No respite from poverty for Muslims

No respite from poverty for Muslims

News:

1. The article discusses about the deteriorating economic condition of Muslims  despite India being the fastest-growing large economy.

Important Facts:

2. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 68th round (2011-12) labour force survey by an analysis of the data on economic and educational indicators for various religious groups reveals that Muslims are facing a vicious circle of poverty.
3. Findings of the survey:

• The educational attainment of Muslims is the least among all these communities.
• The number of illiterate people is highest among Muslims (190 per 1,000), followed by Hindus (84), Sikhs (79) and Christians (57).
• Around half the Muslim population over 15 years is either illiterate or has only primary or middle school education.
• The number of persons (over 15 years) who have obtained just primary or middle school education among Muslims is 257 and 198 (per 1,000 persons), respectively.
• While the course fee is the same for all religious groups, its burden is highest among Muslims due to their per capita income.
• The course fee for upper primary education accounts for 8.5% of the yearly per capita spending for Muslims, followed by Hindus (7.4%), Christians (5.4%) and Sikhs (5.03%).
• The number of Muslims educated up to the secondary and higher secondary levels is 162 and 90 per 1,000 persons, respectively, again the least among all the communities.
• The number of male graduates among Muslims is 71 per 1,000, less than even half the number of graduates (per 1,000) in other communities, ,including Hindus, Christians and Sikhs.
• In urban areas, the number of male Muslim postgraduates is as low as 15 per 1,000 which is about four times lower than that of other communities. The situation is similar for Muslim women.
• Thus, as compared to other communities, the distribution of the Muslim population is least at the higher levels of education and highest at the lower levels of education.
• Likewise, the current attendance rate among Muslims is least across all age groups. The number of Muslim males of 5-14 years in urban areas attending educational institutions is 869 per 1,000 persons, which is the least among all religious groups and these gaps are incressingly pronounced at higher age groups.
• It is higher among Christians (981), followed by Sikhs (971), though it is lower among Hindus (955), possibly because Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have lower rates.
• Likewise, the worker population ratio (WPR), defined as the number of persons employed per 1,000 persons, is lowest among Muslims, both in rural and urban areas.
• Further, among urban males, the number of Muslims employed in regular jobs is only 288 per 1,000 employed persons, while the corresponding figure among urban Muslim females is merely 249, which is the lowest among all other communities.
• The number of regular employees per 1,000 employed persons is higher among Christians (494 among urban males and 647 among urban females), followed by Hindus (463 and 439), and Sikhs (418 and 482).
• Similarly, the proportion of households with their major source of income from regular salaried jobs is the lowest among Muslims.

4. Reasons for low educational attainment among Muslims:

• According to the NSSO survey, the average per capita consumption expenditure (used as an indicator of income) among Muslims is just ₹32.66 per day, which is the least among all religious groups.
• It is highest among Sikhs (₹55.30), followed by Christians (₹51.43) and Hindus (₹37.50).

5. Impacts:

• The high level of illiteracy among Muslims and the low levels of general education ensure that they are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty.
• It is visible in terms of their low consumption expenditure and poor job market indicators, including LFPR, employment status, and worker population ratio.
• The NSSO data show that LFPR among Muslims is 342 and 337 (per 1,000) in urban and rural areas, respectively, the least among all the religious communities.
• Similarly, the LFPR among Muslim women is worse than that among women of other communities.

6. Way Forward:

• The Central and State governments could take concerted steps to help Indian Muslims escape this vicious circle of poverty.
• Provide a special incentive and subsidy system for higher education which will ensure that school going students continue to higher levels of schooling and higher education.
• Similarly, students who don’t wish to continue in general academic education must have access to vocational education from Class 9 onwards.