1st Edition
India's Social Sector and SDGs Problems and Prospects
This book explores the intersectional perspective of sustainable social development in key sectors, such as education and skill development, health and nutrition, gender concerns, and food security and agriculture in India. It delves into contemporary concerns of poverty, employment and inclusive growth, and social marginalisation and inequality. The volume brings together the contributions of various stakeholders from academia, research organisations, NGOs and policymakers to address social-sector issues and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the Indian context. It reflects on policies, strategies and performance in the context of Constitutional goals and the commitment to global SDGs and examines the character and contours of social development in the country.
Comprehensive and topical, this volume will be useful to scholars, researchers, policymakers and practitioners of development studies, political studies, sociology and development economics.
Foreword by Yoginder. K. Alagh
Preface
List of Figures and Tables
List of Abbreviations
Contributors
Part I. Introduction
1. Social Sector Development in India: An Overview
Rangachar Govinda
Part II. SDG: Process and Outcome
2. Reflections on Sustainable Development Goals from the Perspective of Developing Countries: Transformative Change or Business as Usual?
Mitu Sengupta
Part III. Education and Skill Development
3. School Education in India and SDGs: Issues and Challenges
Preet Rustagi, Swati Dutta and Deeksha Tayal
4. Knowledge, Skills and Sustainable Development: Role of Higher Education
N. V. Varghese
5. Challenges Beyond Schooling: Skilling Youth to Realise the Goal of Vocational Education and Training in India
Santosh Mehrotra and Vinay Swarup Mehrotra
Part IV. Health, Nutrition and Food Security
6. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 in the Indian Context: The Policy-Action Incoherence
T. Sundararaman and Alok Ranjan
7. Public Health Policies: Generating Revenues or Relief?
Imrana Qadeer
8. Macro-Masking of Micro Realities: Access to Food and Nutrition among Tribals
Nitin Tagade and R. S. Deshpande
9. Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in India
Mondira Bhattacharya and Ankita Goyal
Part V. Gender Equality
10. Gender and Sustainable Development Goals
Suneeta Dhar
11. Women’s Work Participation and Maternity Protection Conundrum in India: Call for High-Priority Interventions
Lakshmi Lingam
Part VI. Poverty, Employment and Inequality
12. Are We Really Concerned About Employment: Some Reflections on India’s Current Macroeconomic Policy Regime
Praveen Jha
13. Exploring the Relationship between Economic Growth, Employment and Education in Indian States
Mona Khare
14. Elite Dominance and Rising Inequality in India
Zoya Hasan
15. Thinking Samata at the SDG Moment
Manoranjan Mohanty
Part VII. Conclusion
16. Making India’s Development Inclusive: Centrality of Education and Health
Muchkund Dubey
Index
Biography
Rangachar Govinda is Distinguished Professor at the Council for Social Development and former Vice-Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India. He was the J. P. Naik National Fellow for Studies in Education and Culture, Indian Council for Social Science Research. He has been a visiting professor at the Institute of Education, University of London, and the International Institute for Educational Planning, Paris. His areas of interest include primary education, decentralised management, leadership development, policy analysis, human rights and democracy.
Poornima M. is Assistant Professor at the Council for Social Development, New Delhi, India. She holds a doctorate from the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has completed about four to five research and evaluation studies and is currently heading an ICSSR-sponsored Research Study on "Reviving Government Schools". Her research interests include governance, elementary education, public sector reforms, local government, public policies and gender issues.
