Livelihood Status of Scheduled Caste Families in the Hisar District of Haryana- India

The Scheduled Caste (SC) population in India has remained socio-economically disadvantaged due to low literacy, asset ownership, and income levels. The study was conducted in the Hisar district of Haryana state. The livelihood status of 200 SC families from 5 randomly selected villages with predominantly large (40%) of SC population as per census 2011, was explored. It has confirmed that livelihood assets determine a household's ability to pursue their strategies and recover from poverty. The majority of SC rural families have a higher number of members in productive age, low family education status, low formal training attendance, and own small houses with animal shelters. Many do not own land, and non-farm labour work is the main source of livelihood for males, while female livelihoods are spread across farm labour, livestock, and non-farm labour. The income is primarily earned from salary/wages, with livestock being the second most significant source of income. The gender disparity in work participation rate highlights the need for gender-sensitive policies and programs to promote women's participation in the workforce.