Author: K Seeta Prabhu
Publisher: Sage Publications
Year: 2001
Language: English
Pages: 370
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0761995412
Description
This book provides a detailed exposition of the impact of economic reforms on the social sectors in India. A special feature of the book is that the analysis is conduct4ed at both the macro and micro levels.
Development debates in recent years have focused a great deal on the impact of economic reforms on the social sectors. This perspective is particularly important in the South Asian region with its large population, many of whom are poor, illiterate and malnourished. There is a general apprehension that the adverse repercussions of economic reforms on social attainment may lead to unrest and eventually to a derailment of the reform process itself.
In this context, this book provides a detailed exposition of the impact of economic reforms on the social sectors in India. The author focuses on two states – Maharashtra, which represents a high income state with relatively modest social attainments; and Tamil Nadu, which has comparable levels of social attainments despite a lower per capita income. Dr K. Seeta Prabhu examines development in these two states during the nineties, including the impact of both national and state policies.
A special feature of the book is that the analysis is conducted at both the macro and micro levels. At the macro level, the author examines overall economic growth, fiscal stress, and trends in allocations to the social sectors in both absolute and relative terms. At the micro level, the extent and quality of provisions for education, health and nutrition are examined with the help of a five-village study in both states, combined with a household survey regarding the utilization of social sector services. Another unique feature of this study is the analysis it provides, by income group, of perceptions at the household level of the quality of the services and the changes noticed during the reforms period with regard to primary education, health services and the public distribution system.
Adopting an integrated approach to the social sector as a whole and providing a new conceptual framework for the analysis of social policy, this book is an important contribution to on-going debates on development. It will attract a wide readership in the fields of economics, social policy, development studies and public policy, besides being of interest to international development organization and NGOs.
Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Boxes
List of Abbreviations
Foreword by Frances Stewart
Preface
PART I : THE SETTING
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Social Sectors: Approaches and Definition
2. Economic Reforms: Definition and Components
3. Economic Growth and Human Development
4. Social Sectors during Economic Reforms
5. Measuring the Social Impact of Reforms
6. Empirical Evidence
7. The Present Study
TWO: THE STRUCTURAL DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL POLICY: THE PRE-REFORMS PERIOD
1. Introduction
2. The Indian Scene
3. Structural Dimensions: Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
4. Social and Political Movements
5. Social Infrastructure
6. The Utilization of Social Sector Services
7. Social Sector Expenditure
8. Social Sector Attainment and Deprivation
9. Conclusion
PART II: THE ECONOMIC REFORMS PERIOD MACRO DIMENSIONS
THREE: MACRO PERFORMANCE AND SOCIAL POLICY: THE UNION GOVERNMENT
1. The Background
2. Macro Indicators
3. Fiscal Performance
4. Expenditure on Social Sectors
5. Implications for Social Policy
FOUR: ECONOMIC AND FISCAL INDICATORS: MAHARASHTRA AND TAMIL NADU
1. Introduction
2. Economic Indicators
3. Revenue and Capital Receipts
4. Revenue Expenditure and Capital Disbursements
5. Resource Gap
6. Inferences
FIVE: STATE LEVEL EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL SECTORS: LEVELS AND PATTERNS
1. Introduction
2. Nominal Expenditure on Social Sectors
3. Relative Allocations to Social Sectors
4. Real Per Capita Expenditure on Social Sectors
5. Pattern on Expenditure: Education
6. Pattern of Expenditure: Health
7. Implications
SIX: DISTRICT LEVEL EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL SECTORS
1. Introduction
2. Trends in District Level Plan Outlays: Maharashtra
3. Trends in District Level Expenditure: Tamil Nadu
4. Pune and Chengalpattu --- MGR Districts: Characteristics and Expenditure
5. Conclusion
PART III: THE ECONOMIC REFORSMS PERIOD: VILLAGE LEVEL DELIVERY SYSTEMS
SEVEN: THE PUBLIC PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES: A STUDY OF SELECTED VILLAGES
1. Introduction
2. Primary Schools
3. Primary Health Centers
4. Balwadis and the Public Distribution System
5. Social Security and Employment
6. Conclusions
EIGHT: THE UTILIZATION OF SOCIAL SECTOR SERVICES AND HOUSEHOLD PERCEPTION
1. Introduction
2. Distribution of Households according to Income and Occupation
3. Utilization and Expenditure: Primary School
4. Utilization and Expenditure: Primary Health Services
5. The Utilization of Public Distribution System
6. Household Perceptions
7. Conclusions
PART IV: POLICY IMPLICATIONS
NINE: CONCLUSION
1. Summary
2. Implications for Social Policy
Appendix Tables
Annexure I
Annexure II
Annexure III
References
Index
About the Author