15. An Exploration into Inter-Generational Occupational Mobility in India: Evidences from IHDS-II

The paper analyses the extent and pattern of occupational mobility in India by using data on male population aged 16–65 years from IHDS-II. The mobility analysis is done by constructing various indices like the Absolute Mobility Index, Shorrock-Prais Index and Bartholomew Index. The paper provides explanations for the factors which affect mobility and upward mobility and finds that an individual’s upward mobility is positively correlated with his own education and his household’s asset owners’hip. Furthermore, if the father is from a higher occupation category or if the household size of the individual is large, then there is less chance of mobility or upward mobility. In spite of the fact that occupational mobility in India is sticky, there has been significant mobility and upward mobility if we go from an older generation to a relatively younger generation. We also find that there is significant upward mobility in the east and north zones compared to south and west zones. The backward castes have also recorded higher levels of mobility and upward mobility vis-a-vis the forward castes indicating that they are climbing the occupational ladder.