Abstract:
Rapid rise in income inequality in India is a serious concern. While the emphasis is on
inclusive growth, it seems difficult to tackle the problem without looking at the intricacies of the
problem. Social mobility is one such important tool which helps in reaching the cause of the problem
and focuses on bringing long term equality in the country. The purpose of this study is to examine the
role of social background and education attainment in generating occupation mobility in the country.
By applying an extended version of the RC association model to 68th round (2011-12) of the
Employment and Unemployment Survey by the National Sample Survey Office of India, we found that
the role of education is not important in generating occupation mobility in India, while social
background plays a critical role in determining one’s occupation. This study successfully highlights the
strong intergenerational occupation immobility in the country and also the need to focus on quality of
education. In this regard, further studies are needed to uncover other crucial factors limiting the growth
of individuals in the country.