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The multi-hued diversity and vibrancy of
Indian society owes much to the contributions of different peoples
and cultures through the centuries. However, some contributions
are boldly etched, while others remain blurred, thus excluding
large sections of the population.
Post independence India has made several
attempts at inclusion of the hitherto excluded, but a harmonious
and integrated weave where every strand is valued, has remained
elusive. Instead, identities based on caste, religion, language
and region have gained strength and, in turn, reinforced
otherness. Caste and religious conflict are
mere symptoms of wider social concerns and it is these wider
concerns that education must address. Campuses, anywhere in the
country, are ill prepared to cope with such a role. It must be
noted that attempts to reform the higher education system and make
it more inclusive resulted in a significant increase in the number
of educational institutions and therefore a big leap in the number
of students, a majority of them first generation learners. The
education they receive has not been to meet the expectations of
the new entrants. Access to higher education did not necessarily
bring employment and a better standard of living, while existing
knowledge and skill gaps, social and economic disparities
continued. The frustration an low self-esteem that resulted let to
the alienation of these youth and aided the rapid politicization
of college campuses. Higher education should
be capable of recognizing and addressing the roots of the problem
and direct its efforts at building the confidence and raising the
self-esteem of students from scheduled castes, tribes and women
students. Re-examining curricula to make it diversity positive so
that students learn about and value the contributions of all
groups, is an important need. Building linkages between courses
taught and the employment opportunities available in adjoining
areas could stop migration to big cities, and provide a positive
thrust to the process of making higher education more meaningful
and responsive to student needs. In a
different historic and cultural context, but, with similar forces
affecting American campuses, the American Diversity Initiative
launched by the Ford Foundation in 1990 and addressed their
diversity issues by challenging the colleges to be creative and to
make diversity the central mission in the educational system. Hearing
about this program, a group of Indian educators, policy makers and
concerned persons saw the value and the importance of addressing
diversity issues in our own context, not because they felt the
American Initiative was a template for our own programs but
because the issues of social tension and youth dynamics were parallel, perhaps even global, in their upsurge. It was felt that it was important that some initiative be undertaken in India and there was open discussion and a frank dialogue on issues of nationwide concern. Subsequently, a study of eight colleges in different parts of the country was undertaken. Discussions were held with faculty, students and administrators on their perceptions of diversity issues on their campus and how these affected the campus climate. The study clearly brought out the need for a diversity initiative that would improve communication between different
socio-economic groups, address their genuine concerns effectively and build harmony in and around campuses.
The Campus Diversity Initiative (CDI) was launched in India in 1994 with support of the Ford Foundation, by announcing the initiative to all the Vice Chancellors of the more than 200 universities in India. They were asked to nominate three colleges affiliated to their universities, to whom application materials were sent. Over 100 applications were received and 25 colleges short-listed. Of the 23 colleges that were finally selected, 11 received three-year grants, and 13 received pilot grants for two years. This is but a modest beginning in a country, which has one of the largest systems of higher education in the world. The CDI grants have enabled colleges to run
faculty-training programmes and workshops on diversity, to take a fresh look at pedagogy and emphasize the inclusion of diversity as an important theme in cross-disciplinary approach. It must be mentioned here that the diversity among the selected colleges is in itself a challenge: the participating colleges are scattered throughout the country in very different geographic regions, and represent very diverse communities. The participating colleges, therefore, developed their diversity projects according to their individual needs and the composition of their
student community. Heartened by the general support received from the colleges to CDI, Ford Foundation embarked on '.Phase 11 by introducing Partnership Grants. Proposals were received from all the grantee colleges for collaborative projects with four or five colleges within reach of their campus, who would launch their own diversity programs. These partners are diverse, with differing student characteristics and academic programs. Women's colleges, rural colleges, technical institutes and minority institutions have been drawn into association with CDI colleges for a three-year program of shared activity. The 10 grants that were awarded
are modest, and some cost sharing has been built in to the projects. In its two phases, the CDI has included 8 university and more than 60 college participants (Annexure)
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