Disparities in Social Development and Status of women: An analysis of India and its states

The focus of the present article is to assess inter-state differential among states of India in the context of changing status of women and social opportunities. To determine women’s changing status, different indicators like female literacy rate, median age at first marriage and first birth, using modern contraceptive, received at least one Antenatal checkup, Institutional delivery, exposed to any source of media, work status, involved in decision making. However overall literacy rate, percent of urban population, household with piped drinking water, any toilet facility, electricity facility, house type as pucca, full vaccination coverage, crude birth and death rate and total fertility rate are considered as social indicator. To examine the association between two dimensions from NFHS-1 to NFHS-3, we created two indices named as Women Status index and Social Development Index using Taxonomic approach. The nexus between social development and women status has been figured out with help of correlation and upshots proves the intense association between two dimensions. Results reveal that during NFHS-1 women’s status is observed highest in Kerala and lowest in Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However with enhancing social opportunities, status is improving but its degree is still very low in northern states of India.