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Abstract
In the context of sustainable development of a country, the socio-economic progress of people and regions are of a broad relevance. And, it is particularly significant for a populous developing country like India. The socio-economic development is a means of having excellent employment opportunities, a way out to fight with poverty and inequality, and a strategy for improving the quality of life of people. In this context, this paper examines the pattern of socio-economic development across 20 Indian States at four-time points - 1981, 1991,2001 and 2011. The findings of the study provide evidence of the existence of spatialtemporal inequality in the levels of socio-economic development across the Indian States. This finding is significant for the policymakers striving to achieve balanced regional development. Skill formation among young adults and appropriate infrastructural developments along with sound governance system can go a long way in contributing to the process of socio-economic development of backward regions / states of India.
Keywords: Composite Index, Indian States, Inequality, PCA, Socio-economic Development
Introduction
Socio-economic development has been considered as an essential aspect of the overall development of a region/nation. It is a multi-dimensional process which is closely associated with the improvements in the quality of life of people (Mishra, 2017). Improvement in quality of life has been observed to be associated with the advances in the conditions of health, education, housing, sanitation, urbanization, population structure, infrastructure, and like. Thus, socio-economic development of a region is mapped for improvements in these dimensions of well-being. Therefore, economists including Dreze & Sen (1999), Deaton & Dreze (2002), Dreze & Sen (2002), Sen (2003), Deaton (2003), and Dreze & Sen (2013) emphasized on these dimensions of human well-being for assessing the level of socio-economic development of an area/region/nation. The consideration of socioeconomic development in such a multi-dimensional framework is significant for evaluating the degree of disparity in the level of development across regions, thereby enabling formulation of plans and policies for achieving balanced regional development.
India is a country of diversity in many aspects, including economic, social, political, cultural, and environmental. The most trivial among these is the disparities in the levels of socio-economic development across the Indian States. In spite of the productive efforts of government of India to achieve balanced regional...