Caste-Based Exclusion in Nepal’s Communal Micro-Hydro Plants

Authors

Bikul M. Tulachan, Hanover College

Abstract

Discriminatory practices rooted in an ethno-caste system have dominated Nepal for centuries. This paper investigates the existence of such practices in Nepal's communal micro-hydro plants. A field research on the role of caste in influencing access to electricity was carried out in Ghandruk, Nepal. The research indicates that although the costs of establishing the micro-hydro plant is shared equally between user-groups, benefit sharing is highly uneven. This analysis demonstrates the need for development projects to be more aligned with socio-economic ground realities.

Recommended Citation

Tulachan, Bikul M. (2008) "Caste-Based Exclusion in Nepal’s Communal Micro-Hydro Plants," Undergraduate Economic Review: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 14.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol4/iss1/14