This Article is From Jul 03, 2015

Highlights of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 for Rural India

Highlights of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 for Rural India

File photo of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday released the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) and said that it would be an important input for policy makers.

These are the key points of the Census:
  • In 75 per cent of 17.9 crore households in rural India, the monthly income of the highest-earning member is less than Rs.5,000
  • Nearly 40 per cent are landless and work as manual casual labourers
  • 25 per cent of the rural households still do not own a phone
  • 25 per cent rural households have no access to irrigation
  • Only 8.29 per cent of rural households have a member earning over Rs.10,000 per month
  • 10.69 crore rural families, or 60 per cent, qualify for "deprivation"
  • Of these over 100 million deprived households, 21.5 per cent belong to scheduled castes or tribes.
  • This census takes caste into account for the first time in any such exercise since 1931.
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