Survey shows OBCs are actually better off

The findings of a government survey says that OBCs’ monthly per capita expenditure is close to the national average, and in some states even better than the general category, reports Chetan Chauhan.

Updated on: Sep 1, 2007, 03:58:08 IST

Hindustan Times | By Chetan Chauhan, New Delhi

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In the backdrop of the Supreme Court debate on a quota in education for Other Backward Classes, the findings of a government survey that OBCs’ monthly per capita expenditure is close to the national average, and in some states even better than the general category, could give the issue a new twist.

In rural India, where a majority of the OBC population resides, the monthly expenditure of an OBC family is Rs 556, just Rs 2 less than the national average, a National Sample Survey Organisation report says. “In urban areas, they are closer to the national average than any other social group,” the report, which was released on Friday, adds.

In comparison, the monthly expenditure of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in rural areas is far lower. The SCs spend Rs 474 per month and the STs Rs 426. The general category spends Rs 685 per month. The monthly expenditure of all socio-economic groups in urban areas is better due to availability of jobs.

The report also springs some surprises with state-wise comparisons. For instance, OBCs have the highest per capita monthly expenditure at Rs 635 in West Bengal, about Rs 50 more than the general category.

The situation is similar in Assam and Manipur. In Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir, the difference is just a few rupees.

In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where OBCs make up more than 50 per cent of the population, the difference is Rs 100. But in the more prosperous states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have a similar demography, the difference is close to Rs 200.

The reason for OBCs’ higher income can be attributed to their being self-employed and owning agricultural land, like the general category population. The SC/STs are mostly agriculture labourers, the report indicates.

Akhil Mathur of the Council for Economic and Social Research explains that even traditionally, OBCs have had landholdings, though less than the upper castes. Landownership figures in the report show the percentage of OBCs and

general category members owing up to two hectares of land is quite similar. But in case of holdings that are more than two hectares, the balance tilts in favour of the latter.

With good landholdings, the report indicates that OBCs’ food consumption habits are also much better than those of other social groups.

“The SCs are the most disadvantaged group when it comes to landholdings,” the report states.

The report concludes by saying the average standard of living of SCs and STs is on the lower side in comparison to OBCs and the general category.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chetan Chauhan
Chetan Chauhan is the National Affairs Editor looking into all aspects of news and features from across India. A Chevening scholar with over three decades of experience in reporting and news management, Chetan has extensively covered all important aspects of the social sector, political economy, environment and climate change nationally and internationally. He did a journalism course at the Reuters Institute of Journalism in Oxford and Digital Media training at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He started as a reporter with The Statesman in 1996 and joined the Hindustan Times in 2000 in the metro bureau covering environment, crime and Delhi politics. He covered hot local news, from the Jessica Lal murder case to the rebellion of Delhi Congress MLAs against then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, to the replacement of toxic vehicle fuel with cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) in the national capital. Some of his stories on air pollution became part of the Supreme Court’s landmark MC Mehta versus Government of India case in the National Capital Region (NCR), forcing the government to take corrective measures. As part of the national political bureau since 2004, he covered important central sectors such as environment, education, social justice, labour, rural development, water resources, renewable energy, agriculture, broadcasting and the Planning Commission for more than a decade producing several exclusive and investigative breaking stories. His specialisation is the environment, having covered at least a dozen United Nations global conferences on climate change, biodiversity and wildlife including climate summits in Paris, Copenhagen and Bali. He also covered India’s two five-year plans ---11th and 12th and reported on drafting and execution of right based laws such as Right to Education, Right to Information and rural job guarantee law, MG-NREGA, now being introduced in new format as VG-RAM-G Act. He has in-depth knowledge of social sector issues. He was one of the first to report on tigers vanishing from Sariska and Panna wildlife reserves in 2004 and 2008, respectively, leading to the setting up of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the introduction of stringent penal provisions for poaching. He has written extensively on the rising human-animal conflict in India and the degradation of India’s biodiversity hotspots because of mining and other activities. Since 2004, Chetan has covered Parliament comprehensively and participated in training on the nuanced coverage of Parliament proceedings. He has travelled extensively across India to cover national and provincial elections since 1998, especially in the Hindi heartland states, considered India’s road to power. He writes a regular column for Hindustan Times, Ecostani, on important national politics, economy, Himalayan ecology and environmental issues. His other responsibilities include providing inputs for edits and edit page articles for the publication, apart from managing news flow from across India.Read More

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