A recent study conducted in India has revealed that patterns of residence for Muslims and those belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) show a high level of segregation in both urban and rural settings. The study, conducted by the Development Data Lab at Dartmouth College in the US, analyzed data at the neighborhood level, covering 1.5 million urban and rural neighborhoods and 300 million individuals across India. The findings of the study indicate that urban areas are just as segregated as rural areas when it comes to SCs, and even more segregated for Muslims.
The study also found that public services such as piped water, closed drainage, schools, and health clinics within cities were systematically allocated away from the neighborhoods where marginalized groups like SCs and Muslims lived. This unequal distribution of public services contributes to the further marginalization and disadvantage faced by these communities.
For example, approximately 26% of urban Muslims reside in neighborhoods that are more than 80% Muslim, suggesting a high level of segregation within cities. Similarly, about 17% of urban SCs live in neighborhoods where more than 80% of residents belong to the Scheduled Castes, a situation similar to the distribution observed in rural areas.
The study highlights the correlation between the social environments of villages and cities, stating that districts with segregated villages also tend to have segregated cities. Furthermore, the study found that individuals living in highly segregated cities are, on average, poorer than those in less segregated cities.
While previous studies have examined the availability of services at the district and sub-district levels, this study delved further to the neighborhood level, uncovering disparities at a more granular level. By combining data from the Socio-economic and Caste Census (SECC) of 2012 and the Economic Census of 2013, the researchers were able to analyze information on social groups, infrastructure, wealth, education, and public facilities across India.
The study reveals that the disadvantage faced by Muslim neighborhoods in terms of public services such as schools and clinics is double that of SC neighborhoods. This disparity is even more pronounced when it comes to access to amenities such as electricity, water, and drainage, with SC neighborhoods facing worse neighborhood-level disadvantages, despite being somewhat poorer on average.
Interestingly, the study found that while districts and sub-districts with larger populations of SCs tend to have more public facilities on average, the allocation of these services to high-status neighborhoods within districts largely eliminates the advantage gained from the higher allocation at the district or sub-district level. This suggests that even when services are available in the broader area, marginalized communities are still excluded.
Furthermore, the study highlights the fact that marginalization occurs at the local and informal levels of government within towns and villages, where there is limited scrutiny and accountability. It is in these settings that marginalized groups face the greatest disadvantages, as the allocation of resources and services is often biased.
Regarding education, the study found that Muslim neighborhoods are significantly less likely to have public secondary schools compared to non-Muslim neighborhoods. A neighborhood that is 100% Muslim is only half as likely to have a secondary school compared to a neighborhood with no Muslims. This indicates a clear educational disadvantage for children living in segregated neighborhoods.
The study emphasizes that living location is just as important as one’s social group in predicting their access to education. All social groups, regardless of their background, face disadvantages when living in segregated neighborhoods.
The study also debunks the notion that private schools and clinics might compensate for the absence of public sector facilities. On the contrary, the study found that private facilities are also disproportionately allocated away from marginalized neighborhood, likely due to limited financial resources within these communities. The only exception to this trend was the presence of private primary schools and health facilities, which were found to be relatively more common in rural Muslim neighborhoods.
Interestingly, the study did not identify any particular regional pattern to segregation, as both segregated and integrated cities were found throughout the country. The study acknowledges that further research is needed to investigate the root causes of segregation and unequal access to services.
It is worth noting that the study focused on analyzing segregation and service allocation for Muslims and SCs, and did not include Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the analysis, as only 4% of STs live in urban areas. Additionally, due to data limitations, the researchers were unable to identify predominantly Other Backward Classes (OBC) neighborhoods. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues to ensure equitable access to services and promote social integration.
