Bihar caste survey: 34% earn less than Rs 6000; 42% of SC, ST households live in poverty

The report has also acknowledged considerable poverty among the upper castes, though the percentage was, predictably, much higher among backward classes, Dalits and tribals.

As per the report, tabled by parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the state was home to about 2.97 crore families, out of which more than 94 lakhs (34.13 per cent) were poor. 

This report comes in the backdrop of allegations by Union home minister Amit Shah that the Bihar government has inflated the population of both the Yadav and Muslim communities, thereby affecting EBC's rights. An accusation to which deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had retorted: Are Yadavs not backward? On what basis are they saying 'this has been increased or decreased'? We have scientific data to support it."

Earnings

The Bihar caste survey paints a worrying picture as 34.13 per cent of all families in the state earn up to a paltry ₹6,000 per month and 29.61 per cent survive on ₹10,000 or less.

It also states that nearly 28 per cent live on income between ₹10,000 and ₹50,000, and only less than four per cent earn over ₹50,000 per month

Percentage of poor in different categories

Overall, 42.93 per cent of families from Scheduled Castes and 42.70 per cent from Scheduled Tribes have been listed as poverty-stricken. This number among the backward and extremely backward classes is 33.16 per cent and 33.58 per cent respectively. Among other castes, 23.72 per cent of all families are poor.

The details tabled in the assembly showed that the rate of poverty among the upper castes, at more than 25 per cent, was quite pronounced. The most well-off Hindu upper caste were the numerically miniscule Kayasthas. Only 13.83 per cent of families from the largely urbanised community were poor.

The poverty ratio was surprisingly high for the Bhumihars (27.58), believed to be the biggest land-owning caste of Bihar, who also dominated the state's politics until the Mandal wave of the 1990s threw up a new power structure. They constitute 2.86 per cent of the population.

Meanwhile, 25.3 per cent of Brahmins and 24.8 per cent of Rajputs, who together account for 7.11 per cent of Bihar's population, are listed as poor. 

The Yadavs, a backward class to which deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav belongs to, 35.87 per cent are listed as poor. The Yadavs form 14.26 per cent of the population and they are the largest OBC sub-group.

Biharis living outside

Another important finding in the caste survey has been that more than 50 lakh Biharis were living outside the state in search of livelihood or better education opportunities. Those earning a living in other states numbered around 46 lakhs, while another 2.17 lakhs have found greener pastures abroad.

Those pursuing studies in other states numbered about 5.52 lakhs, while about 27,000 were doing the same abroad.

Notably, the preliminary findings of the caste survey were released on October 2. The Nitish Kumar government ordered the exercise following the Centre's reluctance to hold a caste census. 

The preliminary findings had established that OBCs and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constituted more than 60 per cent of the state’s total population, while the upper castes accounted for about 10 per cent.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit out at the caste survey for trying to divide the country on caste lines, the Congress is sticking to its promise of holding caste surveys in the states that goes to the polls this month and also if the party is election to power in the national elections.

(With agency inputs)