Determinants and Constraints of Rural Household Livelihood Diversification among the Scheduled Caste Families: Evidence from West Bengal

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
S. Aboo
S. K. Jha
G. Kar
N. M. Alam
R. K. Naik
S. P. Mazumdar
P. Biswas
S. Samanta
Crop Production Division, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibre, Kolkata, Barrackpore – 700120, India.
10.22034/JAST.27.3.543
Abstract
Livelihood diversification is the key to a sustainable rural economy. The study aimed to assess livelihood diversity, determinants, and constraints among the scheduled caste families in Beraberia village of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, to plan a foolproof developmental program. Simple random sampling was followed to select a sample size of 108 from the study area. The Simpson livelihood index formula was used to assess the level of livelihood diversification, and the Tobit model was used to find the determinants of the livelihood diversity index. A preferential ranking technique was followed to analyze the constraints in livelihood diversification. The most common livelihood activity in the study area was agriculture, with an income contribution of 60.72%. Around 66% of the households had a medium to high livelihood diversity index. The Tobit regression model result showed that income, economic motivation, and access to credit were the significant determinants of livelihood diversification in the study area. At the same time, the family dependency ratio negatively influenced the Diversification index. Further, the constraint analysis in livelihood diversification revealed that lack of capital (Rank Based Quotient, RBQ 0.77) and livelihood assets (0.75) were significant impediments to livelihood diversification. The study suggests that government bodies must prioritize credit access and capacity building among Scheduled Caste (SC) families in rural areas to create more profitable and sustainable livelihoods among the weaker sections of the society.

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 27, Issue 3
May and June 2025
Pages 543-557