Even though the raging Supreme Court-vs-Centre dual on OBC reservation continues,  a national survey carried out on more than two lakh men and women has shown that people belonging to the Other Backward Caste  are not so financially backward.

A caste-wise wealth distribution-- carried out as a part of the third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) points out that almost 37 per cent of the OBC can be called wealthy whereas for the Scheduled Caste the number is slightly more than a quarter. 

The survey defines people’s wealth on the basis of ownership of 33 assets.

According to the NFHS-3, wealth was classified into four groups – lowest, second middle, fourth and the highest.
While almost 60 per cent people from general caste fall within the fourth and highest wealth categories, for the OBC population the number is 36.7 per cent. Among the Scheduled Castes almost 27 per cent have wealth while the financial conditions of the Scheduled Tribes are the worst.

The NFHS-3 survey – India’s largest health survey – is based on interviews with 124,385 women of age between 15 and 49 years, and 74,369 men of age 15-54 years.

Households

Together they represent 109,041 households. The NFHS-3 report was released here on Thursday.

The data comes at a time when the Government is arguing its position in the Supreme Court, which had asked the Centre to justify the rationale behind proposing 27 per cent reservation for the OBC in the institutes of higher learning.

The wealth index is based on characteristics like ownership of a house, bank or post office accounts, black and white and colour television, sewing machine, mobile and telephone connection, computer, refrigerator. motor-cycle or scooter, water pump, tractor and car.