Title: CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF LOWERCASTE STUDENTS IN INDIA
Authors: Vaishnavi Raj Laxmi Singh
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Vaishnavi Raj Laxmi Singh
La Martiniere Girls College
MLA 8 Singh, Vaishnavi Raj Laxmi. "CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF LOWERCASTE STUDENTS IN INDIA." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 7, no. 8, Aug. 2022, pp. 2478-2493, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2022.v07i08.010. Accessed Aug. 2022.
APA 6 Singh, V. (2022, August). CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF LOWERCASTE STUDENTS IN INDIA. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 7(8), 2478-2493. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2022.v07i08.010
Chicago Singh, Vaishnavi Raj Laxmi. "CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF LOWERCASTE STUDENTS IN INDIA." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 7, no. 8 (August 2022), 2478-2493. Accessed August, 2022. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2022.v07i08.010.
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[2]. Kumar, K. J. (2014, June 20). Shodhganga@INFLIBNET: Stress and mental health related problems among students due to discrimination during higher education in Uttar Pradesh. Shodhganga. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/10603/19501
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[7]. Neelakandan, Sanil.M and Patil, Smita M( 2012) Complexities of inclusion and exclusion: Dalit students and higher education in India. Journal of Social Inclusion, 3(1), pp.86–100. DOI: http://doi.org/10.36251/josi.44
ABSTRACT: Caste-based discrimination and exclusion have always been highly prevalent in India due to the
caste system, and the Indian higher educational institutions are no exception to this phenomenon.
Through this study, we aim to identify how caste-based discrimination leads to the deteriorating
mental health of lower caste students at various Indian institutions of higher education and
suggest policies and reforms the government can undertake to safeguard lower caste students
against caste-based discrimination better. This paper highlights the discriminatory acts practiced
by upper caste students and the faculty against lower caste students in various forms like
segregation, verbal abuse, belittling and humiliation. Using a thematic analysis method of close
reading of papers, articles, interviews and surveys available online on the experiences of lower
caste students at various universities, themes of isolation, humiliation, discrimination and
deteriorating mental health emerged. Our findings confirmed the discrimination faced by lower
caste students at various universities which almost always results in deteriorating mental health
as the lower caste students develop self-devaluating tendencies, depression, lose self-esteem and
confidence, socially withdraw and isolate themselves and in extreme cases, chose to end their
life. Further, this paper suggests that various policies and reforms making mental health
consultations more accessible for lower caste students should be implemented and students
should be encouraged to seek help with regard to their mental well-being as the concept of
therapy and mental health is still considered a taboo in India.
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