26 SOCIAL SCIENTIST Women in India indicate a cogent shoit-teim perspective which the educated Indian women should aspire and strive both for themselves and their educationally, economically and socially less fortunate sisters. The long-term perspective of the question of women's education (as well as a quicker and more effective realization of the short-term objectives) cannot be separated from the general question of the socio-economic transformation as a whole. Women's struggle for more and better education and social recognition,, acceptance and realization of equality in education^ employment and social status is a part of the wider struggle of all other deprived sections of Indian society for the same or similar objectives. It will gather strength and stamina to the extent that it identifies with this larger struggle. * Indian Council of Social Science Research, Status of Women in India: A Synopsis of the Report of the National Committee on the Status of Women, Allied, New Delhi l975,p88. 2 Ministry of Education, Report of the National Committee on Women's Education, New Delhi 1959, p 14. 8 Department of Education, A Review of Education in Bombay State, 1855-1955, Bombay 1958, p388. 4 All figures quoted in this article, unless otherwise mentjcned, are taken fiom Toward Equality, Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, New Delhi i974. 5 Ministry of Education, Report of the National Committee on Women's Education, op cit., pp 32 and 192. 6 Ibid. 7 Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Educational Statistics at a Glance, 1972, New Delhi 1973. 8 Towards Equality, op cit., pp 265-66. 0 Compare for instance female literacy (1971) and percentage of girls of the lower elementary age-group enrolled (1968-69) in Kerala (53.90 and 115) with those in Bihar(8.79and27). * ° Report of the National Committee on Women's Education, op cit., pp 46, i0. 11 See A R Kamat, Education after Independence: A Social Analysis, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Lectures delivered in November 1975 at Bombay and a forthcoming publication). 12 See the relevant tables in Towards Equalify, op.cit. 18 C S Lakshmi, "Tradition and Modernity of Tamil Women Writers", Social Scientist 45, April 1976, p 39. 1 4 Ministry of Education, Report at the Committee on Differentiation of Curricula for Boys and Girls, New Delhi 1964, p 3. 15 Government of India, Report of the University Education Commission^ Delhi 1949, chap 12,p 394. » 6 Ibid., p 402. } 7 Sec, for example. Ministry of Education, Report of the National Committee on Women's Education, op cit., pp 84-85 and 186. 1^ Ibid., p 52. 19 lbid.,pp 50-51 ^ Ibid., p 55. al Towards Equality, op cit._, chap 6, pp 274-76.