Multidimensional deprivation across social groups in urban india: a state-level analysis

This study examines multidimensional deprivation among social groups in urban India by developing a multidimensional deprivation index that encompasses dimensions of housing, social, economic, and basic amenities. The study reveals that, across all social categories, Bihar falls into the category of very high urban deprivation, whereas Goa falls into the category of least urban deprivation. Dimension-wise analysis reveals that the scheduled castes (SCs) are highly deprived in the housing and economic/material dimensions, while the scheduled tribes (STs) in the social dimension, and the other backward classes (OBCs) in the basic amenities dimension. The study further highlights that the SCs are mostly deprived in Odisha, STs in Bihar, OBCs in Jharkhand, and others in Tripura. According to the study, the central and eastern regions of India are comparatively more deprived than the southern and western regions. Therefore, the findings highlight the need for targeted interventions across the social groups in specific dimensions where they lag far behind, to address the persistent disparities at the subnational level in urban India.