Extent, patterns, and geographic scale of caste-based segregation in Indian schools

Despite widespread evidence of caste-based disparities in educational outcomes in India, school-based factors driving these disparities have not received sufficient scholarly attention. This paper addresses one potential factor by examining patterns and trends in caste-based segregation in Indian schools between 2007–08 and 2017–18 academic years using school-level data from the District Information System for Education (DISE). The main findings are: (1) Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste students face high levels of isolation in schools and have low likelihood of interaction with the most privileged students i.e., students who do not have access to affirmative action programs. (2) Intensely segregated schools are widespread with 29.1 percent of schools in 2017–18 enrolling 90 percent or more students from a single caste category. (3) Segregation indices at the national level have not substantially changed between 2007–08 and 2017–18. (4) Segregation varies by region, with Central, South, and West regions showing greater caste-based integration than the national average. (5) Close to 60 percent of school segregation can be attributed to caste imbalance within districts, highlighting the importance of local segregative processes in driving overall school segregation. As the first systematic and quantitative analysis of caste-based school segregation in India, this study establishes foundational evidence on the nature and current state of school segregation in the country. In doing so, it also calls for greater attention to residential and school segregation in both research and policymaking.