Presence of Horizontal Education Inequality in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam

This paper examined the pattern of horizontal education inequality in the conflict-affected Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam, India. Recent literature has identified horizontal inequalities as a significant factor in group-based conflicts. Horizontal education inequality is considered a more systematic form of discrimination, exacerbating conflicts in many conflict-affected multi-ethno-religious societies. Drawing on this literature, I investigated whether horizontal education inequality exists in BTR to inform policies aimed at restoring peace in such regions. Using the group Gini coefficient, I measured horizontal education inequality. Further, I utilized unit-level data from the 61st (2004–2005) and 66th (2009–2010) rounds of the employment and unemployment surveys conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), which was supplemented by primary data collected from a conflict-affected revenue village in the Kokrajhar district of Assam. The indicators considered for measurement were literacy rate, average year of schooling, and current attendance rate. The literacy rate was calculated for the population ages 7 and above, the current attendance rate for ages 6 to 21, and the average years of schooling for ages 15 and above. The populations were grouped into Muslim, scheduled tribe, scheduled caste, other backward class, and general categories. The estimates reveal significant horizontal education inequality in the BTR, with Muslims and scheduled tribes being the most deprived groups in terms of educational attainment.