Educational Inequality among Social Groups in India: A Study of EAG States

Education has emerged as the most important demographic indicators influencing human development. Despite the various affirmative action by the Central and State Government inequality of educational opportunities is a reality that is persisting in India for generations. Using data from 64thround of National Sample Survey (2007-08) we have examined the education inequality among social groups in EAG states of India. Concentration index (CI) gives the education inequality among social groups and binary logistic regression gives the association between social status and education enrollment. Results shows that there is lowest inequality in enrollment in elementary education and highest inequality in graduation and above.Social gradient in education inequality is highest for the secondary and higher education followed by elementary education. Surprisingly, by social group inequality of enrollment in graduation and above education is lowest than higher secondary and lower education. This might be due average low level of graduation and above enrollment in all EAG states. Hence, government policy should be focused to first, reducing educational inequality in enrollment in secondary and higher secondary education; second, to increase average enrollment in graduation and above education.