Discrimination, Social Exclusion and Persisting Caste Inequalities in India

Abstract

This paper makes an attempt to understand the persisting caste inequalities in India. The Scheduled Caste (Dalits) population in India is suffering from caste discrimination that excludes them from the access to resources, goods, capital and prevents them fully or partially from the participation of main stream activities in the society. The persisting poverty, denial of rights, low human development status are examined in the context of “Social Exclusion” frame work in this paper. The study is based on both published and unpublished literature and data with specific focus on concepts of discrimination and social exclusion in the Indian context.