Sat Apr 19 13:34:34 UTC 2025: ## Assam Shows Lowest Consumption Inequality in India: Chief Minister

**GUWAHATI, Assam – April 19, 2025** – Assam boasts the lowest consumption inequality in India, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Citing data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Sarma attributed this to the social teachings of 15th-16th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva, which he said fostered a “casteless society.”

The data reveals that in Assam, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) individuals have virtually the same spending power as their general category counterparts. While the average general category spending nationwide exceeded that of other classes by at least 10%, Assam shows minimal disparity. The spending gap for SCs in Assam was only 1.01 times higher than the general category, and for OBCs, it was negligible (0.01 times). There was no consumption gap between general category individuals and STs.

West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh followed Assam in exhibiting relatively low consumption inequality, the data indicated. Conversely, Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan were among the states with the most significant disparities. Kerala, for instance, showed a general category spending 1.58 times higher than that of SC individuals. The data also highlighted Gujarat as the most unequal state for OBCs, Haryana for SCs, and Punjab for STs. The study also revealed that SC and OBC categories saw the biggest reduction in consumption inequality over the past decade.

Read More