A recent research paper by a group of international academics and economists has revealed that the level of segregation for Muslim and Scheduled Caste residents in Indian cities is comparable to the segregation between Black and White Americans. The paper, titled ‘Residential Segregation and Unequal Access to Local Public Services in India: Evidence from 1.5m Neighbourhoods’, utilized data from the Socioeconomic and Caste Census 2012 and the Economic Census. It discovered that 26% of the Muslim population resides in neighborhoods with over 80% Muslim population, while 17% of SCs live in neighborhoods with over 80% SC population.
According to the paper, urban segregation in India mirrors the Black/White segregation in the United States, with public facilities and infrastructure being systematically allocated away from neighborhoods where many Muslims and Scheduled Castes reside. The paper, which examined 1.5 million neighborhoods in cities and villages, highlighted disparities in access to services such as schools, healthcare, water supply, electricity, and drainage systems for marginalized groups.
Furthermore, the paper noted that residential segregation in urban areas is slightly lower than in rural areas, with newer cities being less segregated than older ones. The authors also observed that Muslims are more segregated in cities compared to rural areas, and that those living in highly segregated cities tend to be poorer. The paper, authored by academics from various institutions, including Dartmouth College and Imperial College London, is still a work-in-progress and will be published in the future.
