Assam Social Inclusion Social groups in Assam record uneven progress. While Scheduled Castes saw a sharp decline in poverty after 2005, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes saw a rise in poverty levels. As a result, today, social groups across the state face similar levels of poverty. While there is hardly any difference in open defecation, access to drinking water and schooling between social groups, some groups have lower access to salaried jobs than others. Poverty declined sharply for Scheduled Castes in Assam after 2005, but increased for Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes Population below poverty line, (%) Pace of poverty 50 reduction Households by Social Group, 2012 (%) 44 All India Assam 2% 1% Scheduled Tribe 9 15 40 per -6% per 36 year per year Scheduled Caste 19 10 32 year 33 33 -1% per year 31 Other Backward Caste 43 29 30 29 29 General 29 45 20 10 0 2005 2012 ■ Scheduled Tribe ■ Scheduled Caste ■ Other Backward Caste ■ General Poverty among the Scheduled Tribes in Assam is lower than the national average 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 Assam Social Inclusion Little variation in education attainment by social groups in Assam Education attainment, 2012 (% adults) Scheduled Tribe 18 37 25 20 Scheduled Caste 16 33 27 24 Other Backward Caste 17 30 24 29 General 18 31 23 27 0 20 40 60 80 100 ■ Illiterate ■ Literate or primary school completed ■ Middle school completed ■ Secondary school or higher completed Other Backward Castes in Assam have more salaried jobs and less self-employment than other groups Share of employed, 2012 (%) Scheduled Tribe Scheduled Caste 10 14 6 13 84 73 ■ Casual Wage ■ Salaried Other Backward Caste General ■ Self-employed 17 23 12 55 22 70 2 June 20, 2017 Assam Social Inclusion Households, across all social groups, in Assam have significantly lower levels of open defecation than the rest of the country Households practicing open defecation, 2012 (%) 80 69 59 60 48 44 40 21 20 12 12 13 13 7 0 All Scheduled Scheduled Other General Tribe Caste Backward Caste ■ Assam ■ All India Households in Assam have similar access to drinking water across social groups Households with drinking water on premises, 2012 (%) 100 81 82 83 97 78 80 69 60 56 58 44 40 27 20 0 All Scheduled Scheduled Other General Tribe Caste Backward Caste ■ Assam ■ All India 3 June 20, 2017