ABSTRACT
Impact evaluation has emerged as a dominant choice of methodology in evaluating final impact of any programme initiated by state, multilateral agencies or non-government organizations. Being different from simple monitoring, IE addresses the issues related to the final outcome of a program, culled out from other programs and initiatives. While the comparison of outcomes between before-after situations and beneficiary-non beneficiary fails to control for the selection bias of the sample who received the programme treatment, IE can successfully remove that bias by locating the true counterfactual. The right choice of methodology from randomized control trial, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity and difference-in-difference etc. would depend upon the specific context and environ of the study. This chapter aims at locating the vast literature using IE for different Indian policy programs, which might act as a ready reckoner for research scholars who plan to use them in future.
