ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to study the changes in the occupational distribution of the workforce and access to land with special reference to Dalits (SCs) at national and state levels in the context of land reform and agricultural growth in the post-Independence period and also attempts to understand the linkages between Dalits’ dependence on agriculture as landless labour and the high incidence of poverty in this group. Dalits, particularly SCs, mostly remained as agricultural labourers even after 70 years of Independence since they do not own any land. About 78% of the SC workforce in Bihar and 72% of the workforce in Andhra Pradesh depends on agriculture. SC households accounted for 20.06% of total rural households, but control only 8.52% of the area owned while other households, which constitute 23.23% of total households, control 32.0% of total land in 2013 at the all-India level. The incidence of poverty is found to be higher among Dalits than among other groups. There has been an increase in per capita consumer expenditure of all social groups in rural areas at all India level. However, there is significant gap between per capita consumer expenditure of SCs/STs and others.
