Question -
Answer -
According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the following evidence reflects the present caste inequalities in India:
a. 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 worse off, and the backward classes are in between.
b. Although every caste has some poor members, the proportion living in extreme poverty (below the official ‘poverty line’) is much higher for the lowest castes and much lower for the upper castes, with the backward classes once again in between.
c. Although every caste has some members who are rich, the upper castes are heavily over-represented among the rich while the lower castes are severely under-represented.