Authors: Supriti Maji, Sk Sabiqul Islam
Abstract: This article offers a critical examination of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, employing the philosophical framework of Savitribai Phule, India's first female educator and a trailblazer in anti-caste social reform. Although the NEP 2020 is often praised for its progressive rhetoric concerning inclusivity and adaptability, this analysis posits that a Phulean perspective highlights a notable divergence between the policy's universalist language and the specific, intersectional realities of Dalit women. The study assesses the policy's limitations by revisiting Phule's foundational ideas, which emphasize the importance of community-based activism, the value of indigenous critique, and education as a tool for liberation from caste and patriarchal structures. The three main areas of failure are the "knowledge caste system" that still exists because of hierarchical school boards, the removal of anti-caste historiography from curriculum frameworks, and the fact that gender-neutral provisions are not enough to help Dalit women who are doubly marginalised. The article looks more closely at the policy's decentralisation processes and how it treats language. It also finds other levels of exclusion. It concludes by advocating for an educational framework that surpasses superficial inclusion, favouring a transformative, Phulean model of social justice grounded in intersectional resource allocation, narrative control, and community accountability.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19386521
