Journal of Global Resources
Volume 4 (02)
July 2018
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

Page 54-61

08
OCCUPATIONAL GAP BETWEEN SCHEDULED CASTES AND NON-SCHEDULED CASTESPOPULATION OF KAIMUR DISTRICT, BIHAR
Syed Naushad Ahmad1 and Enayat Bano2
1

2

Professor, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
Email: snaushadahmad4@gmail.com

Research Scholar, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
Email: enayatkhan.khan@gmail.com

Abstract: In India unemployment, poverty and landlessness or homelessness enforced
scheduled caste population to work at lower wages and all these circumstances restrict the
Scheduled caste population to live in the exploitative conditions. A large number of scheduled
castes populations are engaged in unclean or menial hereditary occupation. In the present
paper, an attempt has been made to analyze occupational status of Scheduled Caste and NonScheduled Castes population with reference to main workforce, marginal workforce and work
participation rate among them. For this study, secondary sources of data have been obtained
from Census of India and District Census Handbook, 2011. The district of Kaimur has been
selected as a study area because it constitutes a sizable proportion of Scheduled Caste (22.69
percent) population. There are eleven blocks in the district and each of the blocks has been
preferred to fulfill the requirement of the study. Results of the study have been drawn based on
simple percentage method. Choropleth maps have been used to show the occupational gap
between them. The study reveals that occupational status of Scheduled Caste population in themain workforce is far behind than Non-Scheduled Castes but their condition is reversed in caseof marginal workforce. The reason for such poor conditions may be due to lack of land, illiteracy,
lack of skill. There should be need to initiate different skill development and to establish or
implement governmental policies and programmes for the welfare of the deprived section of thesociety.
Key words: SC, Non-SC, Main Workers, Marginal Workers, Work Participation Rate
Introduction
India is adverse country composed of different religious communities as well as many ethnic andlinguistic groups. This nature of ethnicity and multi-religious composition of India form a very
complex union of various cultural identities having different socio-cultural attributes. Hindu
society is divided into several castes and sub-castes. Among them scheduled caste are placedat the lowest ladder of the society. This rigid nature of caste system creates discrimination
among people within a religion and society. Scheduled castes have been suffering from various
socio-economic and political disabilities in society since generations. Occupation is one of theimportant indicator to understand the nature and type of work done by a community and relatedsocio-economic conditions. The occupational structure of a community is the product of various
socio-spatial and economic factors (Ramotra, 2008). Structure of occupation among people
provides a clear picture of their standard of living in a society. Around7 0 percent of scheduled
caste in the state of Bihar lives below poverty line and only 5-8 percent are having toilets andelectricity facility (Sajjad, 2016).
In spite of several efforts made by the government for the improvement of this backward
section of the society, they are still foodless, houseless, landless, jobless, segregated, dropped
out, illiterate with less political participation. Majority of them are landless agricultural laborers,
small and marginal farmers due to lack of resources and the discriminatory nature of the landmarket. Because of all these factors they get themselves engaged in traditional and low paying
jobs such as skin and hide work, carrying carcasses, scavenging and leather work, rickshaw
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pulling, pig-rearing, fishing, cutting hair, making shoes, washing clothes, basket and mat making.
Scheduled caste constitutes a sizable proportion of India’s population (about 16.6 percent)where 31.5 percent of SC population lies below poverty line while it is 25.7 percent in general
population. According to NSSO report, 76.6 percent of the agricultural laborers in Bihar arelandless. The condition of scheduled caste is worst in terms of landlessness as compare toanother caste; around 23.8 percent of all households are fully landless. There is 85.97 percent
people holds less than 1 hectare of land in general as compared to 94.27 percent of scheduled
caste population in Kaimur district. This scenario is even worse in case of other land holdings
category. Scheduled castes were inferior regarding land and size of land holdings as compared
to non-scheduled castes (Chandidas, 1969). Low level of literacy among scheduled caste isanother important reason for their low occupational status. Only 59.74 percent of scheduled
caste is literate in Kaimur district as compared to 77.53 percent of Non-scheduled castes.
Objectives
1. To analyze occupational gap of main workers between Scheduled Castes and NonScheduled Castes population.
2. To find out the occupational gap in terms of marginal workers between Scheduled Castes
and Non-Scheduled Castes Population in the region.
3. To explore work participation gaps among Scheduled Castes and Non-Scheduled Castes
population in the District.
Study Area
The present study is conducted in Kaimur district of Bihar, which is located between 24°0'13'' N
to 25°0'24'' N latitude and 83°0'19''E to 83°0'51'' E longitude. As per 2011 Census of India,
Kaimur district ranks 32nd in terms of population (1,626,384) and 6th in terms of area (3,362 Sq.
Km) in the state of Bihar. The district has only 4.03 percent urban population as compared to thestate which is 11.29 percent. Agriculture has the largest share of employment in the district thatis 52.55 percent. There are 23 sub- castes of scheduled caste in Bihar, among them chamar,
constituted the maximum proportion of Scheduled Castes population (more than two-third of thetotal SC population).The literacy rate of the district is 69.34 percent of which 79.37 percent for
male and 58.40 percent for female while the literacy rate of scheduled caste population in the
study area is only 46.92 percent with 56.64 percent male literacy and 37.92 percent female
literacy respectively. The work participation rate of SC is 34.18 percent while it is 31.43 percent
among Non-Scheduled Castes. Most of the scheduled castes population is mainly engaged in
marginal workforce that is 54.52 percent, while the share of Non-Scheduled Castes is 46 percent(table 3).
Database and Methodology
The present study is based on the secondary sources of data, collected from Census of India(2011) and District Statistical Handbook (2011). Block has been taken as a unit of study. Resultsof the study have been drawn on percentage basis. Occupational status of Non-Scheduled
Castes has been calculated by reducing the occupation of Scheduled caste from the occupationof the total population in the respective worker’s group. The occupational gap has been
calculated by reducing the occupation of Non-Scheduled Castes from Scheduled Caste.
Choropleth maps have been drawn to occupational gap among them.
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
Main Worker Gap between Scheduled Caste and Non-Scheduled Castes Population
Main workers are those who worked for six months or more during a year in any economically
productive activity (Census of India). Table no. 3 reveals the gap of main work participation
between Scheduled Caste and Non-Scheduled Castes population of the District. Mohania block(fig.2) has recorded the highest gap around -17.22 percent because of the large polpulation
concentration of scheduled caste like Chamar, Dusadh, and Musahar in the block. The sevenblocks of the district, namely Chand (-12.34 percent), Durgawati (-10.53 percent), Kudra (-9.91
percent), Bhabua (-9.72 percent), Ramgarh (-9.52 percent), Nuaon (8.31 percent) and Rampur (7.55 percent) showed a moderate gap in terms of main workers. It has also been observed that
there are only three blocks like Adhaura (-2.56 percent), Chainpur (-3.66 percent) and55

Bhagwanpur (-5.44 percent) where main worker gap among scheduled caste and NonScheduled Castes is least. There are many factors like small landholding or no land, illiteracy,
lack of skill, and poverty of their poor participation in the main workforce. There is a high dropout rate among the scheduled castes at primary, upper-primary and secondary level education in
the district (Economic Survey, Government of Bihar, 2011).
Figure: 01

Marginal Worker Gap between Scheduled Castes and Non-Scheduled Castes Population
Marginal Worker can be defined as people engaged in any economically productive work for
only three months or less during a year. It means that they are unemployed in a major portion of
the year. After analysis, it is found that scheduled castes are largely engaged in the marginal
workforce as compare to Non-Scheduled Castes of the district (table 1, figure 2). There are two
blocks such as Mohania (14.22 percent) and Chand (12.34 percent) shown the high participationof scheduled caste under marginal workforce. Six districts come under medium category interms of marginal work participation rate like Durgawati (10.53 percent), Kudra (9.91 percent),
Bhabua (9.72 percent), Ramgarh (9.52 percent), Nuaon (8.31 percent) and Rampur (-7.55
percent).Remaining three blocks namely, Bhagwanpur (5.44 percent), Chainpur (3.66 percent)and Adhaura (2.56 percent) shown a low gap in case of the marginal workforce between
scheduled caste and Non-Scheduled Castes of the district. The main reason for the large
participation of scheduled castes population in the marginal workforce is illiteracy, lack of skill,no land ownership, poverty, lack of proper implementation of governmental policies andprogrammes. There are around 26.08 percent of bonded laborers’ during 2011-12hail from
Scheduled Castes, which indicates a disproportionately greater incidence of economic hardships
on Scheduled castes (Department of Labour Resources, Government of Bihar, 2011-12).

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Figure: 02

Work Participation Gap between Scheduled Castes and Non-Scheduled Castes
Population
Work participation rate is to be defined as percentage of the total population engaged in any kindof economic productive work. It can be either in the category of main workforce or marginal
workforce. It has been observed (table 3, figure 4) that work participation rate of scheduled caste
is high in Chand (4.74 percent), Durgawati (4.16 percent) and Ramgarh (4.06 percent) blocks ofthe district. There are three blocks which come under medium category namely, Chainpur (3.27
percent), Mohania (3.23 percent) and Bhabua (2.69 percent). Remaining blocks like Adhaura(2.44 percent), Nuaon (2.25 percent), Bhagwanpur (1.83 percent), Kudra (1.74 percent) and
Rampur (1.71 percent) have allowed gap in terms of work participation rate. Although, the data
regarding work participation rate shows that scheduled castes are better than Non-Scheduled
Castes population but they are largely engaged in marginal or menial kinds of occupation.
Almost of all the scheduled caste population are doing work as safai karmachari and around82.54 percent of the total sanitation workers. (Praxis Annual Report, 2011-12).
Male Work Participation Gap between Scheduled Castes and Non-Scheduled Castes
Population
Male work participation gap among scheduled caste and Non-Scheduled Castes have beenshown in table 1. The district has reported 44.29 percent scheduled caste while 44.48 percent
among Non-Scheduled Castes male work participation rate. It is found that there are threeblocks such as Adhaura (2.99 percent), Chand (1.28 percent) and Ramgarh (1.09 percent)recorded high gap, while another five blocks namely Chainpur (0.46 percent), Durgawati (0.19
percent), Bhagwanpur (0.06 percent), Rampur (0.03 percent) and Mohania (-0.06 percent) comeunder medium category in terms of male work participation gap. Three blocks lie in low category
like Nuaon (-1.10 percent), Kudra (-0.75 percent) and Bhabua (-0.54 percent).

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Figure: 03

Figure: 04

58.
Table 01: Block wise Occupational Structure of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Non- Scheduled Caste (Non-Sc) population in Kaimur district,2011 (in percentage)
BlocksRamgarh
Nuaon
Kudra
Mohania
Durgawati
Chand
Chainpur
BhabuaRampurBhagwanpur
Adhaura
Total
District

Main workers
SC
38.75
55.23
49.14
42.74
47.87
46.05
56.85
42.53
42.91
53.75
24.41
45.48

Non-Sc
48.27
63.54
59.05
59.96
58.4
58.39
60.51
52.25
50.46
59.19
26.97
54.27

Marginal workers
Gap
-9.52
-8.31
-9.91
-17.22-10.53-12.34
-3.66
-9.72
-7.55
-5.44
-2.56
-8.8

SC
61.25
44.77
50.86
57.26
52.13
53.95
43.15
57.47
57.09
46.25
75.59
54.52

Non-Sc
51.73
36.46
40.95
43.04
41.6
41.61
39.49
47.75
49.54
40.81
73.03
46

Gap
9.52
8.31
9.91
14.22
10.53
12.34
3.66
9.72
7.55
5.44
2.56
8.52

Work Participation Rate
SC
36.38
35.07
32.52
32.01
32.89
39.42
37.62
31.93
33.2
33.51
45.71
34.18

Source: Based on data obtained from District Census Handbook, Kaimur

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Non-Sc
32.32
32.83
30.78
28.78
28.73
34.68
34.35
29.24
31.48
31.68
43.27
31.43

Gap
4.06
2.25
1.74
3.23
4.16
4.74
3.27
2.69
1.71
1.83
2.44
2.75

Male Work Participation
Rate
SC
Non-ScGap
45.88 44.79
1.09
43.91 45.01-1.1
43.69 44.44-0.75
43.15 43.21-0.06
43.37 43.18
0.19
46.47 45.18
1.28
45.57 45.12
0.46
43.59 44.13-0.54
43.92 43.89
0.03
44.83 44.77
0.06
48.6
45.61
2.99
44.29 44.48-0.19

Female Work
Participation RateSC
Non-Sc
26.01
18.9
25.23
19.36
20.14
15.78
19.89
12.97
21.53
13.28
31.6
23.27
29.16
22.88
19.17
12.99
21.52
18.09
21.27
17.51
42.55
36.73
25.3
19.25

Gap

7.11
5.87
4.35
6.92
8.25
8.33
6.28
6.19
3.43
3.76
5.83
6.03

Female Work Participation Gap between Scheduled castes and Non-Scheduled Castes
Population
After analyzing, it is found that the work participation gap is far more among the females incomparison to the males of the district. It has been observed that Female Work Participation of
the scheduled caste is 30.25 percent as compare to the Non-scheduled Caste population of the
district which is 19.25 percent; it is mainly because of their large involvement in menial or daily
wage works. By looking at the block wise study it found that there are only two blocks namely,
Chand (8.33 percent) and Durgawati (8.25 percent) that recorded a high gap, while majority ofblocks come under medium category such as Ramgarh (7.11 percent), Mohania (6.92 percent),
Chainpur (6.28 percent), Bhabua (6.19 percent), Nauon (5.87 percent) and Adhaura (5.83
percent). Only three blocks like, Kudra (4.35 percent), Bhagwanpur (3.76 percent) and Rampur(3.43 percent) showed a low gap in the district. Scheduled castes female are largely engaged inagriculture activities as daily wage workers because they are more illiterate as compare to nonscheduled caste female (table 1)
Figure: 05

Conclusion and Suggestions
Overall analysis of the study shows that large proportions of scheduled castes are involved in
marginal work force which signifies their poor standard of living than Non-Scheduled Castes inthe district. In case of main workers, they are far less with 8.80 percent gap than Non-Scheduled
Castes. This indicates that they are jobless during major portion of the year. The work
participation gap of total, male and female among Scheduled castes and Non-Scheduled Castes
are 2.75 percent, -0.19 percent and 6.03 percent respectively. Although, the data indicates that
their (SCs) work participation rate is better than Non-Scheduled Castes as they (SC) are largely
engaged in marginal and menial work force. The low proportion of scheduled castes populationin main workforce may be due to the poverty, illiteracy as well as lack of awareness regarding
reservation policies that’s why they are mainly low skilled. Although, the government of India has
adopted various schemes for their development and to eradicate poverty among them like
Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), Small Farmer Development Programme (SFDP), Marginal
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Farmers and Agricultural Laborers Programme (MFALP), Rural Landless Employment
Guarantee Programme (RLEGP), MGNREGA, JRY but yet they are not get benefitted fromthese schemes. There should be a need to provide special attentions regarding theenhancement of education, proper implementation of different skill development programs,
governmental policies, reservations in job sectors, wage system, to make people aware about
the mainstreaming of this backward section of the society.
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