Caste inequality
Topic: Gender, Religion and Caste in Politics · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 3 "Gender, Religion and Caste"
Meaning
Caste inequality is the continuing link between a person's caste and their economic and social position. The law has ended caste privilege, but average economic status still follows the old caste ladder. Upper castes are generally better off. Dalits (SCs) and Adivasis (STs) are the worst off, and backward classes fall in between. It matters because equality written in the Constitution has not yet become equality in real life.
Example
In 1999-2000, the share of the rural population below the poverty line was 45.8% for STs, 35.9% for SCs and 27.0% for OBCs. It was only 11.7% for Hindu upper castes. In urban India, there were 47 graduates per 1,000 SCs compared with 253 per 1,000 Hindu upper castes.
Don't confuse with
- Caste hierarchy: caste hierarchy is the ranking of castes from high to low. Caste inequality is the measurable gap in wealth and education that this ranking has left behind.