A significantly larger proportion of Muslim workers are engaged in small proprietary enterprises and their participation in formal sector employment is significantly less than the national average. They work in their own enterprises located in their own homes is consistent with the relatively larger reliance of Muslim workers on self employment, a feature that has been noted earlier. The Gopal Singh Committee found about 2% Muslims at different levels of Banks. In its study of 105 government offices in 65 Districts in13 states, it found only 1.61% Muslims in Class-I, 3% in Class-II, 4.41% in Class-III and 5.12% in Class-IV levels. According to it, there were only 4.52% Muslims in the High Courts of 14 states. It said that no private company other than TISCO, and TEXMACO (Birla Group) responded to the request of the Gopal Singh Committee for providing data on Muslims’ presence.

The Gopal Singh Committee surveyed financial institutions. It found no Muslim in top 121 executives Public Sector Undertakings and no Muslim in their 262 members of directors. It found only 2.6% Muslim members of the Board of Director and 5.7% as non-official directors. It found no Muslim among 26 top executives in RBI, IDBI, IFCI, Deposits Insurance and Credits Guarantee Corporation of India, General Insurance of India, Industrial Reconstruction Corporation of India, UTI, etc. It found only 0.6% Muslims in executive cadre against 10.22% in the Arvind Mills at Ahmadabad. It found 1.72% Muslim in supervisory cadre, 3.53% in the workers’ cadre and no Muslim in executive cadre in Mafatlal, Bombay.

On the basis of the NSSO data for workers engaged in “Public Order and Safety Activities”, the Committee reports (p. 102) that the share of the Muslims in these activities at the Central government level was only about 6%, while that of the Hindu-UC was 42% and both Hindu SCs/STs and Hindu Hindu OBCs had a share of 23% each. At the state level, the share of the Muslims was little higher at 7% while the other categories had shares of 37, 21 and 26% respectively. The share of the Muslims in defense sector was found to be only 4% while that of the Hindu-SCs/Sts (12%), Hindu-OBS (23%) and Hindu-UC (52%) was much higher. The Committee notes (p. 105): “One can surmise that in general Muslim men and women are in inferior jobs, such as clerical or Class IV employees, compared to the Hindu men and women even in public sector jobs”. Following five data would mirror the share of the Muslims in public life. In reality, the ratio of the Muslims’ participation may decline further as not more than four states have given full data and not all departments/sectors have provided all information required. Therefore, the data is based on the material received by the Sachhar Committee.

Source: Indian Administrative Service Civil List- 2006 Ministry of personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, GOI (51st Edition), Indian Police Service Civil Lists- 2006 Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI (50th Edition); Indian Foreign Service Civil List- 2006 Ministry of External Affairs (GOI). (Sachhar Report, p. 166).