An Assessment of Housing Quality in India: A Spatio-Comparative Analysis of Major Social Groups

The housing quality along with the availability of household basic facilities and amenities plays an important role in shaping the healthy, safe and comfortable household environment to a prosperous life for the family members. Traditional society is characterized by noticeable distinction among the various social groups. In general, lower castes in Indian society is considered one of the most backward social groups in term of housing quality and availability of basic facilities and amenities in comparison to other advantaged social groups, especially to Upper Castes (UC) having the privilege of good quality of housing and basic facilities and amenities. The present study is an attempt to present an assessment of housing quality and condition of basic amenities through a spatial-comparative analysis between two major social groups i.e. upper-caste and scheduled castes in India. This study is primarily based on the quantitative exercise of primary data interviewed with a set of the schedule of structured questionnaires sampled from a field survey of eight major states across India. A principal component analysis (PCA) score has been designed from different selected housing and amenities’ variables in order to assess the spatio-comparative statuses of the household and, plotted on the map by using geospatial technology from the geographical point of view. Analysis of housing quality and availability of basic facilities and amenities for both the social groups divulges that there is a large spatial variation in the level of housing quality and basic facilities and amenities across selected states in India. The spatial assessment of housing quality and basic facilities and amenities shows a similar pattern for both the social groups. However, Scheduled castes’ households are deprived of housing quality and in the availability of personal household amenities and facilities in comparison to their counterparts of the privileged social group across India