The education system in India is under unprecedented attack from what has been recognised the

Market-Manu axis, a nexus between corporate and Hindutva forces. The process of privatization of
education-school and higher educational institute had received energy with structural adjustment
policies in the year 1991. This has assumed neck-break acceleration during the Modi-era. It has
jeopardize the access of education to millions of students in our country, particularly the oppressed
and marginalized groups that have been historically denied education. National Knowledge
Commission in the name of reforming higher education opened the gates for privatization of not only
institutes but also the knowledge. This measures deliberately created inequalities in education and
has re-defined knowledge as commodity, competition as core norm, technical rationality as desirable
quality, privatization of education as its organising principle. The process of discrimination and
inequality has fastened up with attacks from twin forces-the political economy of neo-liberal
ideology and sacred ideology of religious fundamentalism. This is reflected in a wide spectrum-from
scrapping financial aid to Dalit students in elite centres like Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) to
privatization of model schools in tribal areas in Chattisgarh. As mandated by GATS rules, the state
funding for education is gradually being withdrawn in the country which has one of the lowest
education budget as percentage of GDP in the world. Public education which has been seen as the
backbone of progress is now potrayed as a proces that churns out non-thinkable employable/self-
employable resources to serve capitalism.

The TISS came up with a circular dated 25 th May, 2017 stating that the institute will not support SC,
ST and OBC students apart from tuition fees. The reason for this arbitrary decision was given as 20
crores of deficit that has not been paid (whose accountability is not totally in public domain) by
several ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministries of Tribal Affairs and other ministries
of state government. This is not the first time that TISS has introduced such a program. In 2013, a
similar notification was brought by the institute but was rolled back after protests by students. In
2015, the institute decided to stop financial support given to OBC students. In 2016, it stopped non-
NET fellowship for researchers. Also, in the same year, they did not reimburse the field expenses of
many Dalit students. Article 46 of Indian Constitution directs the State to promote with special care,
the education and economic interests of the weaker section of the people, and in particular, of the
Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms
of exploitation. Present scenario in TISS narrates a different story where the situation has percolated
down to burden the economically poor and socially excluded section in elite academic spaces.

The picture does not change in the tribal areas in Chattisgarh and the same violation of Article 46 of
Indian Constitution continues. According to a report in Press Trust of India, the opponent MLAs in
Chattisgarh have raised the issue that the model schools that were being run in tribal areas had been
privatised to reap profit. They pointed out that these schools had been established with goal to
provide free education to students in tribal-dominated areas but the state government had gradually
privatized these schools. Since privatization, the school have been charging high fees ranging from Rs
30000 to Rs 35000 per annum from the students which is not affordable for the poor tribals. The
institutes lack basic amenities like teaching staff and drinking water. The above- mentioned violation
of educational rights should not be seen in isolation-but should be viewed as a part of all-out attacks
on dalits and adivasis by the state. If we look at the educational budget for the Dalit/Adivasi
communities, then the Ministry of Human Resource Development has received comparatively more
than the other ministries. However, it is unfornate that only 5% of the allocated budget is spent on
the scholarship that are directly beneficial for dalit and adivasi students. For instance, in 2012, the
UGC spent only Rs 63.36 crores on educational schemes on dalit students out of Rs 780 crores,
allocated under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan. Similarly, under Tribal Sub Plan, only 24.03 crores were
spent on education scheme for dalit students, out of 386.11 crores allocated to UGC. In 2014, 60
cores out of 2431.51 crores allocated to MHRD were spent for scholaraship to dalit students. The
amount was 30 crores out of 1219.59 crores for adivasi students. It (both BJP and Congress) practicea
kind of planned exclusion of dalit and adivasi from basic educational rights.

In recent times, the Andhra Pradesh Government tried to close down arounha thovernmente gtd 4
seems tt800 Government Primary Schools affecting around 70000 of poor students, reduce around
8000 primary schools to single teacher schools which would have cut down the education provided
to around 120000 students. They also tried to close Upper Primary Sections in 4400 schools and deny
education in classes 6th, 7th, and 8th to about 145000 children. Andhra Pradesh Save Education
Committee (APSEC) conducted round table conferences in almost all districts and held dharnas at
District Collectors offices in all 13 districts. The progressive student organizations independently and
collectively also conducted campaigns, courting arrest and being slapped with false cases. Due to
pressure created by agitations created by APSEC, progressive student bodies and other teacher
organization, the Education Minister declared that the government would not proceed with the
proposals before looking into the objections raised by them. APSEC demanded- 1. Student support
measures for 100% enrolment and 100% retention of the children in the age group of 3 to 18 years 2.
Pupil-teacher ratio of 20:1 in primary schools 3. Closing of private schools which violates rules and
regulations in force in the state. APSEC, in its memorandum, also demanded implementation of
Allahabad High Court judgment mandating that all those who benefited from the state treasury in
any way (through salaries, grants, sanctioned projects etc.) should admit their children to
government schools. If implemented in Andhra Pradesh, it would strengthen the government school
system and ensure social justice. The Allahabad judgment has been welcomed by a large section of
political activists as it unambiguously records that the State has failed in fulfilling its constitutional
obligation for 65 years and mention that if the government schools are strengthened and run
properly, then it is the private schools which cater only to 10% students leaving the vast majority
with no opportunity to get education will become irrelevant. The judgement follows the values,
principles and goals of Article 46 of Indian Constitution and differs fundamentally from RTE (Right to
Free and Compulsory Education) which dismantle the very concept of a national system of equal
education for which the state was constitutionally obliged and held responsible. However, a powerful
lobby of Public Private Partnership (PPP) enthusiasts, corporates, NGOs, religious organizations and
their academic and legal allies have been persistently arguing in favour of PPP and marketization of
elementary education, claiming that a poor state like India cannot afford to educate all its children.
They have received a fresh impetus by the present governments policy of Skill Development to
deny the poor and marginalized vast majority the right to equal opportunity and education which the
Constitution guarantees them.

The situation demands the democratic forces of the country to wage collective struggle to protect,
promote the democratic education spaces. However, the process of democratization of knowledge
production is inherently connected with creation of democratic education system which in turn is
intimately connected with the democratization of society.