Addressing deprivation among disadvantaged groups in rural India

India’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years but some of the country’s most disadvantaged groups remain very poor. Why do the scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) experience greater poverty and deprivation than other groups in rural India?

Research from the University of Delhi, in India, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in Italy, the University of Manchester, in the UK, and Harvard University, in the USA, examines the sources of persistent poverty and inequality among SCs and STs in rural India. The research draws on the 61st round of the National Sample Survey, covering the period 2004 to 2005.

The scheduled caste communities are the lowest in India’s caste hierarchy, and the scheduled tribes live in remote, isolated areas. They have long faced social exclusion in terms of access to education, jobs and public services. While the Indian government’s affirmative action policy – which gives preferential treatment to people from SCs and STs – has had some successes, it has not overcome these problems.

The research finds that in 2004 to 2005, SCs and STs had lower access to irrigated land, were less educated (especially females), were more likely to depend on agricultural labour and were more likely to be poor than other groups. There were also differences in the depth of poverty experienced (how far below the poverty line households live): STs were the poorest, followed by SCs, then other groups.

The research finds that poverty is higher among SCs and STs because of lower endowments (including location, land ownership, occupation and education) and lower returns obtained for these endowments.

The research also explores issues around group identity. Studies show that people from groups who have experienced discrimination in the past can develop low expectations of their chances of success. This leads to low motivation and disengagement from mainstream society.

Key findings include:

• Over half (55 percent) of the difference in poverty between SCs and other groups is due to differences in endowments (occupation, education, land).
• A large share (59 percent) of the difference in poverty between STs and other groups is due to differences between the returns they receive, particularly from their location in remote areas with poor infrastructure.
• Discrimination is likely to be a contributing factor in the relative deprivation of SCs and STs, but there is a risk of overstating its role.
• Group identity and disengagement from mainstream society may also be a factor.  

The findings indicate that policies to address persistent poverty among SCs and STs will not only need to increase their endowments, but also enhance the lower returns they get from their endowments, and address social exclusion and alienation.

Policy priorities include:

• Increasing access to education, training and employment opportunities for SCs and STs.
• Providing employment and training facilities outside poor neighbourhoods to increase interaction between different social groups.
• Ensuring that affirmative action policies enhance interaction between different social groups; for example, by having mixed groups in microfinance programmes.
• Improving the quality of rural infrastructure and enhancing market access.

Source(s):
‘Disparity, Deprivation and Discrimination in Rural India’, Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) Working Paper 13, BWPI: Manchester, by Raghav Gaiha, Ganesh Thapa, Katsushi Imai and Vani S Kulkarni, 2007 (PDF) Full document.

id21 Research Highlight: 2 November 2008

Further Information:
Katsushi Imai
School of Social Sciences
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Tel: +44 161 2754827
Fax: +44 161 2754812
Contact the contributor: Katsushi.Imai@manchester.ac.uk

School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, UK

Raghav Gaiha
Faculty of Management Studies
University of Delhi
Delhi 110007, India

Tel: +91 11 27667877
Fax: +9111 27667183

Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India

Ganesh Thapa
Asia and the Pacific Division,
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Asia and the Pacific Division
Via Paolo di Dono, 44
00142 Rome, Italy

Tel: +39 06 54592098
Fax: +39 06 54593098

Asia and the Pacific Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome, Italy

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