ABSTRACT
There has been a growing interest among researchers in whether economic betterment can reduce Maoist insurgencies in India. Various cross-country approaches have used aggregate data to identify the role of various development programs in restructuring the economic conditions in favour of the poor in the Maoist-affected states, which will help reduce conflicts. However, a closer look at the data and a review of the emerging literature clearly showed that the connection between poverty and Maoism goes beyond economic terms and can be identified as a process characterized by a complex interplay between social persecution and economic deprivation. This study will investigate the role of such interactions between various social and economic factors to explain the district-level variations in the incidences of Maoist insurgencies from 2011 to 2017 in Indian states. To do so, the study draws its motivation from theories of social discrimination and capability.
