Abstract

The denial of equal opportunities to a part of population in participating in the political, economic and social functioning of the society imposed by majority of society is termed as ‘social exclusion’. In case of India, caste is an important determinant of social exclusion. Caste for an individual is fixed since birth and serves as a vehicle of complex, discriminatory and exclusionary processes. It is argued that all men are born equal but the social reality is that not all men are born equal. Caste along with its practices continues to restrict the means and resources for upward mobility. This paper attempts to study the social exclusion in India on the basis of caste and the strategies for promoting a more inclusive society. Literacy rates among Dalits in India are only about 24 percent. Even though there are constitutional safeguards for SCs and STs these groups face systematic social exclusion in the form of denial to opportunities like access to land, education and employment. Social integration or inclusion is seen as a universal human right. It aims to provide equal opportunities irrespective of caste, gender and disability. Caste superiority norms among the administrative service delivery system is one of the biggest challenges towards inclusion of Dalits. For a more inclusive society, institutional reforms are required. Strategies like social auditing, sensitization, conscientization and mobilization, equitable quality education and use of RTI act can be effective. Formation of commissions like Employment Opportunity Commission to ensure the representation of excluded group can also prove to be helpful. Thus, for the overall development of the nation and creation of an inclusive society, it is important to eradicate social exclusion on the basis of caste. This paper aims to include the factors responsible for caste based social exclusion in India, its impact on the human and societal development and what should be the strategies to promote social inclusion.

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• 2.   This particular Concept of Social Inclusion and the associated practices can be traced in the new welfare policies introduced from the early 1980s
• 3.   Scholars like Bourdieu and Luhmann conceptualized the idea of social inclusion in a welfare state
• 4.   Gabriele Koehler, Alberto D. Cimadamore, Fadia Kiwan, Pedro Manuel Monreal Gonzalez,‘The Politics of Social Inclusion: Bridging Knowledge and Policies towards social Change’,
• 5.   Ibid
• 6.   Sustainable development recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, combatting inequality within and among countries, preserving the planet, creating sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and fostering social inclusion are linked to each other and are interdependent.
• 7.   Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• 8.   Ranjan K Panda,‘Socially Exclusion and Inequality: Opportunities in Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs): Their role in ending inequalities in India A Position Paper on State of Socially Excluded Groups(SEGs) and Framework of Action’,
• 9.   Kabeer, Naila. “Social Exclusion, Poverty and Discrimination Towards an Analytical Framework’, IDS Bulletin. 31. 83 – 97, (2000),
• 10.   Ibid.
• 11.   Supranote 10.
• 12.   Victor S. D'Souza, ‘Towards A Cultural Policy in India: Socio – Cultural Policy in India’, Vol. 44, No. 2 (1995), pp. 159-167, Sage Publications,
• 13.   Most menial of tasks such as manual scavengers, removers of human waste and dead animals, leather workers, street sweepers, and cobblers are reserved for Dalits
• 14.   Mohammad Sadique v Darbara Singh Guru (2016): Civil Appeal No 4870 of 2015, the Supreme Court of India, Date of Judgment 20 April 2016,
• 15.   On February 5 2019, Ms Snehafrom Tirupatturreceived the certificate from Tirupattur tahsildar, declaring that she had ‘no caste, no religion’
• 16.  
• 17.   Ranjan K Panda, ‘Socially Exclusion and Inequality: Opportunities in Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Their role in ending inequalities in India A Position Paper on State of Socially Excluded Groups(SEGs) and Framework of Action’,
• 18.   Sashikant Pandey and Siddhartha Mukerji, ‘Indian Democracy: Inclusive in Theory Exclusionary in Practice’, The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 74, No. 3 (2013), pp. 557-570, Indian Political Science Association,
• 19.   Stalin K, travelled around India for four years to film the documentary‘India Untouched- Stories of People Apart’. The themes depicted in India Untouched are untouchability, insensitivity of the upper caste towards the lower caste, power hegemony of the Brahmins, oppression of the lower caste and inhumanity.
• 20.   Stalin K,‘India Untouched-Stories of People Apart’, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad, India: Drishti, (2007).
• 21.   A Study ‘Untouchability in rural India’ conducted in 565 villages of 11 states in India
• 22.   G. Shah, H. Mander, S. Thorat, S. Deshpande, A. Baviskar, ‘Untouchability in rural India’, Sage Publications, New Delhi (2006)
• 23.   Supranote 20.
• 24.   The study conducted byG. Shah (2006) highlights “25% of the villages Dalits are paid lower wages than other workers, The NHRC (2012) concluded that 37% Dalits are living below poverty line,The NHRC (2010) reveals that 45% of Dalits in India are illiterate.”
• 25.   Béteille, A., ‘Society and Politics in India: Essays in a Comparative Perspective. London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology’, New Delhi, Oxford University Press(1991)
• 26.   43.8% of the adivasislives Below Poverty Line (NSSO, 2006).
• 27.   NHRC (2012) shows “that a crime is committed against a Dalit in every 18 minutes in India; every day three Dalit women are raped”
• 28.   “More than 200 alleged hate crimes against marginalised people, including 87 killings, were documented by Amnesty India’s interactive “Halt the Hate” website in 2018. About 65% of the crimes were against Dalits”,
• 29.   Smriti Sharma, ‘Caste-based crimes and economic status: Evidence from India,Journal of Comparative Economics’,Volume 43, Issue 1,2015,Pages 204-226,ISSN 0147-5967,
• 30.   In a special address at the London School of Economics (LSE) to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Dalit rights activist Babsaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
• 31.   India News,‘Caste is anti-national as it divides India, says Amartya Sen’, PTI, London, Jun 17, 2016,
• 32.   Victor S. D'Souza, ‘Towards A Cultural Policy in India: Socio – Cultural Policy in India’, Vol. 44, No. 2 (September 1995), pp. 159-167, Sage Publications,
• 33.   Sashikant Pandey and Siddhartha Mukerji, ‘Indian Democracy: Inclusive in Theory Exclusionary in Practice’, The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 74, No. 3 (July - September, 2013), pp. 557-570,
• 34.   Nitesh Mishra,Liberalisation of Legal Services in India, Law times journal, (2019).

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