Nov 2008: Occupations Losing Ground

Cover Story: Other Backward Castes constitute more than 50% of India’s population. Majority of them are skilled artisans, service providers and food producers. Today many are languishing at lower levels of the economic ladder. Except for few, several sadly missed out on education and economic opportunities and continue their dependence on traditional occupations that are overcrowded and losing patronage and waning into obscurity. Their skills and services that were once critical to village economies are now steadily being replaced with more mechanized and urban services. Even, where their skills are in demand, they remain at the extreme left end of the value-chain, thereby leaving little window for them to adapt to the realities of the changing market. ‘livelihoods’ team attempts to understand these waning occupations and the vast diversity of skills that face the threat of extinction.