Kancha Ilaiah Advocates for Composite Backwardness Index in Caste Survey Analysis
In a significant development from Hyderabad, Kancha Ilaiah, the vice-chairman of the IEWG on the caste survey, has called upon backward and disadvantaged communities to shift their focus from mere population figures to the Composite Backwardness Index (CBI) scores. This move aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of socio-economic disparities.
Understanding the Composite Backwardness Index
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Ilaiah elaborated on the CBI, stating that the average score in the state stands at 81. He emphasized that communities with scores higher than this average are considered more backward, offering a clear metric for assessing their standing. "The higher the score above the average, the more backward the community is. This provides a clear understanding of the community's standing," he explained.
Disparities Within Backward Categories
Ilaiah stressed that backwardness is not uniform, even within the same category. For instance, among individuals earning less than 1 lakh annually, economically disadvantaged Other Castes (OC) are relatively better off compared to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) groups. He highlighted a stark contrast in education access: 34% of poor OC children attend private schools, while only 5% of SC and ST children do. This disparity underscores the need for targeted policies based on CBI data.
Legal Implications and Community Empowerment
Ilaiah also noted that the CBI data could empower individuals to seek legal recourse. "People can even approach courts if they wish to, based on the data, to seek benefits. It is an individual choice and up to courts to decide," he added. This statement opens avenues for communities to leverage the index in advocating for their rights and entitlements.
The call to focus on CBI scores represents a strategic shift in how backwardness is measured, moving beyond demographic counts to a more comprehensive assessment of socio-economic conditions. This approach could influence future policy-making and resource allocation for marginalized groups in India.
