Abstract

The question of equitable education remains at the heart of development discourse in India. Nowhere is this challenge more pressing than in the urban slum settlements that dot the peripheries of Indias rapidly expanding cities. These areas marked by extreme poverty overcrowding and informal housing host a large population of children whose access to quality education is severely compromised. This paper explores the complex and interlinked challenges faced by children in urban slums in pursuing education. It examines factors such as economic insecurity infrastructural deficits social marginalization and institutional neglect. Drawing on empirical studies and policy analysis the paper argues that while educational reforms and schemes have made strides in improving access the structural barriers that children in slums face remain largely unaddressed. Without a holistic and inclusive approach that tackles both the material and sociocultural impediments the dream of universal education will