Abstract Education is a primary source of socialisation and improving the future opportunity of work for young people. But the transition from school to higher education is not smooth for many young people in India. Young people from less economically privileged families face a considerable challenge. Social interaction and interpersonal relations play a vital role in the transition to higher education. The objective of this paper is to examine the socio-economic correlates of difficulty faced by young people in social interaction and its effect in making the transition to higher education in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. The study is based on a representative sample of 351 young people from eight urban residential colonies in Varanasi South assembly constituency of Varanasi district. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques are used to analyse the data. The results indicate that social interaction varies according to gender, caste group, socio-economic status and parental involvement. In general resources inherent in the form of social relation with teachers, peers, office staff and parents are essential for developing good interpersonal relationships in the institute of higher education. But these resources are not evenly distributed throughout gender, caste and class, and this largely accounts for the marginalisation of women, Dalit youth and youth belonging to lower socio-economic status.
Keywords: Higher Education; Social Interaction; Transition; Young People.