The caste has been a unique social institution in India. It has also emerged in a new form after the mandalisation of caste in the early 1990s resulting in the extension of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs and also in admissions to colleges and universities. The relative size of population of various caste groups particularly of the OBCs is also a matter of debate. Census does not provide population data on OBCs, however, it is possible to assess it from nationally representative sample surveys. Further, the correspondence between caste categories and class has been a matter of debate. This paper presents an assessment of class within caste categories based on data from nationally representative sample surveys.

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The 74th amendment mandates urban local bodies to take up public health issues, sanitation and solid waste management largely on their own. Small urban centres, however, lack financial and technical capabilities to design such projects. Recent interventions cater to big cities resulting in further marginalisation of smaller centres.

The rapid transformation of the economy, improvement in the levels of education, transport and communication facilities, shift of workforce from agriculture to industry and service activities have provided a new impetus to India’s mobility patterns.