5 - Region, Income, Caste, and Gender

Summary

Chapter 5 focuses on four different aspects of economic and social inequality. There were historical differences in level of economic development across provinces and there is persistence. The Bombay Presidency was one of the richest parts of colonial India. Maharashtra and Gujarat today are among the richest provinces in India. The poorer regions in colonial India, such as the United Provinces and the Central Provinces rank among the poorer regions today. Income inequality was high in the 1930s and 1940s. The first decades after independence saw a decline in inequality following the policies of public sector led development. Since the economic reforms of 1980, income inequality has increased, but it is not as high as in the colonial period. There is continuity in caste inequality in many dimensions, but also changes. Upper castes were heather and more literate in colonial India. Today lower castes have better access to education and jobs due policies of affirmative action, big differences remain. Finally, one aspect of gender inequality that is specific to India is sons preference. The regional variation in male biased sex ratio continues today.