The State, Education and Inequality in Contemporary India: An Intersectional Exploration

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between social justice, education and inequality through an intersectional lens. Emphasising the role of the state, and ‘state-thought’, in perpetuating inequalities through education, the reflective essay argues that it is not possible to view education only in its role as an agent of social and cultural reproduction. It is equally important to focus on the lived experience of subjects who are either excluded, or go through the educational process, through varied experience based on religion, caste and gender. The role of teachers in this process cannot be underestimated and is at the heart of how children and young adults learn and understand themselves as citizens. Based on secondary material, the article concludes with a plea for recognising the significance of voice and agency for a robust and functioning democracy. It is the task of education to enable the articulation and expression of such agency by building a culture of openness and questioning and empowering teachers and students to have this voice by allowing it to thrive in the prevailing culture of institutions.