Poverty in India: Impact of affirmative action and government policies

Abstract

Various policies and programs have been implemented since independence for the uplift of scheduled castes in India. These have been pursued as key strategies or socio-economic emancipation, status change and the acquisition of a new social identity. The success in the implementation of these policies and programs has been achieved of varying degrees. The wide-spread upsurge of atrocities signifies continued caste-base oppression. Occupation and caste have been closely interlinked in the traditional socio-economic order. Although this link is gradually breaking yet it has not been broken completely. Changes took place with the arrival of new opportunities in rural employment and other small businesses as well as through education based occupational and social mobility in rural and urban areas.