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Towards a Framework to Determine Backwardness

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  • Narendar Pani
  • Soundarya Iyer

Abstract

The decision to carry out a caste-based census in India in order to, among other things, get a more scientific basis for reservations has generated considerable debate. Much of this debate has focused on data quality, without much attention paid to the question of what should be the scientific basis for determining whether a caste is backward. This article explores the concepts used, implicitly or explicitly, in the literatures on caste and reservations to come up with a framework to determine dominance-based caste hierarchies in a milieu of change. We test this framework in an empirical reality drawn from the south Indian state of Karnataka to argue for a more disaggregated and inclusive approach to reservations.

Suggested Citation

  • Narendar Pani & Soundarya Iyer, 2015. "Towards a Framework to Determine Backwardness," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 10(1), pages 48-72, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:soudev:v:10:y:2015:i:1:p:48-72
    DOI: 10.1177/0973174114567349
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ashwini Deshpande, 2000. "Does Caste Still Define Disparity? A Look at Inequality in Kerala, India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 322-325, May.
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    3. Ashwini Deshpande & Rajesh Ramachandran, 2013. "How Backward are the Other Backward Classes? Changing Contours of Caste Disadvantage in India," Working papers 233, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    4. Siwan Anderson, 2011. "Caste as an Impediment to Trade," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 239-263, January.
    5. Linda Mayoux, 1993. "A Development Success Story? Low Caste Entrepreneurship and Inequality: An Indian Case Study," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 24(3), pages 541-568, July.
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