No. 112/2021

SCHWERPUNKT represented.” Recently, however, policy-makers had tried to introduce countermeasures. For a number of years, univer- sity applicants from disconnected regions had gained easier access to scholarships; moreover, quotas had been intro- duced that took account of geographical factors. Another development in recent years had seen women being given privileged access to scholarships. “These incentives are an attempt to increase diversity at universities,” says Kakai. “But, of course, this only functions to the extent that the state budget allows for the expenditure.” FROM WEST AFRICA TO INDIA The next stop on our journey is Mumbai, India. This is where Mala Pandurang works at Dr. BMNCollege of Home Science, an exceptional institution: when she is teaching, the class in front of her is entirely composed of young women. And the professors are largely female, too. “We are a university exclusively for women,” the English liter- ature professor explains. Women account for more than 40 percent of students in India but on the topic of diversity, gender issues are not the only pressing problems: “There are huge socio-economic disparities,” says Pandurang who works in an honorary capacity as a Humboldt Foundation Ambassador Scientist in India. Wealthy parents are in a much better position to send their children to university than poor families, and these differences are exacerbated by the caste system. Although according to the Indian Con- stitution of 1950 no one is supposed to experience discrim- ination on the grounds of their caste, in day to day life the system often perpetuates. In 2016, a dramatic incident hit the international head- lines: at a university, a 26-year-old doctoral student who belonged to the Dalit caste, formerly known as “untouch­ ables”, committed suicide. He had complained about unfair treatment by the university. An activist for Dalit rights, his own scholarship had been stopped and his student accommodation withdrawn. His death triggered protests all over India. Across the world, the media reported that his suicide was no exception at Indian universities. None- theless, Mala Pandurang thinks the country is on a hopeful course. Quotas and a new educational concept were point- ing in the right direction. “But the biggest difficulty is the limited budget” which was often absent from the national budget. “Private sponsors and alumni associations are try- ing to bridge the gap, at least partly.” › IN INDIA, TOO, THE BIGGEST DIFFICULTY IS THE LIMITED BUDGET.” “ FOCUS 18 HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 112/2021