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Context

• A recent working paper from the World Inequality Lab has brought renewed attention to the persistent and widening gap between the rich and the poor in India.
• This discussion is particularly critical as it not only addresses the economic divide but also highlights the enduring caste-based inequalities that significantly influence the country's socioeconomic landscape.

Economic Inequality in India

Overview

• Study Focus: The paper delves into the multifaceted nature of economic inequality in India, emphasizing that the issue goes beyond a simple rich-poor divide. Caste-based inequalities are highlighted as a fundamental aspect of the socioeconomic framework.
• Assessment Tools: Economic inequality is assessed using metrics like the Gini coefficient and percentile ratio.
• Data Analyzed: The study examines data from the Periodic Labour Force Surveys of 2017-18 and 2022-23 to explore changes in consumption inequality both overall and within specific social groups.

Population and Consumption Share

Scheduled Tribes (ST)

• Population: Account for 9% of the total population.
• Consumption Share: Hold only 7% of the total consumption share, indicating lower economic participation.

Scheduled Castes (SC)

• Population: Represent 20% of the population.
• Consumption Share: Their consumption share is 16%, showing a disparity between their population size and economic consumption.

Other Backward Classes (OBC)

• Population: Make up 43% of the population.
• Consumption Share: Have a consumption share of 41%, closely aligning with their population percentage but still indicating conservative consumption patterns.

General Category

• Population: Constitute 28% of the population.
• Consumption Share: Command a significantly higher consumption share of 36%, highlighting pronounced economic advantages.

Gini Coefficient The Gini index, developed in 1912 by Italian statistician Corrado Gini, measures a nation's level of income inequality by assessing the distribution of income or wealth across its population. The index ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality), with higher values indicating greater disparity, where high-income individuals receive a much larger share of total income. Global inequality, as measured by the Gini index, has increased over the past few centuries and spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Gini index has limitations, as it may overstate income inequality and can obscure important details about income distribution.

Gini Coefficient Analysis

Overall Reduction

• 2017-18: The Gini coefficient was 0.359.
• 2022-23: It decreased to 0.309, indicating a reduction in overall income inequality by 0.050 points.

Changes Within Social Groups

• ST: Gini coefficient decreased from 0.322 to 0.268, a reduction of 0.054 points, showing improved equity in consumption distribution.
• SC: Saw a decrease from 0.312 to 0.273, indicating a 0.039-point drop.
• OBC: The Gini coefficient fell from 0.336 to 0.288, a reduction of 0.048 points.
• General Category: Experienced the most substantial decrease, from 0.379 to 0.306, a drop of 0.073 points, suggesting significant socioeconomic changes including social mobility and policy impacts.

Changes in Consumption Levels

Bottom 20% Decile

• ST, SC, and OBC Groups: Experienced a marginal decrease in consumption levels from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
• General Category: The decrease in consumption levels was more pronounced, indicating a relative decline among the poorest segments of this group.

Top 20% Decile

• All Social Groups: Saw a slight increase in consumption levels.
• General Category: Notably, there was a significant 10 percentage points surge in consumption among the wealthiest segment, pointing towards a concentration of wealth among high-caste elites.

Persistent Disparities

• ST and SC Communities: Continue to endure the most pronounced economic discrepancies despite some improvements.
• General Category: While there is a decrease in consumption among the poorest, the significant rise in the wealthiest segment's consumption underscores ongoing disparities.

Efforts and Challenges

Government Policies

• Measures Enacted: Include reservation policies, rural development initiatives, and direct benefit transfers aimed at reducing disparities.
• Progress: These measures have made some headway in narrowing the gap but substantial challenges remain.

Recommendations

• Focus Areas: Efforts should be concentrated on enhancing income generation and consumption capabilities, particularly for the ST and SC communities.
• Goals: These initiatives are crucial for fostering social harmony and ensuring economic stability across society.
• Future Actions: Continuous monitoring of trends and targeted interventions addressing specific socio-economic challenges faced by different groups are necessary to achieve sustained progress towards greater economic equity.

Conclusion

• India has made significant strides in reducing multidimensional poverty, yet the persistent inequality among various caste groups remains a critical challenge.
• Despite constitutional provisions and affirmative action programs aimed at abolishing caste discrimination, economic realities continue to be shaped by these deep-rooted social structures.
• Effective policy interventions and focused efforts are essential to bridge these gaps and promote equitable economic growth.

World Inequality Lab (WIL) The World Inequality Lab (WIL) is a global research centre dedicated to studying inequality and promoting social, economic, and environmental justice. Its key missions are extending the World Inequality Database, publishing research, and disseminating findings. The WIL maintains the World Inequality Database, the most comprehensive open-access resource on global inequality, with data on income, wealth, gender, and environmental inequality. A team of coordinators and over 150 researchers worldwide keep the database updated. WIL's research areas include historical income and wealth inequality, environmental inequalities, global wealth distribution, political and gender inequality, and taxation.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Despite constitutional provisions and affirmative action programs, caste-based inequalities persist in India. Discuss the enduring nature of these inequalities and their impact on economic opportunities, social mobility, and development. Suggest measures to address these disparities.