Instead, we demonstrate below that analysis of income mobility during the period 2014-25 yields richer insights into income distributional outcomes. Downward mobility rises here too, albeit more gradually than in rural areas, even as upward mobility improves at a faster pace than in the countryside. While upward mobility has improved for the Unreserved and OBCs, it remains muted and uneven for SCs across the entire period. Among Hindus and Muslims, downward mobility spikes around election years, while upward mobility rises more modestly. Again, discrimination against Muslims has restricted their upward mobility and not so much their downward mobility.

Source: The Hindu February 26, 2026 19:12 UTC