Who’s backward? Who’s not? | Number Theory

Who is economically privileged in India is a question which can evoke strong views. The empirical basis for answering this question is not so easy. India does not have official data on income distribution. The consumption expenditure survey, which is often taken as a proxy for income in India, significantly undercounts the rich. Sources such as the income tax returns database are released at a very summary level and do not lend themselves to granular analysis. The problem becomes even more difficult when one needs to look at the relationship between economic affluence and caste in India.