Abstract

Elite educational institutions in India are often perceived as bastions of meritocracy opportunity and liberal values. However beneath this progressive veneer lies a complex web of caste-based discrimination that has evolved into subtle everyday practices known as microaggressions. These microaggressions while often dismissed as harmless or unintentional carry significant emotional and psychological consequences for Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi (DBA) students navigating these elite spaces. This research explores the nature forms and impacts of caste-based microaggressions in India’s top universities and professional colleges. Drawing upon qualitative interviews with students from marginalized communities in institutions such as IITs IIMs and central universities this study reveals how seemingly benign comments exclusionary behavior and academic bias systematically alienate DBA students and reinforce upper-caste dominance. The paper situates these experiences within the broader framework o