Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s interactions with the British colonial regime were compounded and calculated. Instead of joining the mainstream nationalist struggles, he believed in dealing with the colonial government to plead the cause of the underprivileged, especially the Dalits.​

During World War II, Ambedkar became a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council as Labour Member, a place where he could lobby for labor reforms and social justice measures. He felt that participation within the system would bring certain gains to the downtrodden classes.

Ambedkar’s support for the British was not unwavering. He was critical of their policies when they did not seek to address social inequality and caste discrimination. His first loyalty was to the cause of social justice, and he used every platform available to him to advance the cause.​

In reality, Ambedkar’s engagement with the British was motivated by pragmatism in order to deliver social reform. He was not a loyalist in the conventional sense but a reformer who wanted to leverage available structures in order to implement change.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born Bhimrao Ramji Sakpal. That was the name his family bore—they were of the Mahar caste, who were “untouchables” during that time. Now here’s where it turns around:

When Bhimrao was at school in Satara, a Brahmin teacher named Krishna Keshav Ambedkar befriended him. But as caste society was doing the most, Bhimrao’s own earliest surname, Sakpal, branded him instantly as “lower caste.” So this teacher, perhaps attempting to ‘assist’ or perhaps merely desiring to distance Bhimrao from the baggage of caste, enrolled him for school using his own surname, “Ambedkar.”.

And that’s the name that accompanied Bhimrao into history. Consider this: an entire legacy tied to a name he did not even choose for himself. But what is poetic is how Bhimrao reversed that name and rewrote the narrative. He transformed Ambedkar into a badge of resistance, of intellect, of equality, of liberation.

Ambedkar was not only a freedom fighter or some ancient politician with a long name in textbooks. He was a straight-up revolution wrapped in human form. Born into a system that literally informed him he didn’t belong, he turned the tables with sheer intellect—like, not only “worked hard” but “flexed so hard he received several doctorates” type.

But it wasn’t degrees alone. He didn’t drive up to Oxford and Columbia just to groove. He learned about how societies function so he could dismantle what was broken in India—such as caste, inequality, and artificial social order. And then this guy returns, writes the Indian Constitution (essentially the user guide of the nation), and incorporates elements such as Article 32 so people could finally question injustice. That’s crazy.

And the best part is, he didn’t leave politics alone. He learned about power in every way—religion, law, money, knowledge. So when he became a Buddhist, it wasn’t a spiritual choice—it was a mic drop moment of declaring, “I don’t need your permission to be free.”

The Congress party’s posthumous elevation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to near-demigod status is rooted in both political strategy and the undeniable impact of Ambedkar’s legacy. During his lifetime, Ambedkar was a fierce critic of the Congress establishment, particularly its approach to caste and social justice. He clashed with Gandhi over the Poona Pact, exposed the caste contradictions within Congress ranks, and frequently accused the party of tokenism toward Dalits. Despite being made Law Minister in Nehru’s cabinet and Chair of the Constitution Drafting Committee, he resigned in frustration over Congress’s reluctance to pass the Hindu Code Bill — a major social reform for women’s rights.

After Ambedkar’s death in 1956, and especially post-1990s when Dalit movements gained momentum and Ambedkar’s image as a social reformer and Constitution-maker gained mass appeal, Congress began repositioning him as a national icon. This appropriation helped Congress tap into Dalit votes and portray itself as an inclusive party. State-sponsored memorials, public holidays, and repetitive invocation of his name without deep engagement with his radical ideas became part of this myth-making process.

In essence, Ambedkar’s transformation into a revered figure by Congress was less about genuine alignment with his ideals and more about political necessity and popular legitimacy.

Yo, Dr. Ambedkar wasn’t just smart — man was built different academically. Dude legit racked up 32 degrees, diplomas, and honorary titles in his lifetime. That’s not a typo. Thirty-two. Let’s run it down:

🧠 Degrees He Actually Studied For (Real Ones, Not Just Honorary Stuff):

1. B.A. in Economics & Political Science – Bombay University (1912)
   ↳ Started from India, OG Elphinstone College grind.

2. M.A. in Economics – Columbia University (1915)
   ↳ Man landed in New York and straight up flexed on macroeconomics.

3. Ph.D. in Economics – Columbia again (1927)
   ↳ Dissertation was 🔥: “The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India.”

4. M.Sc. in Economics – London School of Econ (LSE, 1921-ish)
   ↳ This was halfway to his D.Sc. Basically a pitstop.

5. D.Sc. in Economics – LSE (1923)
   ↳ Yeah, TWO doctorates. This one was on currency issues: “The Problem of the Rupee.” Still relevant tbh.

6. Barrister-at-Law – Gray’s Inn, London (1922)
   ↳ Dude was a lawyer too. Said “lemme learn the law so I can rewrite it.”

7. LL.D. (Doctor of Laws) – Columbia University again (Honorary, 1952)
   ↳ Columbia was like “Bro, take this too. You earned it.”

📘 Other Stuff He Studied or Got Certified In:

• Diplomas in French and Sanskrit (just ‘cause he could 😮‍💨)

• Studied political science, sociology, anthropology, history, and law

• Lowkey a polyglot, highkey a walking encyclopedia

🏅 Honorary Doctorates & Global Props:

• Over 25 honorary degrees from Indian and foreign universities

• Places like Osmania, Baroda, Columbia, and others were basically like “We respect the grind.”

• Recognized for his work in economics, law, social reform, and human rights

💯 TL;DR

Dude didn’t just pass exams — he redefined what academic flex means. While he personally earned about 7 to 10 of those degrees the hard way, the total count of all qualifications, diplomas, and honorary degrees hits 32.

Ambedkar didn’t just go to school — he made school go to him. 📚🔥