This article examines how access to basic services and opportunities vary across Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Authors
Deepanshu Mohan, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES), O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Aditi Desai, Senior Research Analyst with CNES and a Team Lead of its Infosphere Team.
Summary
India’s development is a story of contrasts.
While some regions boast booming economies, others face entrenched challenges. This disparity isn’t limited to geography. Even within individual states, there can be vast differences, with some districts enjoying prosperity while others struggle. This uneven development presents a complex picture for the nation’s future, highlighting the need for targeted policies to ensure inclusive growth across all regions and communities.
A recent study by the Centre for New Economic Studies at O.P. Jindal Global University sought to answer this very question. We attempted to conceptualise the creation of an index envisioning to measure and study differential inequality of access in terms of access to basic social and economic services and opportunities in the states and union territories of India.
The previous part of this series highlighted the complexities of regional inequality within seemingly well-performing states of Southern India. Now, we shift our focus eastward to examine how access to basic services and opportunities vary across Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Published in: The Quint
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