This study (2008-09) is a feasibility study that documents and analyses existing employment scenario with the focus on the marginalised communities – scheduled castes (dalits), scheduled tribes in Kachchh (Bhil, Parghi), Koli and Devipujak (belong to other backward classes) and Muslims. Due to low literacy and high incidence of poverty, the members of the marginalised communities are deprived of employment and related social security, rights and are vulnerable to social exclusion in terms of lack of basic amenities, political participation and decision-making.

The study has provided details of various income generation activities of the respondents; access and avail of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes and annual analysis of the employment available. It points out that creating new job avenues and preparing the marginalized communities to be self reliant with asset building and skill building could be the best possible approach. There is need to link them with existing or new job avenues and employment opportunities. A Community College could be a viable option, to set up skill based self owned business or employment opportunities, guidance or direction to link up with the existing industries in the region and extension services to the region.

The tribals have faced peculiar identity crisis, beginning with its identification – adivasi (indigenous people), scheduled tribes, tribal and vanvasi. In development dialogue,approach to development of tribals has come under scrutiny, with a question: ‘whether tribals should be considered distinct or should be assimilated in mainstream.’ The study (2007) hascollected and documented political, economic, legal, educational and religious processes, which has contributed in shaping identity of tribals, mainly on their worldview, social structures and traditional system of panch (system of governance and justice delivery mechanism), and cultural practices to understand their role and functioning in the present democratic system of Panchayati Raj and PESA to articulate the concept of ‘self-rule’ or ‘local self-government’ of different tribes in different geographic areas, i.e. 11 tribes from 28 village panchayats of 10 districts of Gujarat.

Government have a large range of schemes as part of poverty alleviation aiming at attainment of socio-economic equity. Banaskantha Dalit Sangathan (BDS), a community based organization observed that a huge number of applications made by dalit families remains as pending in government departments for years after years. This study aims to assess the situation of availing benefit from government schemes by dalit families in Banaskantha district and to find out the reasons for higher proportion of ‘pending application’ during 2000 and 2005.

Though India is a signatory to International Convention on Child Rights, the concept and heuristic approach to achieve child rights are under discussion and debate, as to how to ensure child rights – independently or as part of community rights, at the village level. This is a baseline study, conducted in collaboration of Child rights and You (CRY) and Behavioural Science Centre (BSC) during 2005-06. The main objectives were to identify child rights related issues, plan interventions and mobilising people for ensuring child rights, that is, survival, development and governance, socialisation and protection. Moreover, the study revealed other issues that violate rights of children, such as, child labour, child trafficking, child adoption and legal provisions, children witnessing violence and armed conflicts and physically and mentally challenged children.

Behavioural Science Centre (BSC, an NGO) decided to conduct a baseline survey in 2002, that is, post earthquake in 2001 with its epicentre at Kachchh district of Gujarat. The data available was scanty and scattered, as census was not conducted in 2001 due to earthquake and residents of Kachchh were busy restoring livelihood and shelters.

This survey (2002-03) mainly aimed at creating database on the marginalized communities, mainly Koli, Dalit, Muslim (KDM) and using it for long term planning and strategic intervention in field areas of BSC – mainly Vagad region (Bhachau and Rapar block) of Kachchh.The primary data have been collected from 906 households from 42 villages of Rapar and Bhachau block, with the total population of 4,114, which represents 1.5% to the total population of Rapar and Bhachau blocks; however, the population of KDM is about 36% to the total population of the two blocks. The village level survey has covered 49 villages (about 30%) of Rapar and Bhachau blocks, of which 28 belong to Rapar and 21 to Bhachau blocks.

Many revelations have been surfaced about Vagad and Kachchh as a region and as a plural society, as the landscape of the study was extensive. The study has captured and posed some key questions for “desired development” of the region and potentiality of the residents to bring about social change, which could be fully explored for their empowerment.