West Bengal Social Inclusion Progress across social groups in West Bengal has been uneven. The state’s Scheduled Tribes, in particular, record very high levels of poverty, and the pace of poverty reduction among them has been slow. In addition, more of their people work for casual wages than others . What’s more, levels of educational attainment and open defecation vary starkly between social groups. While most households in the state have poor access to drinking water, the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are particularly worse off than others. High poverty and slow poverty reduction for the Scheduled Tribes in West Bengal Population below poverty line, (%) Pace of poverty 60 reduction Households by Social Group, 2012 (%) 54 All India West 49 -1% per year 50 Bengal Scheduled Tribe 9 5 40 38 Scheduled Caste 19 27 32 -8% Other Backward Caste 43 9 per -6% 30 27 General 29 59 year per 21 year 20 18 18 -8% per year 10 0 2005 2012 ■ Scheduled Tribe ■ Scheduled Caste ■ Other Backward Caste ■ General Poverty among the Scheduled Tribes in West Bengal is higher than in many other states ST population below the poverty line, 2012 (%) 70 63 60 56 54 53 51 50 49 50 43 43 40 39 40 36 33 32 31 30 26 26 25 23 20 19 20 15 13 13 10 9 9 8 6 0 0 0 OD BH MH MP CG JH WB AI MN RJ KL GJ AR AS KA TN UP TR AP MZ NL JK UK MG HP HR SK PJ GA DL Low Income States are highlighted in orange, AI is All India. 1 June 20, 2017 West Bengal Social Inclusion Schooling levels vary between social groups in West Bengal Education attainment, 2012 (% adults) Scheduled Tribe 45 31 10 14 Scheduled Caste 34 34 17 15 Other Backward Caste 21 32 22 24 General 25 28 17 30 0 20 40 60 80 100 ■ Illiterate ■ Literate or primary school completed ■ Middle school completed ■ Secondary school or higher completed More casual wage jobs for the Scheduled Tribes than other groups in West Bengal Share of employed, 2012 (%) Scheduled Tribe Scheduled Caste 25 46 40 62 13 13 ■ Casual Wage ■ Salaried Other Backward Caste General ■ Self-employed 30 39 44 52 19 16 2 June 20, 2017 West Bengal Social Inclusion While open defecation is low on average in West Bengal, it is high among some social groups Households practicing open defecation, 2012 (%) 100 80 69 59 60 54 48 44 42 40 33 30 22 21 20 0 All Scheduled Scheduled Other General Tribe Caste Backward Caste ■ West Bengal ■ All India Access to drinking water is poor in West Bengal, especially among the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Households with drinking water on premises, 2012 (%) 100 80 69 60 56 58 44 42 40 40 36 27 27 20 20 0 All Scheduled Scheduled Other General Tribe Caste Backward Caste ■ West Bengal ■ All India 3 June 20, 2017