The ‘wall’: reflections on youth aspiration, education and social mobility in India

The paper examines whether India's rapid economic growth and improving access to education has enabled young people to realise their aspirations and achieve social mobility. It critically evaluates the findings of various comparative studies on youth social mobility in India and elsewhere to understand the 'wall' or the barriers on movement into the upper levels of the labour market. It particularly notes the role of caste in reproducing class inequalities and enabling the hoarding of opportunity among the very few at the top in the urban economy. Upper caste membership enables educational, social and cultural capital that is used to claim merit and the castlessness of those that enjoy such caste privilege. It concludes by reflecting on how youth would respond to the 'wall', reflected in the limited nature of social mobility, and the possible ways in which they would cope with these challenges.