Gujarat has just 56 manual scavengers: Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011

By Jag Jivan
In a “revelation” which is likely to lead to adverse reaction from among Dalit activists, the new Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, the results of which were announced by the Government of India on Friday, there are just about 56 manual scavengers in rural Gujarat (click HERE). This is in sharp contrast to the 2011 Census figures, which found there are 1,408 rural households where nighsoil is “manually received from latrines”.
The SECC data suggest, by sharp contrast to Gujarat, rural Maharashtra has the highest number of 63,713 manual scavengers, followed by Madhya Pradesh 23,093, Uttar Pradesh 17,619, Karnataka 15,375, Punjab 11,949, Bihar 5,296, Jharkhand 4,903, and Rajasthan 3,592. In the country as a whole, there are 1,80,657 manual scavengers.

Among other findings, the SECC data show that Gujarat is the second most urbanized state with 40.48 per cent urban households, closely following Tamil Nadu’s 42.47. Gujarat has even overtaken Maharashtra, which has 40.16 per cent urban households, followed by Karnataka 38.74 per cent, and Haryana 35.88 per cent. India has 26.56 per cent urban households.
In rural poverty, SECC data show, Gujarat has 45 per cent rural households whose income is less than Rs 5,000 per month, as against the all-India figure of 74.49 per cent such households. If SECC is to be believed, Gujarat has much lower rural households with income less than Rs 5,000 compared to all other states except for two -- Andhra Pradesh (29.96 per cent) and Telangana (40.02 per cent).

However, interestingly, the figures show that in the higher income bracket – Rs 10,000 plus in rural household income – Gujarat is found to be one of the worst performers with one of the lowest proportion of 4.68 per cent rural households.
Only two major states (out of 21) have lower per cent of rural households – Telangana (4.68 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (3.2 per cent) with incomes with more than Rs 10,000. The all-India average is 8.29 per cent rural households in this higher income bracket.
Ironically, the SECC has found, there are much higher proportion of rural households with agricultural equipment of 3 and 4 wheels in Gujarat (8.09 per cent), next only to Punjab 16.16 per cent, Haryana 11.53 per cent, and Tamil Nadu 8.24 per cent. The all-India average here is 4.12 per cent.

At the same time, the SECC data show, Gujarat has 43.68 per cent rural households which depend on manual casual labour, less than all states but six out of 21 major ones -- Haryana (42.7 per cent), Assam (42.58 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir (37.28 per cent), Karnataka (32.49 per cent), Uttarakhand (27.98 per cent), and Himachal Pradesh (20.19 per cent). The all-India average on this score is 51.14 per cent.
At the same time, interestingly, SECC has found, Gujarat has one of the highest proportion of cultivators among rural households, 41.09 per cent. Only two major states have a higher proportion of rural cultivators, Karnataka (44.65 per cent) and Rajathan (41.74 per cent), with Indian average being 30.1 per cent.

Comments

From Kerala to Bangladesh: Lynching highlights deep social faultlines

By A Representative The recent incidents of mob lynching—one in Bangladesh involving a Hindu citizen and another in Kerala where a man was killed after being mistaken for a “Bangladeshi”—have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.

What Sister Nivedita understood about India that we have forgotten

By Harasankar Adhikari In the idea of a “Vikshit Bharat,” many real problems—hunger, poverty, ill health, unemployment, and joblessness—are increasingly overshadowed by the religious contest between Hindu and Muslim fundamentalisms. This contest is often sponsored and patronised by political parties across the spectrum, whether openly Hindutva-oriented, Islamist, partisan, or self-proclaimed secular.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Aravalli at the crossroads: Environment, democracy, and the crisis of justice

By Rajendra Singh* The functioning of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has undergone a troubling shift. Once mandated to safeguard forests and ecosystems, the Ministry now appears increasingly aligned with industrial interests. Its recent affidavit before the Supreme Court makes this drift unmistakably clear. An institution ostensibly created to protect the environment now seems to have strayed from that very purpose.

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Safety, pay and job security drive Urban Company gig workers’ protest in Gurugram

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers associated with Urban Company have stepped up their protest against what they describe as exploitative and unsafe working conditions, submitting a detailed Memorandum of Demands at the company’s Udyog Vihar office in Gurugram. The action is being seen as part of a wider and growing wave of dissatisfaction among gig workers across India, many of whom have resorted to demonstrations, app log-outs and strikes in recent months to press for fair pay, job security and basic labour protections.

India’s universities lag global standards, pushing students overseas: NITI Aayog study

By Rajiv Shah A new Government of India study, Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations , prepared by NITI Aayog , regrets that India’s lag in this sector is the direct result of “several systemic challenges such as inadequate infrastructure to provide quality education and deliver world-class research, weak industry–academia collaboration, and outdated curricula.”

Search This Blog