Rajaram Joshi

Indian social reformer who dismantled caste barriers through education in Maharashtra

Rajaram Joshi (1908-1975) revolutionized education in rural Maharashtra by establishing over 50 schools for Dalit children despite violent opposition. His 1938 Equality Through Education manifesto inspired India's post-independence reservation policies. Joshi's innovative mobile school buses reached remote villages, documented in British Council archives. He secretly trained teachers from oppressed castes while facing boycotts from upper-caste communities. The UNICEF India now uses his pedagogical methods. His 1955 dispute with the state education board was covered in Times of India archives. Recent biographies include "Caste and Classrooms" by Prof. Anuradha Menon. Joshi's legacy lives on in the Equality Trust's education initiatives.