<P> In a 2008 study, Desai et al. focussed on education attainments of children and young adults aged 6--29, from lowest caste and tribal populations of India . They completed a national survey of over 100,000 households for each of the four survey years between 1983 and 2000 . They found a significant increase in lower caste children in their odds of completing primary school . The number of dalit children who completed either middle -, high - or college - level education increased three times faster than the national average, and the total number were statistically same for both lower and upper castes . However, the same study found that in 2000, the percentage of dalit males never enrolled in a school was still more than twice the percentage of upper caste males never enrolled in schools . Moreover, only 1.67% of dalit females were college graduates compared to 9.09% of upper caste females . The number of dalit girls in India who attended school doubled in the same period, but still few percent less than national average . Other poor caste groups as well as ethnic groups such as Muslims in India have also made improvements over the 16 - year period, but their improvement lagged behind that of dalits and adivasis . The net percentage school attainment for Dalits and Muslims were statistically the same in 1999 . </P> <P> A 2007 nationwide survey of India by the World Bank found that over 80 percent of children of historically discriminated castes were attending schools . The fastest increase in school attendance by Dalit community children occurred during the recent periods of India's economic growth . </P> <P> A study by Darshan Singh presents data on health and other indicators of socio - economic change in India's historically discriminated castes . He claims: </P> <Ul> <Li> In 2001, the literacy rates in India's lowest castes was 55 percent, compared to a national average of 63 percent . </Li> <Li> The childhood vaccination levels in India's lowest castes was 40 percent in 2001, compared to a national average of 44 percent . </Li> <Li> Access to drinking water within household or near the household in India's lowest castes was 80 percent in 2001, compared to a national average of 83 percent . </Li> <Li> The poverty level in India's lowest castes dropped from 49 percent to 39 percent between 1995 and 2005, compared to a national average change from 35 to 27 percent . </Li> </Ul>

A hindu living in an early indian society is born into the brahmin caste