India, Multicultural Education in

In India, the term multicultural gained currency in the 1990s and is linked to demographic realities and long-standing traditions. The term multicultural education is rarely if ever used, but since the establishment of the postindependence Constitution in 1951—and following two major reports on education in 1953 and 1966, respectively—there has been substantial attention to cultural pluralism and social equality in education. What makes Indian multiculturalism and multicultural education unique is the fact that diversity is considered a defining feature of both Indian identity and Indian democracy. Consequently, the Indian approach to multiculturalism rests on the principles of both unity in diversity and diversity in unity. What this means in practice is that diversity is supported, not as a necessary evil, but as an important ongoing ...