Barriers to Talent Development: Examining How Socioeconomic Inequality
Limits Access to Artistic and Skill-Based Opportunities among children from
the bottom 20 percentile of the income bracket in India

Aaliyah Bajaj

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.015

Title: Barriers to Talent Development: Examining How Socioeconomic Inequality Limits Access to Artistic and Skill-Based Opportunities among children from the bottom 20 percentile of the income bracket in India
Authors: Aaliyah Bajaj
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 10 Publication Date: October 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.015
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Aaliyah Bajaj Pathways School Gurgaon
MLA 8 Bajaj, Aaliyah. "Barriers to Talent Development: Examining How Socioeconomic Inequality Limits Access to Artistic and Skill-Based Opportunities among children from the bottom 20 percentile of the income bracket in India." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 10, Oct. 2026, pp. 5625-5632, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.015. Accessed Oct. 2026. APA 6 Bajaj, A. (2026, October). Barriers to Talent Development: Examining How Socioeconomic Inequality Limits Access to Artistic and Skill-Based Opportunities among children from the bottom 20 percentile of the income bracket in India. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(10), 5625-5632. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.015 Chicago Bajaj, Aaliyah. "Barriers to Talent Development: Examining How Socioeconomic Inequality Limits Access to Artistic and Skill-Based Opportunities among children from the bottom 20 percentile of the income bracket in India." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 10 (October 2026), 5625-5632. Accessed October, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i10.015.
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ABSTRACT: Development of artistic talent is not solely influenced by an individual's ability; rather it is impacted by a plethora of factors such as the access and infrastructure, qualification and availability of teachers, socioeconomic inequality, awareness and exposure, and cultural preferences towards STEM education. This research adopts a comparative analysis between two states in India, Kerala and Bihar, analysing the six key factors stated above, which may act as barriers to talent development. The study utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators : quantitative indicators include co-curricual rooms , computer facilities , pupil-teacher ratios , drop rates, multidimensional poverty , internet connectivity and literacy rate while qualitative indicators include evidence from government schemes, academic research and educational initiatives. This study acknowledges that socioeconomic circumstances and the broader educational atmosphere determine a child’s ability to develop talent , instead of income alone. The contrast of Bihar and Kerela , thus show insights into how distinctions in teacher availability , socio-economic conditions , educational infrastructure , and exposure may affect the development of creative skills. Ultimately this research investigates whether children from economically disadvantaged households face any structural barriers that precludes their ability from being recognised and nurtured , emphasizing the cruciality of equitable access to skillbased and artistic opportunities regardless of the social or financial background. This paper explores how socio-economic disparities can restrict access to skill based and artistic opportunities amongst children from the bottom 20 percentiles of the income bracket in India. It examines the extent of the influence income and other such factors have over accessing basic resources and guidance necessary to develop talents beyond the traditional academic curriculum.

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