The poorest, largely situated in rural areas where access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities is limited, often include Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). These communities face significant socio-economic challenges due to historical discrimination and marginalization, which have led to lower levels of education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. A closer look reveals that the poorest rural populations mainly consist of landless labourers and small farmers, many of whom work as agricultural labourers or own very small plots of land. Their income is often unstable and insufficient to cover basic needs. Additionally, marginalized communities engaged in informal labour, such as domestic workers, construction labourers, and others in low-wage, unregulated jobs, also fall into this category.Indigenous tribal groups living in remote, forested regions are another segment of India’s poorest, frequently experiencing poverty due to limited integration into mainstream economic systems and frequent displacement from their traditional lands.Despite these challenges, government programs and initiatives by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working to address these issues. These efforts focus on improving education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, though significant challenges remain.
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