within the Scheduled castes or former untouchables groups. The study finds that the even if the students are able to enter into the higher education institutions their ability to attend classes and other academic activities and sustain in the cities becomes highly vulnerable and most of the students experiences urban marginality beyond of policy in higher education and institutional policies. It is interesting to finds that students are able to exercise their agency in self formation and higher education has potential to develop human capabilities. The finding suggests that Indian policy of positive discrimination needs strengthening of reservation policy and beyond of it. There is need to strengthening capabilities of the individuals from disadvantaged groups students in higher education at different levels.

Key Words: Higher Education, Social Justice, Capability, Policy of Positive discrimination