UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG MARGINALIZED GROUPS

Dr. Shyam Sunder Singh Chauhan Dr. Deepa Rawat Dr. Kusum Sharma

METHODOLOGY
The present analysis is based on secondary data received from Planning Commission and National Sample Survey Organization. Data of 66th round NSS is used extensively. Indicators such as literacy rate, educational level, enrolment ratio, drop out ratio, IMR, MMR and nutritional status have been used to assess the level of deprivation. The economic deprivation has been assessed by using the poverty head count ratio, assets holdings, land ownership and incidence of indebtedness etc. As far as the employment is concerned Labour Force Participation Rates (LFPR) and Work Force Participation rates (WFPR) by Principal and Subsidiary Status have been used

INTRODUCTION
Caste and class system has been in vogue since times immemorial. The rigid caste system has divided the entire society into two classes i.e. the upper caste and the lower caste. The people of lower castes were exploited considerably by the powerful sections of the society. They have been deprived of not only their fundamental rights but also all sorts of necessities required for their survival and development.

Virtually these groups have not only been marginalized in socio-economic status but also in occupational pattern. With the enactment of the Indian constitution a portion of the public sector jobs was reserved for these marginalized groups such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Likewise the reservation facilities was also given in educational institutions, during the early 1990s, other backward castes came into prominence. However, the Muslims have so far not been given due weightage in the public sector jobs. Among social groups, SCs, STs and OBCs accounted for 80 per cent of the rural poor in 2004-05, considerably more than their share in the rural population.

The real cause of poverty among SCs and STs lies in the unequal distribution of assets and occupational structure. In rural areas SCs do not have access to land and other economic resources and are, therefore, forced to migrate to urban areas more often. These migrated SC labourers get low quality jobs, casual in nature and poorly paid, because of this, they are poor. Although the STs in rural areas have much better access to land, especially in the forest areas, but the quality of land and its productivity is low, which in turn yields low income. In terms of both income poverty and other indicators of human development such as education and health, the STs are at the bottom.

Although SCs account for 21.6 per cent of the rural households, they held only 9 per cent of the land. On average SCs barely owned 0.3 per cent hectare of land in rural areas as compared to 1.003 per cent hectare owned by others. The land distribution is even further skewed among SCs in urban areas. The vulnerability of marginalized groups on the front of health, education and nutrition, reduces their capacity as well as capability to work efficiently. While infant mortality rate was 49 for others, for SCs it was 66, for STs 62 and OBCs 57. Their nutritional status is also worse; the Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) for SCs, STs and OBCs is 5 to 10 per cent below that of their counterparts.

The vulnerability of marginalized groups on the front of health, education and nutrition, reduces their capacity as well as capability to work efficiently. While infant mortality rate was 49 for others, for SCs it was 66, for STs 62 and OBCs 57. Their nutritional status is also worse; the Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) for SCs, STs and OBCs is 5 to 10 per cent below that of their counterparts. The dropout rate is significantly higher among SCs and STs. The higher dropout rate among marginalized groups is the result of the high incidence of poverty amongst them. The incidence of child labour is much higher among SCs and STs as compared to their counterparts, OBCs and non SC/ST/OBCs.

LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT OF MARGINALISED GROUPS

During the 66th round NSS the employment data has been vigorously used by usual principal and subsidiary basis. For SCs, LFPR by usual principal and subsidiary status was 71.8 per cent in rural areas during 1993-94, for STs it was 81.9 per cent and for all groups 68.6 per cent. These ratios came down to 62.4, 69.9 and 60.4 per cent respectively during 2009-10. For all groups the percentage point decrease in LFPR between 1993-94 to 2009-10 is 8.2 per cent in rural areas and 4.5 per cent in urban areas.

The workforce participation rate by usual principal and subsidiary status for SCs in 1993-94 was 71.1 per cent and for STs it was 81.4 per cent which was much higher than the WFPR for all social groups. Although urban WFPR is consistently lower for all groups, SCs and STs have a much higher WFPR compared to all groups. The higher WFPR for SCs and STs is the result of lower enrolment ratio of the working age population (15 & above) in secondary schools than other social groups. The adolescents of SCs and STs are forced to involve themselves in any type of employment because of poor income of the households.

Higher LFPRs and WFPRs for SCs and STs as compared to non- SCs/STs is the outcome of engagement of people of these groups in income generating activation at lower age, dropping out from the schools. LFPR is lowest for Muslims both in rural and urban areas as compared to Hindus, Christians and Sikhs. Likewise the WFPR for Muslims has remained lower than their counterparts. Hindus, Christians and Sikhs during all three reference periods i.e. 1993-94, 2004-05, 2009-10, both for urban and rural areas.

The probable explanation for the simultaneous existence of low secondary enrolment rates and low WFPR among Muslims lies in the rather low status of Muslim women, as compared to any other social group or religious community in Indian society. About 25 per cent of the Muslims of India live in West Bengal and Kerala, the unemployment rate by current daily status among Muslims was as high as 18 per cent in rural areas of Kerala and 25 per cent in urban Kerala against the all India average of 9 per cent and 7 per cent. The unemployment rate for STs increased in both rural and urban areas between 2004-05 to 2007-08, thereafter the unemployment rate for STs declined to 6.3 per cent in rural areas and 7.8 per cent in urban areas in 2009-10.

CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS

People of marginalized groups are engaged in low paid works. They are facing the brunt of disguised and seasonal unemployment. Geographical concentration and casual nature of employment. As per established tradeoff between growth and employment, lower growth results into poor employment creation. Since majority of SC workers are engaged in agriculture and allied sectors, which have low employment elasticity, the chances of higher growth employment in these states are minimal.

Distribution of ST population in the country shows that a high proportion of ST population resides in NE-States, however these states have small portion of total ST population compared to rest of the states. Employment opportunities in tribal areas are likely to appear in mining and construction activities, but the nature of employment in both these sectors along with agriculture and allied sector is casual. About 71 per cent of the countrys Muslim population is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh (19.2%), West Bengal (14.8%), Bihar (13.4%), Maharashtra (6.3%), Assam (5.8%), Kerala (5.5%) and Andhra Pradesh (5.6%)

Traditionally Muslims are engaged in handloom, shoe making, marble work, locks and knives, brasswares, automobile repair, carpet weaving and other such labour industries which employ labour on contract basis. Thus, as employees, Muslims generally work as casual labourers and they are poorly represented in regular, salaried employment Thus. Muslims are even more disadvantaged than SCs and STs for whom, affirmative action in the form of reservation have improved their occupation standard.

Educational level and skill: As per data of Census 2001, nearly one third of SCs literate have not completed Primary level of education while over one-fourth have attained the Primary Level. Sex wise differentials are significant among the educational levels of Matriculation/ Secondary and Higher Secondary where percentage for males is higher than females both in rural and urban areas. It is the STs that are most excluded, since they have lowest educational indicators of all the three vulnerable groups.

Literacy rate among the Muslims is the lowest among all religious groups. Muslim women are worst sufferer on this account. Although the constitutional safeguards completely prohibit any type of discrimination based on caste, religion, class, race, region etc. SCs/STs worker are discriminated against both in the public and the private sector.

The socio-economic deprivation and poor state of health and education of the people of these groups has resulted into high unemployment rate by usual principal and subsidiary status as well as current daily status. The high order of GDP growth during the last decade or so has not been inclusive. The public work programmes like MNREGA have certainly benefitted the rural poor creating employment through unskilled manual work during the lean season.

Due to the implementation of MNREGA there has been a considerable increase in the wage rales of the rural labourers, however, the effectiveness of the public works programme is always at question. The solution lies in the educational and skill development of the rural masses. There is a need to heavily invest in the formation of human capital, only then India can reap the advantages of Demographic dividend.