VARIATIONS IN OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE AMONG SELECT CLANS OF THE CHURA CASTE IN RURAL AREAS OF JHAJJAR DISTRICT OF HARYANA

The present study analyzes the variations in occupational structure among select clans of the Chura caste in rural areas of Jhajjar district of Haryana. Based on four parameters such as percentage of the scheduled caste population, literacy rate, work participation rate, and the number of Chura community households, 15 villages have been selected using stratified random sampling. From these villages, a sample of 460 households has been chosen for data collection. Data obtained through a primary survey, 12 clans (gotras) have been identified in the study area. The study revealed that workers constituted nearly two-fifths of the sampled population and has been engaged in 12 different types of economic activities. More than three-fifths of the total workforce has been employed in primary activities, nearly four percent in secondary activities, and little more than one-third in various tertiary activities. The highest proportion of workers in primary activities has been observed in agricultural labour, while brick kiln work dominated the secondary sector, and sweeping has been the most common occupation in tertiary activities. The overall difference in the work participation rate between the Bagri and Pihwar clans has been observed 23 per cent in the study area. Within primary activities, the widest gap of 73.52 per cent has been recorded between the Kangda and Lauth clans. Similarly, in the sweeping profession, a remarkable difference of 56.4 per cent has been noted between the Deeka and Kangda clans within tertiary activities. Finally, it is suggested that the government should introduce skill-based training programs to improve better employment opportunities for the Chura caste in the study area.