RECONSTRUCTING EQUALITY: A CRITICAL STUDY OF GENDER BIAS IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL TEXTBOOKS AND PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhgyan.v4.i1.2026.105Keywords:
Gender Bias, Indian Education System, Textbook Analysis, Nep 2020, Gender Representation, Pedagogical PracticesAbstract [English]
India is the most populated country in the world and has one of the largest youth populations. This gives the country a great opportunity for national development. For this, it is very important to provide quality education to young people. Education not only helps individuals grow and become confident but also supports social and economic development. Recognizing its importance, the United Nations has included Quality Education as the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) and Gender Equality as the fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5). These goals are interconnected. Education cannot be truly inclusive without gender equality, and gender equality cannot be achieved without inclusive education. In India, gender bias in the education system still exists in both visible and subtle ways. School textbooks, which strongly influence young minds, often show men and women in stereotypical roles. Men are usually shown as leaders or professionals, while women are often shown doing household work or playing secondary roles. These kinds of representations can limit students’ imagination and shape how they understand gender roles in society. Apart from textbooks, classroom interactions, teaching methods, and the overall school environment may also reflect these inequalities. This can affect students’ participation, confidence, and future goals. This paper studies gender bias in Indian educational textbooks and teaching practices. It tries to understand how inequality exists within the content of textbooks and the learning environment. The paper also examines the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which focuses on equality and inclusion, to see how well it addresses gender representation and sensitivity in education. By studying textbooks, curriculum frameworks, and classroom practices, this research aims to identify hidden gender biases in the Indian education system and suggest ways to create gender-sensitive, inclusive, and empowering learning spaces for all students.
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