Shaping sociological minds: A book that rethinks education and society in India

In a time when education sits at the heart of debates on equity, identity and national progress, a new scholarly volume makes a timely intervention. Society and Education in Indian Context: Opportunities, Challenges and Implementation, edited by Dr Anuradha Sekhri, Dr Reena Chaudhary and Dr Richa Aggarwal, brings together critical perspectives on the deep and often uneasy relationship between education and Indian society.

Designed as a contemporary take on the sociology of education, the peer-reviewed book moves beyond theory to examine how schools and universities actually function as social institutions. It unpacks the idea of the “hidden curriculum” — the unspoken norms, values and power structures embedded in classrooms — that quietly shape student identities and reproduce social hierarchies.

For students of sociology and education, the book offers rich, grounded analysis of how caste, class, gender and religion influence access to education. Chapters critically examine persistent barriers faced by Scheduled Castes and tribal communities, while also exposing how school textbooks and everyday practices continue to reinforce gender stereotypes, often normalising men as leaders and women as caregivers. Drawing on sociological theory, the contributors treat schools as ideological state apparatuses, revealing how they can appear neutral while sustaining dominant ideologies.

For civil services aspirants, the book is especially valuable. It directly speaks to GS Paper I (Indian Society) and GS Paper II (Social Justice, Governance) by offering a critical reading of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, highlighting both its transformative promise and the real challenges of implementation. The use of UDISE+, AISHE and ASER data equips aspirants with empirical material that can strengthen mains answers and essays.

The volume also addresses contemporary concerns that frequently surface in competitive exams and interviews — from the digital divide exposed during Covid-19 to the growing role of artificial intelligence in pedagogy. Special chapters on educational initiatives for tribal and SC communities add the much-needed lens of empathy, inclusion and administrative sensitivity.

What sets the book apart is its ability to look backward and forward at once. It revisits the Gurukul tradition as a source of holistic learning while engaging seriously with modern disruptions in higher education, including faculty shortages and global competitiveness. At its core, the book argues that education is not just an economic tool but a moral and social imperative.

For students seeking to understand Indian society, educators shaping classrooms and aspirants preparing to serve the nation, this book offers clarity, critique and a compelling roadmap for humanistic and equitable education in India.