Social Justice and Education of Weaker Sections in India: Special Reference to the Contributions of Prof. K.S. Chalam

Abstract

Education has long been recognised as a critical instrument for social mobility, human development, and the realisation of social justice in India. Yet historical and structural barriers rooted in the caste system have systematically excluded Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and other marginalised groups—collectively referred to as weaker sections—from quality education and its attendant opportunities. This paper examines the interface between social justice and the education of weaker sections, with special reference to the pioneering work of Professor K.S. Chalam, an emeritus scholar in the economics of education, political economist, former Vice-Chancellor of Dravidian University, and former Member of the Union Public Service Commission. Drawing on Chalam’s seminal publications—particularly Education and Weaker Sections (1988), Caste-Based Reservations and Human Development in India (2007), and related writings—the paper analyses how public investment, reservation policies, liberalisation, and privatisation have shaped educational outcomes for these groups. It argues that Chalam’s interdisciplinary approach, combining economics of education with political economy and social justice perspectives, remains highly relevant for understanding persistent inequities and for formulating inclusive policies.