ABSTRACT

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s social and economic transformation in the decades leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic and explores both resilience and vulnerabilities in Indian society.

It provides an in-depth look into diverse aspects of Indians live, earn a living and care for their children by examining vital indicators such as poverty, malnutrition, health and marriage and family relationships, among others. Analysing the data from the India Human Development Surveys, it presents a complex picture of India’s transformation and large economic and educational gains, while exploring the reasons why these have not translated into social transformation of a similar magnitude. The volume also describes the backdrop against which the Covid-19 pandemic crippled the Indian economy. In effect, it foreshadows the challenges that need to be addressed on the road to recovery. It argues that in order to reduce the scarring and ensure recovery for all , it will be important to focus on the underlying conditions faced by the most vulnerable sections of the Indian society as policymakers seek to effectively tend to issues of socioeconomic inequality and marginalization in the long run.

Rich in data and analysis, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of economics, political economy, sociology, and development studies..

1. Why Did Poverty Decline in India? A Nonparametric Decomposition Exercise 2. Do Income and Income Inequality Have Any Impact on Morbidity? Evidence from the India Human Development Survey 3. Excess Weight in India: Gender Differentials, Location Patterns and Health Consequences 4. Economic Reforms and Growth of Private School Enrolment in India: Is There a Cause for Concern? 5. Private Schooling in India: Changes in Learning and Achievement Experience: Analysis Based on the India Human Development Survey 6. Expectations of Support from Daughters in India: The Role of Education, Employment, and Empowerment 7. Are the Young and the Educated More Likely to Have “Love” than Arranged Marriage? A Study of Autonomy in Partner Choice in India 8. The Impact of Household Membership in Community Based Organisations on Child Health and Education in Rural India