F1: EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA

REPORT ON
REFORMERS OF INDIA

Submitted By Submitted To
Section B Ms. Geetika Sharma
B.Ed. 1st Year Ms. Chetna Arora

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

LADY IRWIN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
 DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR

Biography
Date of Birth: 14 April 1891
Birthplace: Mhow, Madhya Pradesh (now Dr Ambedkar Nagar)
Death: 6 December 1956 (age 65)
Other Names: Babasaheb Ambedkar
Nationality: Indian
Father: Ramji Maloji Sakpal
Mother: Bhimabai
Wife: Ramabai Ambedkar (married 1906 - died 1935), Dr. Savita Ambedkar (married 1948 - died
2003)
Educational degrees: University of Mumbai (BA), Columbia University (MA, PhD, LL.D.),
London School of Economics (MSc, DSC), Gray's Inn (Barrister-at-Law)
Awards / Honors: Bodhisattva (1956), Bharat Ratna (1990), First Colombian Ahead of Their Time
(2004), The Greatest Indian (2012)
Political Party: Scheduled Caste Federation, Independent Labor Party, Republican Party of India
 INTRODUCTION
B.R. Ambedkar’s contributions as a jurist, economist and social reformer have inspired many and
continue to do so across generations. His teachings and philosophy continue to resonate across the
country even today. Dr Ambedkar’s contribution as the principal architect of the Indian constitution
has been a cornerstone to our nation’s growth and development, establishing peace and harmony
throughout the nation, to eradicate socio-economic evils. He was born in a caste which was
considered as the lowest of the low. People said that it was a sin it they offered him water to drink,
and that if he sat in a cart, it would become unclean. But this very man framed the Constitution for
the country. His entire life was one of struggles. The boy who suffered bitter humiliation became the
first Minister for Law in free India, and shaped the country’s Constitution. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
was a master in 64 subjects, the world's first and only person to acquire the prestigious "Doctor All
Science" doctorate degree from the London School of Economics. He had knowledge of 9
languages like Hindi, Pali, Sanskrit, English, French, German, Marathi, Persian, and Gujarati. Apart
from this, he studied all the religions of the world in a comparative way for almost 21 years. In
honour of Babasaheb, the year from April 14, 1990 to April 14, 1991 was designated as "Year of
Social Justice." Babasaheb's personal library, "Rajgirh," was the world's largest private library, with
over 50,000 books. The Maharashtra government's Education Department produced a 21-volume
collection of his writings and speeches. Babasaheb's first statue was created in 1950, when he was
still alive, and it is now located in Kolhapur. Dr. Babasaheb's work "Waiting for a Visa" is used as a
textbook at Columbia University. In 2004, Columbia University published a ranking of the world's
top 100 scholars, with Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at the top.

Thoughts on Education

Dr. Ambedkar thought that education was of tremendous importance as a foundation of progress. He
thought that because people neglected the material needs of life and grew indifferent to the
knowledge that enabled them to secure it, our country remained backward and progress came to a
standstill. He did not visualize education simply as a means for the development of a child's
personality or as a source of earning one’s livelihood. Rather, he considered education as the most
powerful agent for bringing about desired changes in society and a prerequisite for organized effort
for launching any social movement in modern times. Babasaheb always held that education should
be co-related to the social; political and economic needs of a developing nation. It should be an
instrument of social change. It should be so devised, as to meet the realities of the times. With this
end in view the People's Education Society, which was founded by Dr. Ambedkar started Diploma
courses to equip students for responsible positions in various fields of professional activity. He thus
instituted the Siddharth College of Mass Communication and Media and the Siddharth Institute of
Industry and Administration. He felt that for the betterment of society only education at school would
not be enough. Informal education at home along with the education through newspapers and other
sources was also necessary. He wanted the people to cultivate the values of freedom and equality
among themselves; it is possible only through education. He regarded education as a means to reach
the doors of light and perception to remove the regions of darkness and ignorance. Ambedkar
emphasized on secular education for social emancipation. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar is the
greatest exemplar of the belief that education enables a man to overcome all obstacles in life, be they
social, cultural or economic in nature. Education, according to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, was the essential
key to unlocking the doors of light, vision, and wisdom. This light should serve as the foundation for
man's social, economic, and moral progress. The context of knowledge should be social and
education is the weapon by which man can be free from exploitation and raise the revolution against
slavery. He also protected the educational rights of all sectors of Indian society by enacting specific
rights under Indian Constitution Articles 30 and 29.
According to Dr. Ambedkar, “School is a sacred institution where pupils' brains are cultured.”
By creating Peoples Education Society, he established the ideal educational institution of making
good citizens. He prioritized the admission of students from the Dalit community to his institution,
but stressed that the school's teachers should be well qualified from any caste or category. He
advocated for co-education, stating that women and men should be given equal opportunities to
educate themselves. He emphasized the importance of education, saying that pupils should integrate
knowledge, intellect, politeness, and strict discipline into their behavior and character. He also stated
that social feelings should be instilled in children through the educational process. According to him,
“To score good marks in the examinations and to get the degree is a separate issue, but to be
cultured, knowledgeable and educationist is totally different”. He believed that teacher should be
aware of the fundamental issues and gaps in the students' education. They lack the ability to develop
something new, to find logical answers to issues, to articulate oneself confidently, to correctly
present one's inner ideas in front of an audience, and to have fundamental understanding of the
concepts. Students should be formed in accordance with the needs and requirements of society and
nation. Dr. Ambedkar never believed in mere bookish education. He recognized the value of informal
education in addition to formal education. He also placed a strong emphasis on technical and military
education. He promoted co-curricular activities in all of his institutions in order to broaden the scope
of knowledge and the curriculum as well as instructional materials should be designed with culture,
customs, duties, the economics, historical views, and understanding of the subject matter in mind.
According to him, education is a continual process, with the instructor serving as the true foundation.
In his teachings, he used the triangle formula “वाचन-मनन, चचिंतन. और अध्ययन”. He says that the
socialization and moralization of man is the purpose of education because education lays the
foundation of culture and civilization. He opposed the hard and fast syllabus as it brings restrictions
on the teaching. It is, therefore, necessary that the university should give broad guidelines of the
subjects concerned and teachers must be given a freedom to teach what he thinks proper in the light
of those guidelines. For this purpose, he pointed out "the teachers of the university ought, under
proper safeguards, to have entire control of the education and examination of their students”. On
December 16, 1952 he addressed the students' annual gathering at the Elphinstone College on the
Problems of modern students. He appealed to the students to reorganize university ideas to meet the
requirements of the modern world and to make the university a place for knowledge and not a center
for training clerks. According to Dr. Ambedkar, university education should enable students to instils
in his mind, a standard of completeness and a sense of worth in attaining the truth.

Contribution towards Dalit’s Education

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar thought that education is the foundation for the liberation of oppressed classes
since an educated person may demand their rights and be driven to progress. The Dalits were victims
of double slavery – and it was Ambedkar who freed them from it. He educated the Dalits about the
injustices – social, economic, and political – and made them aware of the prospects of constructing a
society in which they would be granted equal rights, respect, and opportunity and be treated as
equals. He raised some pertinent questions about education in Indian society while speaking in the
Bombay Legislative Council on 12 March 1927. He was deeply concerned that India was lagging
behind in education. For him education was an instrument to liberate the Dalits from illiteracy,
ignorance and superstitions and thus enable them to fight against all forms of injustice, exploitation
and oppression. He felt if the Dalits are educated than they could leave their traditional occupation
and take up secular occupations thus breaking the age-old caste based structure of divisions of labor
in our society. Despite the fact that Dr. Ambedkar had been working in the field of education since
founding the Hitkarini Sabha in 1924. The Sabha made it a priority to guarantee that more people
from the lower classes received an education, and to that end, it constructed a number of colleges,
hostels, libraries, and reading centres. At 1935, the Sabha opened hostels in Sholapur and Belgaum,
as well as a free library, a hockey club, and two hostels in Bombay. Dr. Ambedkar founded the
Depressed Classes Educational Society in 1928. Ambedkar believed that education was the most
essential means of elevating people's level of living, thus he formed the Lok Shaikshik Samaj in
1945 to ensure that the backward classes received higher education. His parting words to
untouchables to help them rise in society were "educate, agitate, and organise." He urged Dalit
students be given scholarships, which were previously only provided to religious minorities. Instead
of grants, he advocated those scholarships be granted in the form of loans. SC students applying for
science and technology courses in universities or other scientific and technical training institutions
should be given a scholarship worth Rs 2 lakh per year, and SC students studying science and
technology in universities in England, Europe, America, and the Dominion should be given a grant-
in-aid worth Rs 1 lakh. Special measures that are included to assure equal educational rights to the
poor class, including Article 30(1), which grants linguistic or religious minorities the right to
establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
• Article 30(2) prohibits the state from discriminating against any educational institution that is
managed by a linguistic or religious minority while awarding funding to educational institutions.
• Article 29 (2) of the Indian Constitution defines the protection of minorities' interests and states
that no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution maintained by the State
and receiving aid from State funds solely on the basis of religion, race, caste, language, or any
combination of these factors.
• Article 46 directs the state to promote the educational and economic interests of the weaker
section of the population with special care, as well as to safeguard them from social injustice and
all types of exploitation.
Contribution towards Women’s Education
The most serious issue confronting Indian society was a lack of education among women.
Babasaheb contributed immensely to women empowerment and introduced the provision of equality
to women across all streams, be it education, employment, social and economic rights. He said, "I
measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved." He
blamed Brahmanism for India's poor women's situation. There is no societal evil or wrong to which
the Brahmin has not contributed his support. He wrote the Hindi Marriage Act, which prohibited men
from having more than one wife and granted women inheritance rights and property ownership rights
that had previously been denied to them by the Manu smriti, which he has settled through the Hindu
Code Bill. He advocated for women's economic independence.

Ambedkar- The Father of Indian Constitution

Babasaheb Ambedkar's legal expertise and knowledge of the Constitution of different countries was
very helpful in the framing of the constitution. He became chairman of the Drafting Committee of
the Constituent Assembly and played an important role in framing the Indian Constitution. According
to him, for India, where society is divided on the basis of caste, religion, language, and other factors,
a common moral compass is needed, and the Constitution can play the role of that compass. He had
complete faith in democracy. He focused on the spirit of fraternity and equality as the base of
democracy to bring out social democracy. As per him, parliamentary democracy ignored social and
economic inequality. It only focused on liberty while true democracy must bring both liberty and
equality. Among others, his most important contributions were in areas of fundamental rights, strong
central government and protection of minorities. Article 32 guarantees judicial protection to the
Fundamental Rights which makes them meaningful. For him, Article 32 was the most important
article of the constitution and thus, he referred to it "soul of the Constitution and very heart of it". It
will help to resolve the conflict amicably without any confrontation amongst the various groups
working for the realization of their ends at any cost.

Ambedkar’s Ideology to Remove Untouchability & Caste System

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar fought tirelessly to end birth-based oppression, in which fundamental amenities
like education, employment, housing, and equal opportunities are denied for the profit and
advancement of a few higher castes. He stressed that, “Caste is not a physical object like a wall of
bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore,
to be pulled down. Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind.” Babasaheb had dedicated his life to
removing, which meant abolishing the caste system in its entirety. He investigated Hindu
philosophical traditions and gave them a critical evaluation. Untouchability, in his opinion, is the
slavery of the entire Hindu society. While Untouchables are exploited by Caste Hindus, religious
statues enslave Caste Hindus as well. Thus, the freedom of the untouchables leads to the freedom of
Hindu society as a whole. He thought that economic and political issues should be addressed only
after social justice had been achieved. If political emancipation comes before social liberation, it will
result in upper-caste Hindu rule and atrocities against lower caste Hindus. He believed the notion that
economic prosperity will lead to social justice is wrong, as casteism is a manifestation of Hindus'
mental slavery. So, Casteism must be abolished in order to achieve social transformation. Family and
religion reforms were two types of social changes. Child marriage, for example, was abolished as
part of the family reforms. Dr. Ambedkar attended all three Round Table Conferences in London
(1930-32) and spoke out firmly on behalf of the 'untouchables' each time. Dr. Ambedkar's temple
entry movement, which began in 1930 at the Kalaram temple in Nasik, is another watershed moment
in the struggle for human rights and social justice. He explored various ways to abolish caste:
• Abolishing sub-castes: Ambedkar did not favour this view because even if we assume the fusion
of sub-castes is possible, there is no guarantee that the abolition of sub-castes will necessarily
lead to the abolition of castes. On the contrary, it may happen that the process may stop with the
abolition of sub-castes. In that case, the abolition of subcastes will only help to strengthen the
castes and make them more powerful and therefore more harmful.
• Start Inter-caste dining: Ambedkar felt this was inadequate because many castes allow inter-
dining but that has not destroyed the spirit of caste and the consciousness of caste.
• Encourage inter-marriage: Ambedkar believes that fusion of blood can alone create the feeling
of being kith and kin, and unless this feeling of kinship becomes paramount. Ambedkar
acknowledges the effectiveness of the inter-caste marriages in abolishing caste. Though they are
happening in India, their pace is very slow. Inter-caste marriages must be promoted, popularized
 and encouraged at individual, social and national level by all castes and communities. The
government could provide incentives for such marriages.
• Establishing self-respect in untouchables by eliminating the idea of inherent filth that has
influenced their perceptions.
• Education: Knowledge is a liberating force for Babasaheb. Untouchables were degraded for a
variety of reasons, one of which was their lack of access to education. He criticized the British
for failing to do enough to educate the lower castes. He advocated for secular education in order
to inculcate in students the ideas of liberty and equality.
• Economic progress: He wanted untouchables to be free of the local community's shackles and
customary jobs. He wanted people to learn new skills, start a new job, and relocate to cities to
take advantage of the industrial revolution. 'A sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow
mindedness.
• Political strength: He wanted the untouchables to join together politically. Untouchables would
be able to protect, safeguard, and establish new emancipatory policies if they had political power.
• Conversion: After seeing that Hinduism was unable to change its methods, he converted to
Buddhism. Buddhism, in his opinion, was founded on humanism and was based on the principles
of equality and brotherhood. Babasaheb was called "the modern Buddha of this century" by
Mahant Veer Chandramani, a famous Buddhist monk who initiated him into Buddhism. On
October 14, 1956, he and many of his followers converted to Buddhism. In the same year, he
finished his final work, “Buddha and His Dharma.”

Famous Books written by BR. Ambedkar

S.No. Books Publication date

1. Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development 1916
(1ST BOOK)
2. Mook Nayak (weekly) 1920
3. The Problem of the Rupee: its origin and its solution 1923
4. Bahishkrut Bharat (India Ostracized) 1927
5. Janta (weekly) 1930
6. The Annihilation of Caste 1936
 7. Federation Versus Freedom 1939
8. Thoughts on Pakistan 1940
9. Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah 1943
10. Mr. Gandhi and Emancipation of Untouchables 1943
11. What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables 1945
12. Pakistan Or Partition of India 1945
13. State and Minorities 1947
14. Who were the Shudras 1948
15. Maharashtra as a Linguistic Province 1948
16. The Untouchables 1948
17. Buddha Or Karl Marx 1956
18. The Buddha and his Dhamma 1957
19. Riddles in Hinduism 2008

Conclusion

Inequality based on caste still exists in India. While Dalits have developed a political identity as a
result of reservation and the formation of their own political parties, they continue to lag behind in
social (health and education) and economic elements. To prevent permanent damage to the Indian
Constitution, Ambedkar's notion of constitutional morality must take priority over religious morality.
According to historian R.C. Guha, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is a one-of-a-kind example of success in the
face of adversity. Casteism, communalism, separatism, gender inequity, and other socioeconomic
issues affect India today. We must seek out Ambedkar's spirit within ourselves in order to overcome
these obstacles. The constitution reflects equality in all aspects and proves to be an essential
component in its construction. As Ambedkar’s effort towards reforms in casteism and education
shows drastic changes in society, we should understand his efforts and also stand for the rights of
depressed class people. He fought for the rights of Dalits and women and tried to remove
untouchability. Status of lower caste and women can be improved by providing them equal
opportunities. He wanted to establish such kind of society where everyone unitedly can take
education without any kind of discrimination and barrier. Educated people by uniting themselves can
participate in reconstructing the culture, policies and practices of school and colleges and can give
the desired shape to their Nation. Dimension of education should be of that extent that it should
respond to all the diversities of the students. According to Dr. Ambedkar, the goal and function of
university education should be to ensure that the teaching done there is suited to learners and is
scientific, detached, and impartial in nature. Thus, education should be learner centric. He
stressed that ultimate aim of education should not be just filling the mind of the student with facts or
theories but it must do at calling forth the learner's own individuality and stimulating him to mental
effort. He wished for his pupils to leave their institutions with fully developed personalities in all
aspects. In order to achieve this goal, he formed a College Parliament at Siddharth College of Arts
and Science. He was determined that the government must provide special facilities for Backward
Class pupils while also believing that the Backward Classes should achieve their own advancement.
He was one of India's great educators. He thought that education was one of the most powerful tools
of uplifting his community and the entire nation. Therefore, on a social level, education; on a
material level, new means of livelihood; on a political level, political organization; and on a spiritual
level, self-assertion and conversion formed an entire program of the abolition of poverty.

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