India, July 18 -- S tudents are more likely to disengage from school when their teachers come from different racial or cultural backgrounds, but a strong, trusting relationship in the classroom can make all the difference. A new study published in Early Education & Development by Indian-born education scholar Daman Chhikara shows that positive teacher-student relationships significantly reduce chronic absenteeism, even in highly diverse classrooms. Now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Irvine, Chhikara has been gaining attention for his work at a time when India is rolling out its National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. "When children feel emotionally connected to their teachers, they are more likely to stay in school and thrive," he says. His research has earned him two prestigious honours: the AERA-NSF Dissertation Grant and the 2025 Leadership for Social Justice Dissertation Award from the American Educational Research Association. In another study, published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Chhikara examined bullying among students identified as "English Learners" in US schools. He found that children enrolled in dual-language programmes, where teaching happens in both English and the child's home language, experienced significantly less bullying than peers in English-only classrooms. "Honouring a child's language and culture is not just good pedagogy, it's a form of protection," he says. These findings resonate closely with India's NEP 2020, which advocates early education in regional languages, inclusive teaching, and greater access for disadvantaged groups. Chhikara's research lends strong empirical backing to these reforms. Dropout rates in India remain high, especially among migrant children and those from marginalised or linguistically diverse backgrounds. Educated in India and later earning a PhD from Michigan State University, Chhikara brings a rare mix of global insight and local relevance to these challenges. His work not only supports the spirit of NEP 2020, it helps illuminate a practical path to making it work. HTC...