Social Equity Analysis in Madhya Pradesh, India – A Reality Check

Abstract

Social equity has been recognized globally as an important contributing factor for inclusive growth and has been the focus of programming by many governments. The present study considers the status of social equity in Madhya Pradesh with special reference to health, education and socioeconomic aspects of social development. The policies along with central/state schemes focusing on sectors such as education, health, nutrition, WASH and tribal development have been reviewed. Attention was given to understand the impact of existing policies/schemes and to determine the gaps in the existing system. The paper is organized as follows. In the first phase, the study analyses the status of health, education, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sectors in Madhya Pradesh. Secondly, the global perspective is given in the local context to understand the various factors influencing the outcome indicators. Thirdly, policy prescription and recommendations are provided to confirm that the strategies and policies will be able to address those bottlenecks. These findings could have significant implications for the policies aiming to reduce social disparity and inequalities in the state.