Decoding findings of Bihar's caste survey report
On Tuesday, the detailed results of the state's milestone and controversial caste survey were made public by CM Nitish Kumar.
Patna: The detailed results of Bihar’s milestone and controversial caste survey were made public on Tuesday during the ongoing winter session of the state assembly. The survey – which successfully counted all castes for the first time since Independence – was completed earlier this year, and its preliminary results were announced in October. The wider, 216-page report was built on these demographic details, with additional information on income, employment, vehicle ownership, housing details, educational qualifications, residential status and laptop ownership.
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Income
The report found that 9.4 million families earned less than ₹6,000 per month, accounting for 34.13% of 27.6 million families in the state and adding up to a total population of 130 million. Only 3.9% of the state earned more than ₹50,000 a month.
The survey, tabled by parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday, found that 42.93% of scheduled castes (SCs) earned less than ₹6,000 a month – considered by the government as poor. 42.7% of scheduled tribes (ST), 33.58% of extremely backward classes (EBCs), 33.16% of backward castes and 25.09% of general categories were found to be poor.
The report found that among general categories, Bhumihars, a landowning caste with significant political influence, had the highest proportion of poor households at 27.58%, and Kayasthas, at 13.83% the lowest. But they were better off than other backward classes (OBCs), where the largest caste, Yadavs, had 35.87% families classified as poor. 34.32% of Kushwaha families and 29.9% of Kurmi households were found poor. Major EBC groups such as Teli and Mallah had 29.87% and 34.56% poor, respectively.
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Among SCs, 54.56% of Musahar families were poor. In the ST category, Santhal (52.09%) Mal (57.10%), Munda ( 48.18%) Mahli (52.32%) and Chero (59.68%) were found to be the poorest.
9.86% of general category families earned more than ₹50,000 a month, compared to 1.72% of SC families and 2.28% of EBC households.
Employment
The survey showed that 67% of the state, or 88.2 million people, were classified as housewives and students. Only 1.57% or around 2 million held government jobs, and even fewer 1.22% or 1.59 million persons held private jobs in the organised sector. 2.14% or 2.79 million people worked in the private unorganised sector, 7.70% or 10.7 million worked as farmers or agricultural help and 16.73% or 21.8 million worked as labourers.
3.05% or 3.9 million people were self-employed.
3.19% of general category people were employed by the government, compared to .98% EBC, 1.13% SC and 1.37% ST. General category castes such as Bhumihars, Brahmins and Kayasths had the highest share in government jobs.
Migration
The report showed that 3.5% of the state is working in other states, with people from backward classes and EBCs forming a large chunk. 0.17% were working abroad and 0.02% were in educational institutions abroad. 5.68% of general category people were working in other states. This number stood at 3.30%for backward castes, 3.3% for EBCs, 2.5% for SCs and 2.84% for STs. A larger relative proportion of general category people lived abroad or in other states for studies.
Literacy
6.47% of the state were found to be graduates, 22.67% studied up to primary classes (1-5), 14.33% up to secondary and 14.71% finished high school. Around 14.54% of those hailing from the general categories were found to be graduates (the category included usual graduates as well as engineering and medical degree holders).
Around 9.14% of people from backward classes, 4.44% of EBCs, 3.12% SCs and 3.53% STs were graduates. Nearly a fourth of SCs, STs and EBCs had studied only up to Class 5, compared to 17.45% among general categories.
Educationist Nawal Kishore Chaudhary said that it was unfortunate that the people of Bihar are lowly qualified. “The absence of teachers and other infrastructure from primary to the higher education has also taken its toll on quality of education being imparted to the students,” said Chaudhary.
Vehicle ownership
Bihar did not perform well in terms of residents owning vehicles, the report found.
124.8 million people, or 95.49% of the state’s population, owned no vehicle. Only 0.03% owned a six-wheeler, 0.44% owned four wheelers, 3.80% owned two wheelers and 0.11% owned three wheelers. General category people owned a higher number of two and four wheelers than persons from backward, EBCs and SC, ST groups.
Laptop access
Only 1.15% of the state own laptops with internet and another .22% own the device but without an internet connection. This ownership is the highest among general categories, at 3.52% and lowest among SCs at 0.51%.
Housing
Roughly 36.76% of the state lives in a two-room or bigger house, but 26.54% live in a tin-roofed rooms, and another 14.09% in hutments. A little more than half of all general category families surveyed lived in two-room houses or bigger, compared to 24.26% of SCs and 25.81% of STs.