Multiculturalism Institutionalised: Perspectives on Article 30 of the Indian Constitution

Multiculturalism acknowledges cultural diversity and difference and provides for institutional and at times, Constitutional accommodation of this diversity and difference. However, this process is not devoid of challenges. India has been one of the few countries that have sought to accommodate cultural pluralism in both the Constitution and its institutions. More so, this accommodation has been facilitated by granting fundamental rights. One such set of rights are the Cultural and Educational Rights embodied in Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution. This paper seeks to highlight multicultural accommodation in India through the lens of these cultural and educational rights, Article 30 in particular. In doing so, the paper attempts to bring out the contestations that arise in the exercise of these rights.