Human Development Equity and Gender Justice

The ultimate objective of all economic efforts is human development, which encompasses quality of life, the level of well-being, and access to basic social services. The fundamental rights that India's constitution guarantees to every citizen include the right to life and the right to livelihood. The root cause of social insecurity in India is poverty and this is largely due to lack of adequate or productive employment opportunities. The pattern of economic development in India since independence in 1947 has left in its trail a variety of inequalities which have caused socio-political tensions. While the economy has performed well in terms of the growth rate of gross domestic product, its performance in terms of human development indicators has been unsatisfactory. India's recent economic growth performance has, indeed, been creditable. However, such growth must make a demonstrable difference to the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. India has the potential and the means to secure a reasonable standard of living for all of its citizens. The socio-economically disadvantaged - particularly women in rural areas - have yet to benefit from development efforts. The contributions in this book provide deep insights into the various aspects of India's human development in the context of social justice and female empowerment.

Dr. Sudeepta Adhikari is Professor of Geography and former Vice-Chancellor of Patna University, Patna. He has to his credit several books and more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed national and international journals He has traveled to Australia, USA, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, Korea, Bangladesh, South Africa and Tunisia to deliver lectures, and participate in seminars, sympsoia, and conferences. His is a member of the American Geographical Society.

Professor B.R.K. Sinha is currently Professor of Geography, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India. He is internationally recognized for his research on geography of human resource development. He has published nearly 50 research papers/articles in national and international journals. He has participated in 33 National and 24 International seminars/conferences. On invitation from professional geographical organizations, he has visited Czech Republic, South Korea, Romania, UK, USA and Canada.