Socio-Economic Conditions of Scheduled Castes: A BlockLevel Analysis in Sitapur District

This study examines the multidimensional socio-economic vulnerability of Scheduled Caste (SC) households through a micro-level block analysis in Pisawan Block of Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh. While macro-level statistics suggest gradual improvements in literacy, poverty reduction, and welfare inclusion among SC communities, such aggregated data often conceal localized structural disparities. Drawing upon primary data collected from 30 SC households using purposive sampling, the study adopts a descriptive-analytical framework to assess deprivation across education, occupation, land ownership, housing quality, access to government welfare schemes, and financial stability. Findings reveal that 50 percent of respondents are illiterate, 63.3 percent depend on casual labor, and over half possess either no land or marginal holdings below one acre. Housing insecurity, partial welfare coverage, and widespread indebtedness further compound vulnerability. The interrelationship among these indicators demonstrates that deprivation is cumulative and structurally embedded rather than merely income-based. Grounded in the Capability Approach and theories of social exclusion, the study argues that sustainable development requires structural asset enhancement, livelihood diversification, and capability expansion beyond compensatory welfare distribution. The research underscores the importance of micro-spatial block-level analysis in revealing intra-caste inequalities that remain obscured in macro-level studies.