Disparities in Access to Basic Household Amenities and Human Rights in India

Issue of access to basic household amenities such as adequate housing, domestic electricity connection, potable drinking water and sanitation facility has been studied from various perspectives for example human development, poverty, health, rural development, human rights perspective, etc. Today, vast majority of population all over the world and in India lack access to these amenities. Situation in rural areas is particularly pathetic for all households and in particular for those belong to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and other marginal and deprived sections of the society. Historically these groups have been treated and assigned unequal rank in economic, social as well as in cultural sphere. These groups continue facing segregation and exclusion in the village geography and habitation pattern.
This paper discusses access of households to adequate housing and other basic household amenities in selected villages in different states of India with a special reference to United Nations norms and standards on these variables. The data was collected on a census based household survey in these villages.
Focus of the findings from the data will be the disparities in access to basic household amenities among different caste and social groups in these villages.