1. International Reseach Journal,November,2010 ISSN-0975-3486 RNI: RAJBIL 2009/300097 VOL-I *ISSUE 14
4 RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
Never before, in the history of mankind the need of
understanding the complex problems of the tribes
wasmoreurgentandrelevantthantoday.Thepresent
workisanattemptmadetoportraythecharacteristics
of the undergraduate tribal students’ problems in
North-Western Maharashtra.The universe of the
present study is restricted to North-Western
Maharashtra Region. North-Western Maharashtra
comprises,thewholeareaofDhuleandnewlycreated
Nandurbar District and North and North-Western
partsofNasikDistrict,thatistheareaofPeth,Dindori,
Surgana, Kalwan and Satana. This area is the most
concentrated by tribal population. For the selection
of sample, the researcher has applied “Random
SamplingMethod”withaviewtogetenoughjustice
to the whole region and to get a result. The
consolidated figure of the selected tribal students
randomly from the three categories of classes (F.Y.,
S.Y.,T.Y.)ofArts,CommerceandScience were200
students out of 2001, learning in 42 colleges of the
research areas.
For this particular research both the
documentary and field data have been sought from
primary and secondary sources of data. The study is
strictlylimitedtotheproblemsofundergraduatetribal
students of the faculties of Arts, Commerce and
Scienceonly.Theobjectiveofthestudywastoprobe
into their genuine educational and other problems at
college level. In pursuance of the above stated
objective the following are the findings.It is found
that the maximum students having the difficulty of
residence as there is no adequate hostel facility
available and this is very troublesome for the girl
students as not a single girl’s hostel is available in
anycollegeofthisuniverse.Itisfoundthat48%tribal
students were commuting daily by bus from their
own villages. It is clear that the majority of students
are facing the problem of residence at the towns
wheretheircollegesarelocated.NeitherGovernment
nor colleges are providing adequate hostel facilities
to these students. It is affecting badly on the
participation of tribal students in college education
It is also found that 54.50% students expressed that
it is not possible for them to take degree education
without hostel facilities.In this study it is found that
thereare12.50%tribalstudentswhocouldnotattend
thecollegedailybecauseoffinancialdifficultiesand
lackoftransportationfacilitiesfromtheirvillages.It
is because of tribals are living in remote villages
situatedindenseforestandhillyareas.Itcreatsmany
difficulties, which hamper their degree education.
Their geographical location and development of
infrastructure of road and transportation also makes
negative impact on their access to higher education.
It is found that almost all the students are
not getting the instalments of scholarship every
month. It is known by all that the maximum tribals
economicconditionismostlybelowpovertylineand
scholarship is the main economic source for these
students and also to their families. But here in this
sample, it is found that not a single student getting
instalments of scholarship amount on monthly basis
and in such a situation, it is very difficult for tribal
undergraduate students to deal with the various
things, which are essential to be fulfilled within a
stipulated time, in context of degree education It
definitely creats strains and stresses to the students
and ultimately affects their higher education
negatively. It is revealed that the most of the tribal
students i.e. 90% students opined that the amount of
scholarship given to them is not sufficient to meet
theirneeds.Itmeansthatmaximumstudentsaregreat
inneedofadequatescholarshipamounttomeettheir
needs. It is creating financial difficulties to tribal
students in education because of price-rise and high
cost of living condition.
Majority of students i.e. 175 students i.e.
(87.50%) students responded that they did not get
any information from their colleges in context of the
sanctioned total amount of scholarship for an
academic year, in such a situation there is high
possibility of misuse of the scholarship amount by
the college authorities.It is observed that there are
many students who made financial arrangement by
takingloanorbydoinglabourworkthemselves.Itis
very sad that the students who are learning in degree
collegeshavetodothelabourworkforearningmoney
to meet the educational needs. By this, it shows that
Research Paper- Sociology
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November, 2010
DIFFICULTIES & PROBLEMS FACED BYTHE
UNDERGRADUATETRIBALSTUDENTS
* Dr.A.S. Paithane
* Principal, V.V.M.S.Arts & Commerce College,Akkalkuwa, Nandurbar. [M.S.]

2. International Reseach Journal,November,2010 ISSN-0975-3486 RNI: RAJBIL 2009/300097 VOL-I *ISSUE 14
5RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
tribal students are facing the financial difficulties
whilelearningindegreecolleges.Theresearcherhas
foundthatnearlyhalfofthetribalstudentsaregiving
scholarship amount to their families. Though it is
good that the students are helping to their families
but at the same time it is also hampring the very
educationalpurposeoftribaleducation.Theamount,
which is already inadequate to fulfill their basic and
educational needs. They are sending part of their
scholarshipamounttotheirfamilymembersbecause
of acute poverty of their families. It comples them to
sacrifice the some amount of scholarship to meet the
basic needs of their families. This shows that the
poverty is the major hurdle in the educational
developmentoftribalsociety.Thisindicatestheneed
for special protective measure and scheme.
Inthisresearchitisfoundthatthemaximum
students i.e. (97.82%) responded that they
experiencedthedifficultiesincontextofscholarship
distribution system in the colleges. It is very serious
things, as the scholarship is only the resource to the
tribal students. It would be detrimental to their
successfulachievementinhighereducationingeneral
and degree education in particular.Regarding the
class-room teaching, it is revealed that 94% tribal
students responded that they find difficulty while
understanding the subjects. By this one can
understand the academic level of these students. It
is because of lack of educational background in the
families and the problems prevalent in tribal society
asmostofthemarefirstgenerationlearners.Eventhe
teachers teaching to tribal students to adopt special
teaching method and aids to instruct them in such a
manner that they understand the subject neatly. The
teachers in the trfbal colleges need some kind of
orientation course to sensitize them about the socio-
economic plight of tribal students.The researcher
has found that the most of the students i.e. (81.91%)
responded that they find compulsory English as a
difficult subject, and most of the students also felt
EnglishlanguageisadifficultsubjectItisbecauseof
socio-economicandeducationalbackground.Ifsome
remedies are not searched out and implemented
effectively in time, the interest of tribal students,
would decrease gradually, which results in less
participation in higher education. There is need to
have spoken English extra classes for these tribal
studentstoremovethefearofEnglishlanguagefrom
theirmind.Itisrevealedthat(32.50%)tribalstudents
opined that the behaviour of non-tribal students
towardsthemisnotcooperativeanditistroublesome.
It is very serious point to be noted that nearly one
third students are suffering from non-cooperation
and trouble from non-tribal students. Basically the
tribal students are deprived from many things and
theyaremeekbytemperament,andiftheygettrouble
from non-tribal students it definitely affects on their
entireactivities.Itdevelopsinferioritycomplexamong
them and it leads in high dropout rate.It is found that
thereare59%studentswhoopinedthatthebehaviour
of their teacher is neutral and there are (01.50%)
students complained that the behaviour of their
teachers is trouble-some it is considered that the
teachersarebackboneofthecollegesandtheirevery
action affects on their students entire positively or
negatively. Their prime duty is to boost morale of
these deprived students for their allround
development Instead of this, they are keeping
themselves either neutral or troublesome. This is
very sad picture in context of the educational
development of tribal students in general and higher
education in particular. This again supports to have
orientationforteachersintribalcollages.92.50%tribal
students experienced the genuine difficulties while
learning in colleges in regarding to the scholarship,
residence, library, up-down, hostel, office work,
teachingandplay-ground.Bythisonecanunderstand
that their many genuine difficulties are prevalent in
colleges; and neither Governments nor colleges are
seen taking interest in solving them.
Theresearcherhasfoundthatalmostallthe
students i.e. (96.50%) are suffering from various
genuine difficulties outside the college also. It is no
doubt that these difficulties, by and large, affects on
the development and participation of undergraduate
tribalstudentsindegreeeducationinNorth-Western
Maharashtra.Thus, the above genuine problems are
identified by the researcher.
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