Do Dalit Villages Lag Behind in Occupational Opportunities and Social Infrastructure? An Analysis of Census Data for Marathwada, Maharashtra

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between caste and occupational structure, and access to infrastructure or amenities at the village level in Marathwada region. This statistical analysis is based on the District Census  Abstract and Village Directory of the Census of India 2011, the explores the association between the presence of SC or Dalits in population and nature of workforce. We ranked all villages by the Dalit population in total population and grouped in fractile from the Marathwada region (eight district) of Maharashtra. In the last, we examine important characteristics of related to workers occupation and social infrastructure.

This statistical analyses shows a consistent picture across all districts in terms of the concentration of Scheduled Caste or Dalits population and characteristics of the village workforce.. As we move to villages with a higher proportion of SC, the share of cultivators falls sharply and that of agricultural workers rises. Further, Dalit-majority villages are worse off than other villages
in respect of availability of school, health facilities, ration shops, ATMs, public libraries and other types of social and economic infrastructure.