SCs and STs in Eastern India-Inequality and Poverty Estimates

Inequality and Poverty Estimates Mridul Saggar Indranil Pan This paper employs inequality and poverty measures to consumption expenditure data for SCs, STs, and other households in four eastern states published by NSSO, Inequality and poverty differences among SCs, STs and other households, rural-urban disparities and interstate variations in these respects are considered. The eastern region as a whole suffers from economic backwardness and large incidence of poverty and this is specially true for SCs and STs. Rural-urban disparities in consumption also exist with the urban sector better-off than the rural sector. Also, the SCs were found to be comparatively better-off than the STs, However, the generally held view that large inequalities exist among SCs and STs is ill-founded. State level comparison shows Assam to be performing better than the others, with lower poverty levels and more egalitarian distribution of consumption.