Education among the Jaunsaris in Uttrakhand: Constraints and Remedies

Abstract

The Jaunsari tribe is one of the ancient communities dwelling in the Cis-Himalayan belt. This tribe occupies a unique place in the tribal world because of its distinguished family system, that is, Polyandry. Since the last four decades this tribe has become one of the most progressive tribes in Uttrakhand. Literacy rate shows an encouraging trend. According to census report 2001, the literacy rate of the Jaunsari tribe is 58.9%, which is higher than the average ST literacy rate (47.10%). On the other hand, the Jaunsari male literacy rate is 71.7%, which is higher than average ST male literacy rate (59.20%). Jaunsari female literacy rate is 44.8%, which is slightly higher than the average ST female literacy rate (34.76%). Despite these achievements, there is a large mass of Jaunsari community, which remains outside the portal of formal education. This paper highlights the constraints in the promotion of education among the Jaunsaris as well as suggestions for overcoming these problems.