Indian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Studies (IJMRS)

Caste and Economic Mobility: A Longitudinal Study of Dalit Communities in North India

Caste is one of the prominent and longest and well established social stratification in India and it has had a tremendous impact on the lives and prospects of people economically. This review paper is a critical analysis of the trends, hindrances, and enablers of the economic mobility of the Dalit people in North India with the searchlight on longitudinal studies carried out in the last 20 years. Based on national survey data, scholarly research literature, and assessments of policy analysis, the paper identifies a small amount of educational progress and vocational diversification among the Dalits mostly in the urban setting. Nevertheless, such achievements are un-equal and can vary under burdensome structural discrimination, landlessness, and inadequate recruitment to social capital. The paper also tests the effectiveness of affirmative action, welfare programs and grassroot movements in facilitating upward mobility. Although there is a certain improvement, caste can still have its overwhelming impact on the path of economic development and the level of intergenerational mobility remains low in many places. The paper ends with recommendations of policy implications and research gaps, which demand higher-level studies that are more nuanced, intersectional, and regionally disaggregated longitudinal studies to inform inclusive development strategies.