This editorial analysis presents a comprehensive analysis of the prevailing disparities in education and formal employment opportunities among various social groups in India. It elucidates the significant gap between Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and the general category, highlighting the persistent caste-based inequality in the country.
Socio-Economic Disparities: Insights From NSS 2011-12
- Indian society’s deprivation is influenced by both class and caste, as seen in numerous socio-economic statistics.
- Data from the National Sample Survey (NSS), 2011-12 reveals the following:
- In rural areas, the average monthly per capita consumption expenditures (MPCE) of Scheduled Tribes (ST) were 65% of the ‘Others,’ which refers to the general category.
- Scheduled Castes (SC) had an MPCE of 73%, while Other Backward Classes (OBC) stood at 84% of the ‘Others’.
- The urban areas presented a slightly different picture:
- Here, the ST households had an MPCE of 68% of the ‘Others’.
- SC households were at 63%,
- OBC households were at 70% relative to the general category.
Disproportionate Poverty Rates Among Different Social Groups
- A study from NIT, Rourkela reveals that around 25% of Indians experienced multidimensional poverty in 2015-16.
- The poverty ratio is significantly higher among specific social groups: Scheduled Tribes (STs) at 44.4%, Scheduled Castes (SCs) at 29.2%, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) at 24.5%, and the remaining groups at 14.9%.
- The combined population of STs, SCs, and OBCs makes up approximately 73% of India’s total population. However, they represent 84% of the country’s poor.
- More than half of India’s multidimensionally poor are from the OBC category.
- Scholars from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) made estimates regarding poverty in India.
- In 2015-16, it was estimated that nearly 28% of all Indians were multidimensionally poor.
- The poverty headcount ratio was notably higher among certain groups. It was 50.6% among Scheduled Tribes (STs), 33.3% among Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 27.2% among Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
- The ratio was significantly lower, at 15.6%, for the rest of the population.
- According to these estimates, STs, SCs, and OBCs together made up approximately 77.6% of India’s population in 2005-06. However, by 2015-16, these groups comprised nearly 84% of India’s poor.
Disparity In Multidimensional Poverty Across Religious Communities
- There is a higher incidence of multidimensional poverty among Muslims, at 31%, compared to Hindus (28%), Christians (16%), and other religious communities (15.7%).
- The Sachar Committee report from 2006 estimated that 31% of Muslims lived below the poverty line, based on data from the 2004-05 NSS 61st round.
- The same report found that 35% of SCs & STs, 21% of Hindu OBCs, and 8.7% of other Hindus (general category) lived in poverty.
- The methodologies for estimating poverty have significantly changed in the past two decades, hinting at a considerable decrease in poverty levels.
- Despite these changes, the disproportionate accumulation of poverty among STs, SCs, OBCs, and Muslims has remained consistent.
- This consistency suggests a causal relationship between discrimination and exclusion based on caste and religion (especially for Muslims) and levels of poverty and deprivation.
- Notably, the NITI Ayog’s national multidimensional poverty index, based on NFHS-4/2015-16 and NFHS-5/2019-21, does not include caste and religion-wise data.
The Influence Of Caste On Education And Formal Employment Opportunities
- Recent data as per NSS 75th round (2017-18) shows low graduation rates among Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), with only 3%, 4%, and 6% graduates respectively. In contrast, over 12% of the general category holds a graduate degree.
- The percentage of postgraduates is highest in the general category, exceeding 3%. This percentage drops to about 1% in OBCs and less than 1% in SCs and STs.
- The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021-22 reveals that over 30% of the general category has regular employment. This compares to around 20% of regular employment in OBCs and SCs, and just over 12% in STs.
- Higher percentages of casual labor exist in STs, SCs, and OBCs – 29%, 8%, and 20% respectively. This contrasts with only 11.2% in the general category, suggesting that informal sector employment is more common among STs, SCs, and OBCs.
- The formal sector, including the Central government (one of the largest employers, with over 18.78 lakh employees as of January 2021), has a high proportion (52.7%) of general category employees.
- This disparity increases in the most qualified and highest-paid group, Group A employees, where over 64% belong to the general category.
- The replication of caste-inequality in formal, skilled employment from educational outcomes, persists even three decades post the Mandal Commission recommendations.
- A nationwide caste census is increasingly demanded in this context.
Note: This editorial analysis is based on the article titled “The Case for Caste Census In India”, published in the Hindu on October 13, 2023.