SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS OF MARGINALIZED SECTIONS AS A CHALLENGE IN TRANSFORMING INDIA THROUGH INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION

India’s aspiration to emerge as a global education hub through the internationalization of its education system, as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, represents a significant step toward global academic integration. However, this transformation is impeded by the socio-economic disparities faced by the country’s marginalized sections—including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), religious minorities, and economically weaker sections. This paper explores how entrenched socio-economic inequalities restrict access to global educational opportunities for these communities, creating structural barriers to equity in internationalization.

Using a mixed-methods approach comprising primary data (surveys and interviews with students from marginalized backgrounds) and secondary data (government reports, scholarly articles, and institutional reviews), the study highlights key challenges such as financial constraints, digital divides, lack of cultural capital, limited institutional support, and systemic discrimination. The findings reveal that internationalization efforts currently cater predominantly to privileged groups, risking the further marginalization of vulnerable populations unless corrective, inclusive policies are enforced.

The paper concludes by recommending targeted scholarships, mentorship programs, digital infrastructure development, policy reforms, and affirmative action measures to ensure that the benefits of global education are equitably distributed. Only by integrating social justice into its internationalization strategy can India truly transform its education system and position itself as a globally inclusive knowledge economy.