Manvi Atwal, BA, LL.B, Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Affiliated to IP University, New Delhi
ABSTRACT
Education is a right of all, but it is still a distant dream for the majority of the population in India. Children have access to free education under the Right to Education Act (RTE), which is also recognized as a fundamental right under Article 21A. Even though there are laws made for the right to education, it lacks implementation. With increasing poverty, especially after the outbreak of Covid-19, many of India's children are not able to afford to school as they got more inclined towards financially supporting their families. The main purpose of this manuscript is to understand the impact of poverty on education in India and the role education plays in eradicating poverty. Various challenges restrict the poor from education, like gender inequalities and lack of money. The landmark case of Mohini Jain pronounced by the apex court held that a life that is lived with dignity can only be ensured when education plays a significant role in society. This case held that the right to life is fundamentally linked to and dependent upon the right to education. The main areas that have been taken into account in the manuscript are the lack of educational opportunities, the influence of poverty on young children's experience of school, promoting education for children belonging to poverty-stricken families, the devastating and catastrophic outbreak of covid-19 and its tragic effect on the abysmal section of the Indian society, poverty and education policies in India and strategies like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, MGNREGA scheme, PMRY, etc in uplifting the said issues.
