In India, the debate around social development has sharpened with the arrival of neoliberalism, which has widened the gulf between the rich and the poor. The India: Social Development Report 2012 (SDR 2012), prepared by the Council for Social Development, evaluates the life conditions of Indian citizens by assessing social developmental indicators-political, social, and cultural. Instead of focusing solely on economic growth, it treats social development as a function of economic growth, social policy, and effective poverty reduction measures. It deals with key issues of social development and interrogates the concept of development, as well as its meaning for those who are deprived and disadvantaged. The papers included in this report, besides giving an overall picture of social development, focus on the minorities in India with respect to certain key sectors such as education, poverty, food security, and health. These factors play an important role in the betterment of the conditions of the deprived and minority communities and their life chances. The contributions combine empirical studies and critical analysis to explain the impact of policy interventions on social development and the challenges that remain. On the whole, the Report addresses the relationship between India's developmental process and social policy discourse.

Council for Social Development, ,Zoya Hasan, Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University,Mushirul Hasan, Director-General, The National Archives of India

LZoya Hasan is Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Mushirul Hasan is Director-General at The National Archives of India.

List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes
Foreword by Muchkund Dubey
List of Abbreviations
Introduction by Zoya Hasan and Mushirul Hasan
PART I: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE MARGINALIZED
1. Social Development: Some Conceptual Considerations by Jayati Ghosh
2. Recent Trends in Poverty and Inequality by Himanshu
3. Free and Compulsory Elementary Education: Still a Long Distance for Indian Children by Muchkund Dubey
4. Employment and Unemployment: Context and Prospects by Praveen Jha and Ananindra Nath Thakur
5. India's Health: Not Shining by Mohan Rao and Oommen C. Kurian
6. Gendering Social Analysis, Contextualizing Gender: Women in Neoliberal India by Indu Agnihotri
7. Regional Dimensions of Inequalities by P.M. Kulkarni and Himanshu
8. Challenges of Food Security by Tajamul Haque
9. Social Security in India by Praveen Jha, R. Ramakumar, and Nilachala Acharya
PART II: MINORITIES
10. How Social Structure Impacts the Gross Domestic Product? Role of Education and Diversity by Abusaleh Shariff, Khursheed Anwar Siddiqui, Amit Sharma, and Prabir Kumar Ghosh
11. Muslims in India: A Study of Socio-economic and Educational Levels in Four Focus States by Tanweer Fazal and Rajeev Kumar
12. Education and Exclusion of Muslims by Mohammed Sanjeer Alam
13. Madrasas and Educational Conditions of Muslims by Arshad Alam
14. Rural Power Structure, State Initiatives, and the Muslims: Divergent Experiences in Four States by Prashant K. Trivedi
15. Assessing UPA Government's Response to Muslim Deprivation by Zoya Hasan and Mushirul Hasan
16. Government's Commitment towards Development of Muslims: A Post-Sachar Assessment by Jawed Alam Khan and Pooja Parvati
17. Social Development of the Christian Community in India by Savio Abreu and Rowena Robinson
18. Social Development Index 2012 by Surajit Deb
Notes on Contributors