This book examines the socio-economic and demographic conditions of the Deprived Caste in India. The term “Deprived Caste” is used for those self-reported as Scheduled Caste across all religious affiliations in population-based surveys. The term “Scheduled Caste” is constitutionally recognized for individuals practicing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. The religious affiliations of the Deprived Caste were analyzed with respect to three major religions in India: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, using data on self-reported caste and religion from large-scale, population-based, nationally representative surveys. The book provides numerical estimates on the population size, distribution, and well-being of Deprived Caste across key domains of human development, including economic status, education, and health. It describes the socio-political context, the constitutional provisions, and analyses large-scale data in the context of the current debate on extending reservation and welfare measures to Deprived Caste across religions.

In six analytical chapters, the book compares these three religious groups using multiple indicators alongside four other non-Deprived Caste groups. The findings suggest that Deprived Caste across the three religious communities are heterogeneous in each domain of human development, showing significant variations in multidimensional poverty. Economically, Deprived Caste with religious affiliation to Hinduism are the poorest compared to Deprived Caste with religious affiliation to Christianity and Islam. With respect to education, Deprived Caste with religious affiliation to Islam fare the worst, while health conditions across these groups show mixed patterns. The book also highlights the socio-economic diversity within sub-caste of Deprived Caste in selected Indian states.

This pioneering work provides evidence-based insights for policy interventions and developmental planning, making it a valuable resource for researchers, academics, policymakers, and social scientists.

Sanjay K. Mohanty is a trained economist and demographer and Professor at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India. His research interests include economics of health and health care, economics of aging, multidimensional poverty, and population dynamics. He has authored more than 180 research papers in international and national peer-reviewed journals. Currently he is principal investigator of a research project entitled r4d India: Inclusive Social Protection for Chronic Health Problems funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Global Cooperation (SDC) and the SWISS National Science Foundation (SNSF). Prof. Mohanty was Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health during 2014-15 and C.R. Parekh Fellow at the Asia Research Centre, London School of Economics in 2010. He was awarded the K.B. Pathak Memorial Award (2009) by the Indian Association for the Study of Population (IASP) for his research work. 

Suman Singh is a Senior Research Fellow pursuing Ph.D. at the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India. She received her Master's degree in Geography from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Physics, and Geography from the University of Allahabad. Her doctoral research is on climate exposure, development, and health in India.