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khagendra kumar

Patna University, Department of Education, Faculty Member

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Dr. Khagendra Kumar is Professor of Education at Dept. of Education, Patna University and Dean, Faculty of Education, Patna University, Patna. He worked as Registrar, Patna University from 18th Match 2023 to 25th June 2024. He got his M.A., MPhil and PhD in Education from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He was awarded UGC Junior and Senior Research Fellowships for MPhil and PhD studies respectively. He taught in the Dept. of Education, University of Delhi for a brief period. He has been teaching in the Faculty of Education, Patna University for over 26 years. His teaching area mainly covers Sociology of Education, pedagogy & Research Methodology. He works in the areas of sociology of education, school and teacher education, People's Science Movements, Decentralization of school management etc. He served as Dean, Faculty of Education, Patna University and Head, Dept. of Education, Patna University for two full terms. He served as Principal of Patna Training College, Patna University for over 6 years. He was the elected General Secretary of Indian Association of Teacher Educators for a full term of 2 years. He earlier headed the Department of Education and Faculty of Education as head and dean respectively for two terms. He also served as principal of Patna Training College, Patna University and as Director, Directorate of Distance Education, Patna University, Patna.

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Papers by khagendra kumar

Emerging Issues of IPR in Developing and Under Developed Countries

International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 2024

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are pivotal in driving innovation, creativity, and economic gr... more Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are pivotal in driving innovation, creativity, and economic growth globally. However, they also pose significant challenges, particularly for developing and underdeveloped nations. IPR can hinder access to essential goods, such as medications, educational materials, and agricultural technologies, exacerbating inequalities and stifling local innovation. The monopolistic control of IPR by developed countries often leads to economic dependency and limits knowledge sharing crucial for addressing global challenges like climate change and public health. To mitigate these issues, a multifaceted approach is required, including strengthening legal frameworks, empowering communities, promoting technology transfer, and fostering international cooperation. Reforming the current IPR regime to ensure equitable access and benefit-sharing can harness the potential of intellectual property for sustainable development and global prosperity.

Revolutionizing Education: Navigating the NEP 2020 Era. (Eds.) Prof. Najma Akhtar (pp.167-191) ` Changing Perspective of Decentralization of School Management from 1950s to NEP 2020 in India with special reference to Bihar

Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the em... more Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the empowerment of local political bodies will create institutions that are more accountable to local citizens and more appropriate to local needs and preferences. The 73 rd and 74 th amendments of the Indian Constitution were historic attempts to empower local self-governments by giving them constitutional status and identifying 29 areas including elementary education over which they can legitimately have jurisdiction. According to the 73 rd constitutional amendment Indian states passed their own Panchayati Raj Acts. Bihar is an eastern Indian state with a population of 119 million and is poor on most of the development indices including school education. Section 22 of the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act 2006 identifies some important roles of Panchayats in the area of elementary education. It was expected that the involvement of panchayats having constitutional status will help in achieving our long-cherished goal of free quality elementary education to all our children without any exception. But no concrete mechanism was developed for the implementation of roles by Panchayats. Under the provision of the Vidyalaya Siksha Samiti (VSS) Act, there exists a VSS in each elementary school which has a well-laid mechanism to function. It has also a few members nominated by Panchayats. In the absence of well-laid mechanism for panchayats having constitutional status and a broader role in school management, enrollment of students, mass awareness etc., they are unable to play any effective role. In fact, local bureaucracy has greater control over school management through VSS. The noble notion behind decentralization did not appear to be working. After the 73 rd amendment which provided constitutional status to PRIs, adoption in 2002, of the 86th amendment to the Constitution, which inserted a new Article 21 A in Chapter 3 making provision for compulsory and free education to children within the age group 6-14, a fundamental right was another milestone in achieving universalization of elementary education in India. To ensure this fundamental right the government of Bihar constituted a Common School Commission in 2006 which submitted its report in June 2007. Bihar Common School System Commission (BSSC) in its recommendations framed two bills for effective decentralization of school management. Proposed bills could not be enacted. These bills were also appearing to be failing in realizing the greater role of community and local self-governments. The author has tried to analyze efforts of ensuring effective community involvement in school management since the 1990s and finally argues for holistic transfer of elementary education to PRIs as one of the 29 subjects to be transferred to PRIs after 73 constitutional amendments which gave them a constitutional status. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India also emphasizes decentralization, empowering local communities and schools with more autonomy to improve education quality. Key aspects include forming school complexes for collaboration, involving School Management Committees in decision-making, and granting schools autonomy and accountability. The policy also promotes local language and culture integration, local teacher recruitment, and aims to create a responsive and inclusive educational environment.

A Study of the Role of NGO Run Private Schools in Rural Development in Jharkhand State (of India) (Paper in Hindi)

by khagendra kumar and Tarun Kumar Mahato

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Intervention ISSN (online) 2319-7722, ISSN (print) 2319-7714 , Vol. 10 Issue II November, 2021

www.ijhssi.org >kj[k.M jkT; ds ,uthvks la pkfyr futh fo|ky;ks a dk xz keh.k fodkl es a Hkkxhnkjh ... more

Role of the Management of NGO Run Secondary Schools in the Development of Children in Jharkhand (India) : A Study (Paper in Hindi)

IJRSCAMT ISSN (online) 2582-8045

Copyright to IJRSCAMT 33 www.ijrscamt.in Impact Factor: 5.731

Covid Crisis and Social Character of Teaching Learning

Kanishka Publishers, Distributors, new Delhi, 2022

Inclusion of deprived children in recognized private schools of Bihar under the RTE Act 2009

International Journal of Literacy and Education, 2022

The RTE Act 2009 is one of the landmarks in history of Indian education. The main purpose of the ... more The RTE Act 2009 is one of the landmarks in history of Indian education. The main purpose of the act is to provide quality Elementary education to all children between age group of 6-14 years. The implementation of the act is one of the recent research interests in Indian education. The present study has tried to find out the level of inclusion of deprived child in private schools under RTE Act 2009 and problems faced by schools, children and parents regarding this. To find the facts regarding inclusion of deprived children in the schools, 5 teachers, 20 children and 20 parents of the children from each school including with different stakeholders such as Education Officials, Local Bodies Government, NGOs etc have been involved by researcher. The study indicated that RTE children are not able to cope with their classmates in terms of academics. The result of the study revealed that no proper or adequate measures were taken by the government effectively to operationalize the provision of admission of deprived children in private schools under section 12(1)(C) of RTE Act. The major challenges faced by the schools to the parents are the adjustment of the children with others students of the schools, transaction of curriculum and classroom behavioral issue with the children admitted under 25% provision and classroom management.

Deprivation of Children in the Indian Modern Society

Kaav International Journal of Arts, Humanities & Social Science: A Refereed Peer Review Quarterly Journal, 2022

The traditional Indian society is hierarchically organised. Each stratum of this hierarchy is def... more The traditional Indian society is hierarchically organised. Each stratum of this hierarchy is defined by the caste of people that constitute it. The caste system is fraught with economic implications and cultural diversities. It is evident from some sociological and anthropological studies (Mandelbaum, 1990; Dube, 1994) that in India there are wide gaps and variations along sociocultural experiences in different social segments. High order of disparities is apparent in economic, social, physical and affiliation conditions. Individuals of various social segments of the population grow with varied experiences due to their varied environments. In facts, Indian socio-economic setup provides a psychedelic array of hues with vast differences in experiential backgrounds. A large segment of rural and urban people in India still lives at the barest subsistence level, suffering from under and mal nutrition, socio-cultural inequality and other serious handicaps such as lack of elementary medic...

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a New Social Movement

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unnoticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People’s organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is considered as one of the largest People's Science Movements (PSMs) of India. The author in the present paper has tried to explain the evolution of KSSP. He has also evaluated the KSSP in terms of its organizations and programmes. Finally, the status of KSSP as a New Social Movement (NSM) has been ascertained in light of theoretical expositions of well-known social scientists.

Open and Distance Learning: Meeting Challenges of Teacher Training in India

According to an estimate, 32.86 million children are out of school in eight South Asian countries... more According to an estimate, 32.86 million children are out of school in eight South Asian countries. Among all the South Asian Countries India has highest number of out of school children at 17.8 million. Dropout rate is also high. In order to ensure universal elementary education in these countries, a huge number of trained teachers will be required. The present paper describes need for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in preparation of huge number of trained quality teachers to meet the growing requirements to achieve universal elementary education in South Asian Countries especially India. At first issues related to teacher education have been discussed. Then the author has tried to explore problems and prospects of ODL. And finally, possibilities of imparting teacher education through ODL have been examined. The paper will be helpful for policy-makers, practitioners and researchers who use ODL in teacher education to develop large numbers of capable and proficient teachers.

Inclusive Education in India

India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs d... more India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs doesn’t fall within the purview of human resource development ministry. It is generally the burden of the omnibus ministry of social justice and empowerment, the prime focus of which is rehabilitation, not education. In fact, till today it does not have education as part of its agenda and the issue of education of children with disabilities remains imperceptible, hidden from the public domain, a private problem for families and NGOs to deal with. It’s time that governmental agencies as well as mainstream institutions woke up to the reality that segregation of children with challenging needs is morally unjustifiable and a violation of human rights. Indeed there is no other way to provide education to 36 million disabled children. Seventy-eight percent of Indian population lives in rural areas without provision for special schools. Therefore, inclusive schools have to address the needs of a...

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a new social movement

Social Sciences and Humanities Open, Elsevier, 2021

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unno- ticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People's organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is ...

A Study of Parental Involvement in the School Management of Elementary Schools of Bihar

People's Dialogue on Education, 2021

The formation of the School Management Committee was mandated by the RTE Act, 2009 for effective ... more The formation of the School Management Committee was mandated by the RTE Act, 2009 for effective school management. The Act acknowledging the importance of parents in school governance stated that "if the parents are recognized as primary stakeholders in the education of their children, they must be involved in a meaningful manner in the monitoring and management of schools". This decision brought a revolutionary change in education as it enabled the community to participate in school functioning and take ownership of the schools. In Bihar, the Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti (VSS) has been constituted in each elementary/primary school for better management of schools by the community. This seventeen-member committee comprises of minimum 50% of mothers of the children enrolled in the school. This paper is an attempt to find out the level of awareness among parents regarding their roles and functions in managing elementary schools of Bihar. Seventy-two parents from twelve schools of four districts of Bihar (Purnia, Patna, Gopalganj, and Munger) were selected for the study. The findings revealed that there was very limited parental involvement in the functioning of all the twelve schools of Bihar.

Effect of Existing Practices of Educational Decentralization on Marginalized Children of Bihar

Politic Foundation, Peoples Dialogue on Education, Peer reviewed biannual online journal, 2019

The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational develop... more The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational development in the country. The NPE 1986 (modified in 1992) stated, 'the New Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far' (MHRD, 1992). Decentralized governance of schools was emphasized by RTE, 2009 to achieve free and compulsory schooling and education for all children between the age of six to fourteen. The educational status of Bihar shows a dismal condition with it ranking last by literacy rate with 63.82 percent according to 2011 Census data. The enrolment and retention of the marginalized children of the state was a grave matter of concern for the policymakers. In this regard, tremendous efforts were taken by the central government and the state government. The paper gives an insight into the recent initiatives in educational decentralization that have worked towards facilitating the education of marginalized children in Bihar. This paper also attempts to find out the effect of recent initiatives of decentralization on marginalized children after the implementation of the RTE Act, 2009.

Effect of Existing Practices of Educational Decentralization on Marginalized Children of Bihar

The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational develop... more The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational development in the country. The NPE 1986 (modified in 1992) stated, 'the New Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far' (MHRD, 1992). Decentralized governance of schools was emphasized by RTE, 2009 to achieve free and compulsory schooling and education for all children between the age of six to fourteen. The educational status of Bihar shows a dismal condition with it ranking last by literacy rate with 63.82 percent according to 2011 Census data. The enrolment and retention of the marginalized children of the state was a grave matter of concern for the policymakers. In this regard, tremendous efforts were taken by the central government and the state government. The paper gives an insight into the recent initiatives in educational decentralization that have worked towards facilitating the education of marginalized children in Bihar. This paper also attempts to find out the effect of recent initiatives of decentralization on marginalized children after the implementation of the RTE Act, 2009.

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a new social movement

Elsevier Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2021

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unno- ticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People's organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is considered as one of the largest People's Science Movements (PSMs) of India. The author in the present paper has tried to explain the evolution of KSSP. He has also evaluated the KSSP in terms of its organizations and programmes. Finally, the status of KSSP as a New Social Movement (NSM) has been ascertained in light of theoretical expositions of well- known social scientists.

Issues of NRC and CAA in India

Politic India (www.politicindia.com), 2020

This is a draft article in which the author has tried to analyse two related issues of Citizenshi... more This is a draft article in which the author has tried to analyse two related issues of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 and the Indian government's future plan to prepare National Citizenship Register (NCR). CAA and NCR are being widely protested in India as the people found them against the cultural ethos and spirit of Indian Constitution . The analysis will help these issues and their with clarity and right perspective. The draft article was also published as blog article in Politic India.

PROTECTIVE DISCRIMINATION IN SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL MOBILITY OF BACKWARD CLASSES IN BIHAR

Educational Science Review, Vol. 4 No. 2 ISSN 0974-5947, September, 2012

Protective discrimination has been widely accepted as an important measure of being mobility amon... more Protective discrimination has been widely accepted as an important measure of being mobility among backward classes. The politics of reservation has changed the very nature of politics by bringing caste to the centre of political polarization and mobilization. This is quite apparent in Bihar like many other states of India. Although several studies have been conducted on the caste system and its interface with politics and social changes, no study has examined the relationship of reservation with social and educational mobility in Bihar which is still supposed to be a caste-ridden state. Although a few studies/projects are available on OBC reservation of some Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc. No data-based study of any kind is available on the educational mobility of backward classes of Bihar. The study reported in this paper is of utmost significance as it has tried to present academic mobility of backward castes of Bihar using some database.

Education for Sustainable Development: Policy and Practices in India

ENVIABLE CONTEMPORARY KERALA : RESULT OF MOVEMENTS

People's Dialogue on Education, 2010

QUALITY EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BIHAR (INDIA

by khagendra kumar and Prabhunath Singh

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science ISSN 2220-8488 (print), 2221-0989 (online) published by CPI, USA. www.ijhssnet.com, 2016

Before 1970s most of the schools in Bihar were run by the community. After takeover of all these ... more Before 1970s most of the schools in Bihar were run by the community. After takeover of all these community run schools by the state government between 1976 and 1981, community school relationship gradually became very poor. It was later realized that universal school education is impossible without reestablishing organic linkage between community and schools and efforts were made to revive the linkage through formation of School Management Committee (SMC) in all public and government aided schools. In this paper authors have tried to look into the changing pattern of SMCs since its inception and impact of SMCs in fomenting relationship between schools and community in Bihar.

Emerging Issues of IPR in Developing and Under Developed Countries

International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 2024

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are pivotal in driving innovation, creativity, and economic gr... more Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are pivotal in driving innovation, creativity, and economic growth globally. However, they also pose significant challenges, particularly for developing and underdeveloped nations. IPR can hinder access to essential goods, such as medications, educational materials, and agricultural technologies, exacerbating inequalities and stifling local innovation. The monopolistic control of IPR by developed countries often leads to economic dependency and limits knowledge sharing crucial for addressing global challenges like climate change and public health. To mitigate these issues, a multifaceted approach is required, including strengthening legal frameworks, empowering communities, promoting technology transfer, and fostering international cooperation. Reforming the current IPR regime to ensure equitable access and benefit-sharing can harness the potential of intellectual property for sustainable development and global prosperity.

Revolutionizing Education: Navigating the NEP 2020 Era. (Eds.) Prof. Najma Akhtar (pp.167-191) ` Changing Perspective of Decentralization of School Management from 1950s to NEP 2020 in India with special reference to Bihar

Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the em... more Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the empowerment of local political bodies will create institutions that are more accountable to local citizens and more appropriate to local needs and preferences. The 73 rd and 74 th amendments of the Indian Constitution were historic attempts to empower local self-governments by giving them constitutional status and identifying 29 areas including elementary education over which they can legitimately have jurisdiction. According to the 73 rd constitutional amendment Indian states passed their own Panchayati Raj Acts. Bihar is an eastern Indian state with a population of 119 million and is poor on most of the development indices including school education. Section 22 of the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act 2006 identifies some important roles of Panchayats in the area of elementary education. It was expected that the involvement of panchayats having constitutional status will help in achieving our long-cherished goal of free quality elementary education to all our children without any exception. But no concrete mechanism was developed for the implementation of roles by Panchayats. Under the provision of the Vidyalaya Siksha Samiti (VSS) Act, there exists a VSS in each elementary school which has a well-laid mechanism to function. It has also a few members nominated by Panchayats. In the absence of well-laid mechanism for panchayats having constitutional status and a broader role in school management, enrollment of students, mass awareness etc., they are unable to play any effective role. In fact, local bureaucracy has greater control over school management through VSS. The noble notion behind decentralization did not appear to be working. After the 73 rd amendment which provided constitutional status to PRIs, adoption in 2002, of the 86th amendment to the Constitution, which inserted a new Article 21 A in Chapter 3 making provision for compulsory and free education to children within the age group 6-14, a fundamental right was another milestone in achieving universalization of elementary education in India. To ensure this fundamental right the government of Bihar constituted a Common School Commission in 2006 which submitted its report in June 2007. Bihar Common School System Commission (BSSC) in its recommendations framed two bills for effective decentralization of school management. Proposed bills could not be enacted. These bills were also appearing to be failing in realizing the greater role of community and local self-governments. The author has tried to analyze efforts of ensuring effective community involvement in school management since the 1990s and finally argues for holistic transfer of elementary education to PRIs as one of the 29 subjects to be transferred to PRIs after 73 constitutional amendments which gave them a constitutional status. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India also emphasizes decentralization, empowering local communities and schools with more autonomy to improve education quality. Key aspects include forming school complexes for collaboration, involving School Management Committees in decision-making, and granting schools autonomy and accountability. The policy also promotes local language and culture integration, local teacher recruitment, and aims to create a responsive and inclusive educational environment.

A Study of the Role of NGO Run Private Schools in Rural Development in Jharkhand State (of India) (Paper in Hindi)

by khagendra kumar and Tarun Kumar Mahato

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Intervention ISSN (online) 2319-7722, ISSN (print) 2319-7714 , Vol. 10 Issue II November, 2021

www.ijhssi.org >kj[k.M jkT; ds ,uthvks la pkfyr futh fo|ky;ks a dk xz keh.k fodkl es a Hkkxhnkjh ... more

Role of the Management of NGO Run Secondary Schools in the Development of Children in Jharkhand (India) : A Study (Paper in Hindi)

IJRSCAMT ISSN (online) 2582-8045

Copyright to IJRSCAMT 33 www.ijrscamt.in Impact Factor: 5.731

Covid Crisis and Social Character of Teaching Learning

Kanishka Publishers, Distributors, new Delhi, 2022

Inclusion of deprived children in recognized private schools of Bihar under the RTE Act 2009

International Journal of Literacy and Education, 2022

The RTE Act 2009 is one of the landmarks in history of Indian education. The main purpose of the ... more The RTE Act 2009 is one of the landmarks in history of Indian education. The main purpose of the act is to provide quality Elementary education to all children between age group of 6-14 years. The implementation of the act is one of the recent research interests in Indian education. The present study has tried to find out the level of inclusion of deprived child in private schools under RTE Act 2009 and problems faced by schools, children and parents regarding this. To find the facts regarding inclusion of deprived children in the schools, 5 teachers, 20 children and 20 parents of the children from each school including with different stakeholders such as Education Officials, Local Bodies Government, NGOs etc have been involved by researcher. The study indicated that RTE children are not able to cope with their classmates in terms of academics. The result of the study revealed that no proper or adequate measures were taken by the government effectively to operationalize the provision of admission of deprived children in private schools under section 12(1)(C) of RTE Act. The major challenges faced by the schools to the parents are the adjustment of the children with others students of the schools, transaction of curriculum and classroom behavioral issue with the children admitted under 25% provision and classroom management.

Deprivation of Children in the Indian Modern Society

Kaav International Journal of Arts, Humanities & Social Science: A Refereed Peer Review Quarterly Journal, 2022

The traditional Indian society is hierarchically organised. Each stratum of this hierarchy is def... more The traditional Indian society is hierarchically organised. Each stratum of this hierarchy is defined by the caste of people that constitute it. The caste system is fraught with economic implications and cultural diversities. It is evident from some sociological and anthropological studies (Mandelbaum, 1990; Dube, 1994) that in India there are wide gaps and variations along sociocultural experiences in different social segments. High order of disparities is apparent in economic, social, physical and affiliation conditions. Individuals of various social segments of the population grow with varied experiences due to their varied environments. In facts, Indian socio-economic setup provides a psychedelic array of hues with vast differences in experiential backgrounds. A large segment of rural and urban people in India still lives at the barest subsistence level, suffering from under and mal nutrition, socio-cultural inequality and other serious handicaps such as lack of elementary medic...

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a New Social Movement

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unnoticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People’s organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is considered as one of the largest People's Science Movements (PSMs) of India. The author in the present paper has tried to explain the evolution of KSSP. He has also evaluated the KSSP in terms of its organizations and programmes. Finally, the status of KSSP as a New Social Movement (NSM) has been ascertained in light of theoretical expositions of well-known social scientists.

Open and Distance Learning: Meeting Challenges of Teacher Training in India

According to an estimate, 32.86 million children are out of school in eight South Asian countries... more According to an estimate, 32.86 million children are out of school in eight South Asian countries. Among all the South Asian Countries India has highest number of out of school children at 17.8 million. Dropout rate is also high. In order to ensure universal elementary education in these countries, a huge number of trained teachers will be required. The present paper describes need for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in preparation of huge number of trained quality teachers to meet the growing requirements to achieve universal elementary education in South Asian Countries especially India. At first issues related to teacher education have been discussed. Then the author has tried to explore problems and prospects of ODL. And finally, possibilities of imparting teacher education through ODL have been examined. The paper will be helpful for policy-makers, practitioners and researchers who use ODL in teacher education to develop large numbers of capable and proficient teachers.

Inclusive Education in India

India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs d... more India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs doesn’t fall within the purview of human resource development ministry. It is generally the burden of the omnibus ministry of social justice and empowerment, the prime focus of which is rehabilitation, not education. In fact, till today it does not have education as part of its agenda and the issue of education of children with disabilities remains imperceptible, hidden from the public domain, a private problem for families and NGOs to deal with. It’s time that governmental agencies as well as mainstream institutions woke up to the reality that segregation of children with challenging needs is morally unjustifiable and a violation of human rights. Indeed there is no other way to provide education to 36 million disabled children. Seventy-eight percent of Indian population lives in rural areas without provision for special schools. Therefore, inclusive schools have to address the needs of a...

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a new social movement

Social Sciences and Humanities Open, Elsevier, 2021

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unno- ticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People's organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is ...

A Study of Parental Involvement in the School Management of Elementary Schools of Bihar

People's Dialogue on Education, 2021

The formation of the School Management Committee was mandated by the RTE Act, 2009 for effective ... more The formation of the School Management Committee was mandated by the RTE Act, 2009 for effective school management. The Act acknowledging the importance of parents in school governance stated that "if the parents are recognized as primary stakeholders in the education of their children, they must be involved in a meaningful manner in the monitoring and management of schools". This decision brought a revolutionary change in education as it enabled the community to participate in school functioning and take ownership of the schools. In Bihar, the Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti (VSS) has been constituted in each elementary/primary school for better management of schools by the community. This seventeen-member committee comprises of minimum 50% of mothers of the children enrolled in the school. This paper is an attempt to find out the level of awareness among parents regarding their roles and functions in managing elementary schools of Bihar. Seventy-two parents from twelve schools of four districts of Bihar (Purnia, Patna, Gopalganj, and Munger) were selected for the study. The findings revealed that there was very limited parental involvement in the functioning of all the twelve schools of Bihar.

Effect of Existing Practices of Educational Decentralization on Marginalized Children of Bihar

Politic Foundation, Peoples Dialogue on Education, Peer reviewed biannual online journal, 2019

The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational develop... more The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational development in the country. The NPE 1986 (modified in 1992) stated, 'the New Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far' (MHRD, 1992). Decentralized governance of schools was emphasized by RTE, 2009 to achieve free and compulsory schooling and education for all children between the age of six to fourteen. The educational status of Bihar shows a dismal condition with it ranking last by literacy rate with 63.82 percent according to 2011 Census data. The enrolment and retention of the marginalized children of the state was a grave matter of concern for the policymakers. In this regard, tremendous efforts were taken by the central government and the state government. The paper gives an insight into the recent initiatives in educational decentralization that have worked towards facilitating the education of marginalized children in Bihar. This paper also attempts to find out the effect of recent initiatives of decentralization on marginalized children after the implementation of the RTE Act, 2009.

Effect of Existing Practices of Educational Decentralization on Marginalized Children of Bihar

The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational develop... more The recent policy initiatives are focused on reducing the glaring inequity in educational development in the country. The NPE 1986 (modified in 1992) stated, 'the New Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far' (MHRD, 1992). Decentralized governance of schools was emphasized by RTE, 2009 to achieve free and compulsory schooling and education for all children between the age of six to fourteen. The educational status of Bihar shows a dismal condition with it ranking last by literacy rate with 63.82 percent according to 2011 Census data. The enrolment and retention of the marginalized children of the state was a grave matter of concern for the policymakers. In this regard, tremendous efforts were taken by the central government and the state government. The paper gives an insight into the recent initiatives in educational decentralization that have worked towards facilitating the education of marginalized children in Bihar. This paper also attempts to find out the effect of recent initiatives of decentralization on marginalized children after the implementation of the RTE Act, 2009.

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a new social movement

Elsevier Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2021

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unno- ticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People's organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is considered as one of the largest People's Science Movements (PSMs) of India. The author in the present paper has tried to explain the evolution of KSSP. He has also evaluated the KSSP in terms of its organizations and programmes. Finally, the status of KSSP as a New Social Movement (NSM) has been ascertained in light of theoretical expositions of well- known social scientists.

Issues of NRC and CAA in India

Politic India (www.politicindia.com), 2020

This is a draft article in which the author has tried to analyse two related issues of Citizenshi... more This is a draft article in which the author has tried to analyse two related issues of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 and the Indian government's future plan to prepare National Citizenship Register (NCR). CAA and NCR are being widely protested in India as the people found them against the cultural ethos and spirit of Indian Constitution . The analysis will help these issues and their with clarity and right perspective. The draft article was also published as blog article in Politic India.

PROTECTIVE DISCRIMINATION IN SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL MOBILITY OF BACKWARD CLASSES IN BIHAR

Educational Science Review, Vol. 4 No. 2 ISSN 0974-5947, September, 2012

Protective discrimination has been widely accepted as an important measure of being mobility amon... more Protective discrimination has been widely accepted as an important measure of being mobility among backward classes. The politics of reservation has changed the very nature of politics by bringing caste to the centre of political polarization and mobilization. This is quite apparent in Bihar like many other states of India. Although several studies have been conducted on the caste system and its interface with politics and social changes, no study has examined the relationship of reservation with social and educational mobility in Bihar which is still supposed to be a caste-ridden state. Although a few studies/projects are available on OBC reservation of some Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc. No data-based study of any kind is available on the educational mobility of backward classes of Bihar. The study reported in this paper is of utmost significance as it has tried to present academic mobility of backward castes of Bihar using some database.

Education for Sustainable Development: Policy and Practices in India

ENVIABLE CONTEMPORARY KERALA : RESULT OF MOVEMENTS

People's Dialogue on Education, 2010

QUALITY EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BIHAR (INDIA

by khagendra kumar and Prabhunath Singh

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science ISSN 2220-8488 (print), 2221-0989 (online) published by CPI, USA. www.ijhssnet.com, 2016

Before 1970s most of the schools in Bihar were run by the community. After takeover of all these ... more Before 1970s most of the schools in Bihar were run by the community. After takeover of all these community run schools by the state government between 1976 and 1981, community school relationship gradually became very poor. It was later realized that universal school education is impossible without reestablishing organic linkage between community and schools and efforts were made to revive the linkage through formation of School Management Committee (SMC) in all public and government aided schools. In this paper authors have tried to look into the changing pattern of SMCs since its inception and impact of SMCs in fomenting relationship between schools and community in Bihar.

Book Chapter, Changing Perspective of Decentralization of School Management from 1950s to NEP 2020 in India with Special Reference to Bihar in the Edited book, Revolutionizing Education: Navigating the NEP 2020 Era. (Eds.) Prof. Najma Akhtar (pp.167-191)

V L Media Solutions, Delhi, 2023

Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the em... more Assertions in favour of democratic decentralization are often founded upon the notion that the empowerment of local political bodies will create institutions that are more accountable to local citizens and more appropriate to local needs and preferences. The 73 rd and 74 th amendments of the Indian Constitution were historic attempts to empower local self-governments by giving them constitutional status and identifying 29 areas including elementary education over which they can legitimately have jurisdiction. According to the 73 rd constitutional amendment Indian states passed their own Panchayati Raj Acts. Bihar is an eastern Indian state with a population of 119 million and is poor on most of the development indices including school education. Section 22 of the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act 2006 identifies some important roles of Panchayats in the area of elementary education. It was expected that the involvement of panchayats having constitutional status will help in achieving our long-cherished goal of free quality elementary education to all our children without any exception. But no concrete mechanism was developed for the implementation of roles by Panchayats. Under the provision of the Vidyalaya Siksha Samiti (VSS) Act, there exists a VSS in each elementary school which has a well-laid mechanism to function. It has also a few members nominated by Panchayats. In the absence of well-laid mechanism for panchayats having constitutional status and a broader role in school management, enrollment of students, mass awareness etc., they are unable to play any effective role. In fact, local bureaucracy has greater control over school management through VSS. The noble notion behind decentralization did not appear to be working. After the 73 rd amendment which provided constitutional status to PRIs, adoption in 2002, of the 86th amendment to the Constitution, which inserted a new Article 21 A in Chapter 3 making provision for compulsory and free education to children within the age group 6-14, a fundamental right was another milestone in achieving universalization of elementary education in India. To ensure this fundamental right the government of Bihar constituted a Common School Commission in 2006 which submitted its report in June 2007. Bihar Common School System Commission (BSSC) in its recommendations framed two bills for effective decentralization of school management. Proposed bills could not be enacted. These bills were also appearing to be failing in realizing the greater role of community and local self-governments. The author has tried to analyze efforts of ensuring effective community involvement in school management since the 1990s and finally argues for holistic transfer of elementary education to PRIs as one of the 29 subjects to be transferred to PRIs after 73 constitutional amendments which gave them a constitutional status. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India also emphasizes decentralization, empowering local communities and schools with more autonomy to improve education quality. Key aspects include forming school complexes for collaboration, involving School Management Committees in decision-making, and granting schools autonomy and accountability. The policy also promotes local language and culture integration, local teacher recruitment, and aims to create a responsive and inclusive educational environment.

Covid Crisis and Concern for Social Character of Teaching learning in the edited book Teaching Learning and the Virtual World

Kanishka Publishers, Distributors, 2022

Organic interlinking of schools and teacher education institution through an ICT supported model

by khagendra kumar and khagendra kumar

Department of Education (CIE), University of Delhi ISBN:978-93-5156-713-4, 2014

Linkage between schools and teacher education institutions is generally weak and mechanical in In... more Linkage between schools and teacher education institutions is generally weak and mechanical in India. The sort of relationship has greatly affected the quality of teaching in schools as well as in teacher education institutions (TEIs). There is no denial that ICT has provided better opportunities for bringing a qualitative change in teaching learning system. In the present paper the author has tried to develop an ICT supported model for establishing linkages between TEIs and schools with an example from Bihar. Through this model strong organic relationships can be developed between schools, and TEIs and an evolving mechanism for regular visits of teachers and students from TEIs to schools and vice versa.

REVISITING BIHAR COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM COMMISSION REPORT

Periyar Prakashan, New Delhi- Patna , 2014

Only those Indian parents send their children to government schools who cannot afford private sch... more Only those Indian parents send their children to government schools who cannot afford private schooling for their wards. A substantial proportion of children in the country also study at low cost unrecognized private schools. Parents of these children belong to the low-income group and quite different from those who send their children to costly private schools. Although teachers and management of these schools are more accountable to parents, the quality of these schools is also far from satisfactory. A very small proportion of upper and middle-class parents send their children in recognized private schools providing education of relatively good quality at a very high cost. Some government schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools also impart education of comparable quality but a minuscule proportion of a specialized group of children study in these schools. All this indicates that quality universal school education is still to be a national priority in India. The Education Commission of India (1964-66) in its report recommended the establishment of a Common School System for all children irrespective of their class, caste, religious or linguistic background. The Ramamurti Committee considered the development of the Common School System (CSS) to be a "very vital component of the overall strategy for securing equity and social justice in education." CSS envisions a system of education that will impart quality education to all children without any sort of discrimination. Institution of the Common School System Commission (CSSC) by the Government of Bihar is the first initiative of its kind in India for establishing the CSS in the state. The institution of the Common School System Commission (CSSC) by the Government of Bihar is the first initiative of its kind in India for establishing the CSS in the state. Although the CSSC report has dwelt upon all related issues of CSS in the context of Bihar and provided practical recommendations including financial implications for the establishment of CSS in Bihar within a stipulated timeframe. The CSSC report is yet to be implemented. The author tried to examine the CSSC report and found out some contradictions between its theoretical discussions and practical recommendations. In light of the above identified contradictions and suggestions, the CSSC report should be revised before implementation so as to make it more meaningful, practical and effective.

COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM : BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE RTE GOALS

Politic India Publication, 2017

RTE Act 2009 which came into force in April 2010 provided for inclusion of children from disadvan... more RTE Act 2009 which came into force in April 2010 provided for inclusion of children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections of society in recognized private schools. This RTE provision becomes very important when survey reveals that one-third of the elementary school children in India are enrolled in private schools. It is also predicted that in coming years the government school system would be relegated to a secondary status in providing education (ASER, 2014). In a state like Bihar the proportion of recognized private schools is very low and less than 10 percent of the elementary school children from disadvantaged and weaker sections are enrolled in these schools. But it has been estimated that number of unrecognized schools are quite high and nearly one fourth of the elementary school children go to unrecognized schools. Implementation of RTE Act demands the closure of all those unrecognized schools as they do not fulfill RTE norms. But these schools provide relatively better quality education than most of the existing government primary and middle (elementary) schools at a low cost. In Bihar most of the recognized private schools have failed in realizing their social responsibility and vehemently opposed the admission of neighbourhood children belonging to weaker section and disadvantaged group as per RTE norms in spite of the fact that the state government provides a number of concessions to these schools as they run under society or trust and are not supposed to be profit making institutions. Expenditure incurred on the education of deprived children by these schools is also reimbursed to the extent of per child expenditure incurred by the state in providing education in government schools. It is important to look into the problems encountered by Bihar which still has higher social disparity and proportion of deprived children is still higher. The record of admitting weaker and disadvantaged children is less than 10% in recognized private schools of Bihar whose number is less than 600. Although a small proportion of weaker and disadvantaged children are admitted under RTE provision but their inclusion is never ensured. Without their inclusion, their admission to these schools is meaningless. But a substantial proportion of deprived children study in unrecognized private schools that charge low fee ranging from Rs. 50 to 200. But these unrecognized private schools do not fulfil norms determined by Right to Education Act 2009 and seeks to close by March 2013. In violation to RTE Act, these unrecognized private schools are not only functioning but it is growing fast. India must be unique in the world for wanting to close down schools that serve the poor. Indian education system has failed to realize the fact that these schools provide better education than most of government schools in India and even poor people with little earnings prefer to send their children to these schools. It is easier for the Common School System to provide space to unrecognized schools functioning in large number in every part of the state within it. Common School System appears to be the best solution for empowering all kinds of schools of the state to the level that they all can provide education of reasonable quality to all the children without exception. The authors have examined existing recognized and unrecognized private school system of Bihar, their status in light of RTE norms, their social responsibility and acceptance among the masses. Authors have also revisited Bihar Common School System Commission (2006-07) recommendations and tried to make a strong case for implementation of CSS for universal quality elementary education in the state.

Discussion on Implementation Issues of Some Provisions of Right to Education in Bihar

Periyar Publication, New Delhi, 2018

The RTE Act 2009 came into force from 01 April 2010 and completed more than eight years of its im... more The RTE Act 2009 came into force from 01 April 2010 and completed more than eight years of its implementation. Under Article 21A the State must provide by law "free and compulsory education" to the 6-14 age group of children. Hence Bihar like all other states of the country framed its own rule for implementation of the right to free and compulsory education in 2010 and is constantly striving to ensure free and compulsory elementary education to all children of the state.
Although RTE Act 2009 has laid down several provisions to ensure the fundamental right of elementary education to the children, the author in the present paper has tried to discuss the extent of implementation of some of the provisions of RTE Act 2009 and issues related to them. More specifically the implementation of the provisions related to twenty-five percent admission of the deprived children in private schools [clause 12 (1) (C)], pre-school education (clause 11), School Management (clause 21) and duties of local authority (19) and issues related to them have been discussed in this paper.

Education for Sustainable Development: Policy and Practices in India

Development is a comprehensive economic, educational, social, cultural and political process, whi... more

COVID CRISIS AND CONCERN FOR SOCIAL CHARACTER OF TEACHING-LEARNING

invited lecture in the International webinar at Vasanta College for Women, Varanasi, 2020

As the social character of education is key to the teaching-learning system, it is important to e... more As the social character of education is key to the teaching-learning system, it is important to examine online/virtual mode of teaching-learning wherein individuals get sufficient/ample opportunity to learn themselves and even in advanced virtual systems, 24X7 opportunities to raise doubts and redressal of doubts and queries are available. What is missing from the online lectures or demonstrations or events presented to a student is the social dimension of teaching and learning and the understanding that teaching is a social practice. It is isolated from school/institutional culture where a teacher does not feel the emotion and mood of the students and is unable to interact with them right then. In the case of online education, inputs to be delivered through various portals/virtual classroom/multimedia/relay media are prepared by experts. Few hundred experts can prepare lectures, discussions, demonstrations with lots of real-life like elaborations using animations on the whole syllabus of different school grades or UG and PG programs of colleges and universities. The students' pace of learning can be managed through the use of machine learning or AI. But still, such online education remains an isolated activity The knowledge of these experts is branded as superior to that of available with common teachers and regular texts. The scope of construction of knowledge which is already limited or non-existent in our existing system is further expected to be constricted by an upsurge in the use of online education. During the corona pandemic market is grappling the opportunity of preparation and marketing of online or digital centralized resources of teaching-learning and evaluation using ICT. Increasing penetration of the education sector with centralized digital resources delivered through various private and public online portals in the education sector has changed the very concept of education and the redefinition of education as a deliverable in this century. Education is turning into a commodity or deliverable goods that can be availed anytime anywhere provided you have required equipment like computers, mobiles, TVs, etc. and internet facilities. As there is much difference in physical

Keynote address on Value Based Education in the National Seminar held at ZHTTC , Darbhanga, Bihar

Keynote Address at Dr. Zakir Hussain Teacher Training College, Darbhanga, Bihar, 2019

Keynote address in IAER National Conference at St. Xavier's College of Education

Making Issues for Quality Education in Changing Socioeconomic Perspective

Talk in NERIE , Shilling Conference on 24 February , 2017

Indian Constitution has promised free and compulsory education of equitable quality to all childr... more Indian Constitution has promised free and compulsory education of equitable quality to all children without exception. To fulfill this commitment, the massive expansion in school facilities was done during the first three five year plans. The national policy of Education 1968 led to several interventions to keep the promise but follow-up programs were not carried out with all seriousness. The NPE 1986 was launched in 1986 followed by a Program of Action (POA). The POA 1992 revised the target date for achieving universal elementary education 'before entering the 21 st century. DPEP and SSA were launched in 1994 and 2001 respectively with funding from the World Bank. Despite these attempts by the central and state governments, the goal of achieving UEE remained elusive. Ultimately children were provided with Right to Education to keep the promise. By 2016 we have nearly achieved universal enrollment of our children. But we are greatly lagging as far as the quality of education is concerned. Learning levels of our children are quite low. Quality of education provided by public schools has been poor and insufficient. It has been reported and widely accepted fact that the quality of education in private schools is somewhat better than public schools. At present nearly one-third of our children go to private schools. While the socioeconomic status of parents may explain the difference between government and private school learning outcomes to some extent, but the parental status of the children can make can never be the substitute of school. In this keynote address the author has impinged upon various provisions of Right to Education like admission and inclusion of deprived children in private schools, school management and community participation, inclusion of ECCE within RTE, some provisions of draft new education policy in the context of emerging corporate culture and role of welfare and socialistic state, issue of closure of smaller unrecognized private schools with better learning outcomes, issue of quality teachers and their training etc. The address will also look into the state's failure in

RIGHT BASED APPROACH OF JUDICIARY TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

The development has been ill-conceived by countries across the globe and a mad race is going for ... more The development has been ill-conceived by countries across the globe and a mad race is going for it at any cost. It is increasingly becoming insensitive towards environmental protection and ecological impact of industrialization and commercialization and failing to ensure participation of the common and marginal people in educational, social and cultural activities. India's developmental strategy has often undermined indigenous needs and local context. The Gandhian model was shunned just after independence in favour of the western model of development. In spite of the strong people's movement against unsustainable development plans across the country and global concern for sustainable development, the welfare state has been failing in undertaking developmental plans that are environment friendly and connected to the context and aspiration of the common people and can support good and dignified life of the present without spoiling the resources on which the life of future generations rests.

Evaluating Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad as a new social movement

Social Sciences and Humanities Open, Elsevier, 2021

Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely rem... more Of late there has been a remarkable spurt in the consciousness of common people which largely remains unno- ticed and unserved by institutional structures that prevails and exploits the masses. People's organizations have played a crucial role in the spurt of consciousness of common people and creating a different society with better access to institutions, plans, programmes, information and knowledge system and free from exploitative forces. Kerala Satra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is a people's organization with a decentralized democratic structure and democratic mode of functioning. It operates in the area of education, environment, ecology, health, resource management, consumer consciousness, women's issues, national integration, etc. All the activities of KSSP are social and meant for changing the values and lifestyles of the people through mass mobilization. It is trying to liberate knowledge and take it to the common people at the grassroots level. At present KSSP is considered as one of the largest People's Science Movements (PSMs) of India. The author in the present paper has tried to explain the evolution of KSSP. He has also evaluated the KSSP in terms of its organizations and programmes. Finally, the status of KSSP as a New Social Movement (NSM) has been ascertained in light of theoretical expositions of well- known social scientists.