The Income Mobility in Rural India: Evidence From ARIS/ REDS Surveys

Economic mobility is a significant consequence of income inequality and growth. In this paper, authors have used a unique ARIS/ REDS surveys data set for rural India spanning three decades to determine the reasons and magnitude of income mobility. The triggers that have been identified include land ownership, affirmative actions and occupation. There exists wide income diversity among education level, family size, land ownership and different caste groups. The income mobility continues to be low. Further, the land reforms and advantages from affirmative actions have not made significant impact on the income mobility over the periods.