CASTE-BASED RESERVATION AND DALIT EDUCATIONAL MOBILITY IN RURAL GHOTKI DISTRICT, SINDH, 2000–2020

Abstract

This study looks into how reservation policies based on caste affect Dalit mobility in education in rural Ghotki District of Sindh between 2000 and 2020. Overall, while the Sindhi Constitution promises equality to all its citizens, caste-based hierarchies, social exclusion and barriers in education remain unmitigated among the Dalit communities in Sindh. This study assesses the access to schooling, literacy levels, and upward mobility of Dalit communities in a rural context and how these were affected by reservation policies. We used a mixed-methods design: combining secondary data from government and NGO reports, with 40 semi-structured interviews in four villages in Ghotki District. We analyzed quantitative data on enrollment, retention and graduation and focused on qualitative narratives that illuminated flexible lived experiences of discrimination and opportunity. Results indicate small improvements in primary and secondary enrollment, but little movement to higher education or upward occupational mobility. The main obstacles were found to be economic reliance on landlords, gender inequities, and inefficient execution of quota systems in rural entities. Caste-based reservation policies helped establish a framework for formal educational inclusion, but their transformative potential was thwarted by enduring structural inequalities and locally-determined forms of social hierarchy, the study concludes. Implications for Policy include the need for focus on support programmes, sensitization of teachers, and improved monitoring mechanisms.