Being the founder of the International Ambedkarites’ Network (IAN), I am working for educational justice, which is the need of the hour. I observed that there is a need for educational justice because the contemporary system of education has been creating a new kind of hierarchy; unfortunately, marginalized sections are at the bottom. However, education is a fundamental right in India. The makers of the Indian Constitution were aware of the importance of education, which is why they included Article 41 in the Directive Principles of State Policy, making it the state’s responsibility to provide education to all.

Later on, the Right to Education Act (RTE) was enacted by the Parliament of India on August 4, 2009, describing the modalities of free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 to 14 years under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right for every child when the act came into force on April 1, 2010. Professor Mostafa Ewees, who has been working on educational psychology at Stanford University in the USA for a decade, argued that the value of higher education should not be measured mainly, if at all, by the income you get at a job based on your degree. Yes, higher education should mean a more secure personal economic picture, but that should not be the main reason you initially sought a higher education. Understand your formal education as the beginning of a lifetime of learning and understanding the world around you, and rise above concern for material gain. Educational justice means quality and inclusive education for all.

Additionally, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) acknowledged that in a world where crises and conflicts are occurring increasingly frequently, digital technology has evolved into a societal requirement for upholding education as a fundamental human right. The nations with the least amount of ICT infrastructure and underfunded digital learning systems saw the most interruptions to education and loss of learning during the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to this circumstance, up to one-third of pupils worldwide were unable to attend class for more than a year during school shutdowns.

The COVID-19 education disruption made it abundantly clear that human resources and technology must be combined immediately to revolutionize educational paradigms and create inclusive, transparent, and resilient learning environments. UNESCO supports using digital innovation to improve inclusion and increase access to education, as well as to improve the relevance and quality of education, create lifelong learning pathways enhanced by ICT, fortify learning management systems, and monitor the learning process. With an emphasis on educators and students, UNESCO aims to foster digital literacy and digital competences to meet these objectives.

Recently, in India, many universities have started online courses for students; however, most of these universities are private. Kurukshetra University is the oldest university in Haryana. It is a pioneer in many areas, such as making education available in different formats, consistent innovation, and a student-friendly interface. It is an accredited ‘A++’ institution by NAAC and is listed in Category-I under UGC (Categorization of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations 2018.

Its Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE) follows the university’s vision of academic excellence and is making all endeavours to provide quality education to its learners through open and distance learning (ODL) and online modes.

In the session of 2024–25, the university has started nineteen graduate, postgraduate, diploma, and certificate programs in online mode, such as B.A., B.Com., B.B.A., M.A. in English, Political Science and Mass Communication, Master of Commerce, M.B.A., and M.C.A.

Additionally, certificate courses in languages such as German, French, and Japanese and certificate programs in technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain management, cloud computing, and full-stack development, and diplomas in areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics. It is a very impressive step by the university to provide education for marginalized sections of society as well as the working class.

However, I was astounded when I saw the fees for the above courses because it has three categories: Indian students, foreign students, and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) project, which covers African national students. These three categories’ fees are not equal, for example, the fee for a Master’s in English for Indian students is ₹47,000; for foreign students, it is ₹1,10,000; and for MEA students, the fee is nil if any student enrolls through their ministries. However, the fee structure is the same for all Indian students.

My concern is regarding the Dalits of Haryana. According to Aadhar Statistics, the population of Haryana in 2022/2023 was 27,388,008, compared to the last census in 2011, which was 25,353,081. In this population, one-fifth belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC).

It is important to note, according to Babasaheb Ambedkar, that when Hindus desired the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Indian Constitution, they chose non-upper caste Hindus to anchor and write these works. Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) argued that ‘Capital can defeat caste’, but without education, how can Dalits develop capital?

Kurukshetra University’s online programs' fees have been ignoring Dalits. The scheme of post-matric scholarships to students belonging to SCs provides financial assistance to SC students studying at post-matriculation or post-secondary stages to enable them to complete their education. The family annual income limit for such students is ₹2.5 lakh for getting PMS. The Central Government stands by poor students belonging to the SC. They are financially supported every year with the aim of not having any difficulty in getting higher education.

But now, indirectly, casteist minds have been attacking the scholarships of Dalits. Scholarships are a hope for Dalits.

Omprakash Valmiki’s poem “Thakur Ka Kaun” is relevant in the present scenario of education. But its title is “Thakur ka College”.

Appetite of knowledge

Knowledge in College

College Belongs to Thakur

Coaching centre belongs to Thakur

Training institute belongs to Thakur

Online means of education belongs to Thakur

Your finger just on the EVM for the selection of Government

Government Belongs to Thakur

Knowledge belongs to Thakur

What's yours then?

Who will help you?

Who will teach you?

Who will train you?

And answer of these question only Educational awareness and scholarships

(Source: The author’s creative thinking about the educational system: here, thakur means not a particular caste, it means a class.)

-The Author Dr. Krishan Kumar is a scholar based in Haryana specializing in Dalits and Marginalized Studies and founder of International Ambedkarites’ Network.