caste

Caste at the Kitchen Door: The Ghusramunda Anganwadi Controversy and the Limits of Constitutional Equality

by rti_adminon July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Leave a Comment11

Kshirod Nag The controversy surrounding the appointment of an Anganwadi cook in Ghusramunda village, Muribahal Block, Balangir district, deserves attention. It is not merely an administrative dispute but a sociologically significant event exposing the unresolved contradiction between constitutional democracy and the everyday reproduction of caste hierarchy. According to media reports and televised interviews, a woman …

Assertion

Work and Free Time: Seeing Leisure Through Women’s Everyday Lives

by rti_adminon June 5, 2026June 5, 2026Leave a Comment20

Shruti Patil Leisure, as the Cambridge Dictionary defines it, is a time when you are not working or doing other duties. It is often imagined as time set apart for rest, pleasure, free from responsibilities or obligations. This understanding assumes a clear boundary between work and non-work, where once responsibilities end, leisure begins. However, this …

Features

Challenging the Narrative: A Review of Teltumbde’s Iconoclast

by rti_adminon March 18, 2026March 18, 2026Leave a Comment10

Abhishek Kumar Singh Iconoclast by Anand Teltumbde is a timely book that has arrived when political jostling for Ambedkar’s legacy has become a feature of Indian politics. This book analyses Ambedkar’s life and presents him as a pragmatist rather than a sanctified figure. Meticulously researched, detailed, and yet accessible to all readers, the book offers …

Features

Challenging Caste-Based Inequalities Through Pedagogy in India’s Preschool Choices

by rti_adminon March 1, 2026March 1, 2026Leave a Comment3

Buddhapal Dumane, Bhavna Shahare In India, people prefer private preschools over government-run anganwadis. This reflects divides based on caste, gender, income, and culture. The shift to English-medium options, which are often unaffordable for low-income families, perpetuates inequalities. The ASER 2023 report indicates that private setups achieve better learning outcomes despite gaps in foundational skills. This …

Features

Economic Growth And Caste in India: A Dichotomy

by rti_adminon January 9, 2026January 9, 2026Leave a Comment23

Km Raksha This article investigates the enigma of India’s economic growth and the enduring caste-based inequalities. While India has experienced robust GDP growth since the 1991 economic reforms, caste continues to play a significant role in shaping access to resources, education, employment, and political power. Drawing on data from the NSSO, NFHS, NITI Aayog, and …

Features

Operation Kagar and Internal Fault Lines: The Caste Question in the Decline of CPI(Maoist)

by rti_adminon December 19, 2025December 21, 2025Leave a Comment39

Dr B Karthik Navayan The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has always presented itself as the fiercest enemy of caste oppression. Its programme promises to annihilate caste through a protracted people’s war. Yet, as Operation Kagar (launched 21 April 2025) races toward the March 2026 deadline to wipe out Left-Wing Extremism, the party is collapsing …

Features

Beyond Entertainment: Women’s Lives Behind Tamasha

by rti_adminon December 16, 2025December 16, 2025Leave a Comment36

Vishakha Daware India is a land of immense cultural diversity, where every region expresses its identity through unique languages, traditions, festivals, arts, and cuisines. The state of Maharashtra stands out for its vibrant folk heritage, particularly through Tamasha – a dynamic form of theatre that blends music, dance, and drama. Created to entertain rural audiences, …

Features

Caste as Capital: Whose Merit? The False Neutrality of Merit in Indian Society

by rti_adminon December 1, 2025December 1, 2025Leave a Comment2

Milind Babasaheb Thokal In 2017, after completing my Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), I faced the daunting task of securing admission to prestigious and reputed institutes in Pune. What struck me most during the process was the constant mention of the word “merit”—a term I had heard repeatedly but couldn’t fully grasp in context. I had …

Assertion

The Return of Brahmarakshasa in Sanatan Modernity of the Haunted Republic

by rti_adminon November 9, 2025November 9, 2025Leave a Comment9

Vaibhav Kharat There comes a time in a society when it begins to eat its own body, mind, and soul, when cruelty starts dressing the robe of morality in sanctity, when people pray louder but feel emptier. In moments like this, I often think of an old myth: The story of the ‘Brahmarakshasa’. A learned …