Economic Status of Rag Pickers: A Study in the Tricity of Chandigarh

Many illiterate individuals turn to rag picking not by choice, but because of constrained circumstances like lack of education, skills, financial means, and social support. Many illiterate individuals are compelled to engage in rag picking as they lack formal education and marketable skills. With no capital to start a business and minimal access to resources or family support, they often have no viable alternatives for employment. This cycle of poverty and exclusion limits their opportunities for upward mobility.