Caste Inequality


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Caste Inequality

Caste Inequality: Caste is an important source of economic inequality because it regulates access to resources of various kinds like post, land etc. Although thiskind of explicit and formalised inequality based on caste is now outlawed, the effects of centuries of accumulated advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt. However, today it is possible to find very rich and very poor people in every caste, whether low or high. This was not true twenty or thirty years ago — it was very rare to find rich people among the lowest castes. However, as evidence from the National Sample Survey carried out in the year 1999 shows, caste continues to be very strongly linked to economic status in many important ways. The results of the survey show that

  • The average economic status (measured by criteria like monthly consumption expenditure) of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy — the ‘upper’ castes are best off, the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off and the OBCs are in between.
  •  Although every caste has some poor members, the proportion living below the official poverty line is much higher for the lowest castes and much lower for the upper castes, with the OBCs in between.
  • Although every caste has some members who are rich, the upper castes are more among the rich while the lower castes are very much less in this group. 
  • Casteism: It is discrimination on the grounds of caste. It refers to one-sided loyalty in favour of a particular caste & leads the members of one caste to exploit the members of other caste for their own vested interest in the name of superiority or inferiority.

     

     
     


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