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Source: This post on Caste based Inequalities in India has been created based on the article ‘Towards a more equal India’, published in the Business Standard on 14th November 2023.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 1 – Society – Salient features of society
News: The Bihar Caste Survey provides insights into the relationship between caste and economic status in India. The survey sheds light on the deep-rooted inequalities in Indian society, particularly in terms of economic status and opportunities across different castes.
India has moved beyond jajmani relationships and caste-based discriminations. However, caste hierarchy and social separation persists in society to some extent.
Read more here about caste census and its significance
What is the Present state of caste-based inequality in India?
Persistent Inequality: Despite economic growth, caste-based disparities in income, education, and job opportunities persist.
- Poverty Data: Indicates higher poverty levels among Scheduled Castes (42.93%) and Scheduled Tribes (42.7%) compared to other groups.
- Government Jobs: General category castes have a higher representation (3.19%) in government jobs than SC, ST, and OBC groups.
- Education Levels: There’s a significant disparity in graduate percentages among different caste groups, with the general category having the highest (14.54%).
Economic Mobility: The survey suggests that caste continues to be a barrier to social and economic mobility in India.
Income inequality in India: According to the World Inequality database, income inequality in India has sharply increased from 1990 to 2018. The top 10% saw their share of pre-tax income rise from 34.4% to 57.1%, while the bottom 50%’s share dropped from 20.3% to 13.1%. The top 1% accounts for nearly half of the increase in the top 10%’s income share.
What is the significance of the above data?
Access to government jobs is still the main source of income increase and social mobility for the underprivileged, such as the children of an agricultural labourer.
Access to education is the principal basis for occupational mobility from a traditional family job.
OECD Findings on economic mobility: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) assessed the number of generations needed to move from the bottom 10% to the mean income level in various countries. In India, this transition takes about seven generations, a duration similar to China but longer than in Europe and the US.
Intergenerational Mobility: Azim Premji University highlights that a high percentage of sons of casual wage workers remain in similar employment, even if they are twice as educated as their father. The issue is low quality education.
What should be done?
While caste-based reservations may still be necessary, the primary approach should be improving education and skill development access.
Enhancing intergenerational mobility through quality education and skill development is key to reducing inequality and ensuring equitable economic growth.
Reducing Caste-Based Barriers: Following B.R. Ambedkar’s advice, the focus should be on eliminating occupational specialization linked to caste and enhancing skill acquisition.
Question for Practice
Considering the persistent caste-based inequalities in India, what measures should be implemented to enhance social and economic mobility across castes in India?
