ONGOING STUDIES
Telangana Social Development Report 2020
Government of Telangana and Asmita Resource Centre for Women
Based on the analyses made in TSDR 2017 and TSDR 2019, empirical studies exploring gaps and questions thrown up by quantitative analyses on social indicators are envisaged for the third report on TSDR (2020). The analysis on Education had thrown up several concerns: NSSO data indicated that in 2014, 10% of boys and 18% of girls never enrolled or dropped out in Telangana while the gender gap in overall education was in favour of girls in both rural and urban areas, they did not join the higher education. Similarly, there is an increasing tendency to among all categories to students (more boys than girls) to be enrolled in private educational institutions. In terms of preference for course among gender and social groups, it was found that humanities were pursued by larger proportion of ST, SC, OBC and males among Others and females among SCs dominate Humanities. Given this context, TSDR-2020, by conducting a large-scale sample survey, intends broadly to study the educational situation in both rural and urban areas of all 33 newly formed districts of Telangana State for efficient planning and monitoring of the development targets at administrative units, such as district level in particular and state level in general.
Dynamics of Parental Choice of Schooling in Rural Areas: A Study in Telangana
ICSSR, New Delhi
The existence of private schools is not new phenomena in state but a preliminary exploratory field visit has revealed that new low budget private schools are emerging in rural areas and these schools are creating ample choices for parents to send their children to schools. However, the availability, accessibility, affordability and adoptability of private schools to be examined those in rural areas where private players in school education are attracting the parental choice despite presence of free government schools is a matter of concern. In this context, the study examines equity in access to education using indicators of school education such as physical infrastructure and learning outcomes
The main objective of the present study to understand the emergence of private schools and the extent to which this has influenced parental choice of schooling for their children across different socio economic groups. The study would also focus on the learning outcomes of children both in private and public schools.
Statistical Compendium on the Status of Education in Telangana
CSD, Hyderabad produces Telangana Social Development Report (TSDR) for the Government of Telangana (TSDR 2017, TSDR 2018). Now it is under the preparation of TSDR 2020 by conducting a large-scale sample survey, intends broadly to study the educational situation in both rural and urban areas of all 33 districts of Telangana state for efficient planning and monitoring of the development targets at administrative units, such as district level in particular and state level in general. The survey for TSDR-2020 is aimed to explore the specific reasons for (1) children never enrolled in / dropped out of school in the age group of 6-16; (2) parents opting private institutions for their child education; (3) student’s choice of courses in higher education; and (4) girls in the age group of 16-29 not in higher education (discontinued after Class X). Hence, the selection process of sample villages, mandals in rural; and towns/wards in urban areas to estimate the reasons mentioned under five themes at districts level is the major objective of the study.
The main objective of the compendium is to generate baseline information on the status of education for the 33 districts. As the size of households covered for the house-listing is considerably big, CSD in this regard proposed to analyse the information for the above 5 indicators and present it statistically for all the 33 districts. The main of the analysis is to help the state for longitudinal surveys on education status keeping the compendium as the base point.
Women’s Employment, Interstate Variations and Time-use: A Comparative Study of Bihar and Telangana
Azim Premji University, Bangalore (Administered at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad)
Women’s participation in labour force in India has historically been low. Recent years witnessed a further decline. This low and declining female labour force participation generated competing hypothesis and contesting claims. However, the debate ignored an important dimension: huge interstate variation in labour force participation of women. The study intends to examine the empirical validity of competing claims and employs multiple methods to assess women’s participation in labour force in India.?
The study examines three interrelated questions. First, why do labour force participation rates of women remain so low in India and why are inter-state variations huge and unchanging over the years Second, whether such huge inter-state variations are primarily a product of, or utterly unrelated to, structural transformations and nature of economic growth Third, can and to what extent time-use studies and alternative concepts of work capture the gamut of changing, intermittent and simultaneous but multiple jobs increasingly done by women in India.
Covid-19 Induced Vulnerabilities and Coping Strategies of Small Producers: Two Case Studies from Gujarat and Telangana
Collaborative Project - Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad and CSD, Hyderabad
ICSSR, New Delhi
This study focuses on the supply shocks suffered by agri and allied enterprises in the context of the COVID health pandemic focusing on two of highly perishable products viz., horticulture products from Gujarat and a seasonal food product ‘Haleem’ in Telangana. Both the products have suffered supply shocks resulting in loss of income and potential employment.
Agriculture and Marketing System in Telangana - A Policy Study
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
The present study will make an attempt to examine changing pattern of the land use, land holding size, proportion of net sown area under various irrigation sources, effectiveness of marketing system, its efficacy and challenges, outcomes of Rythu Bandhu scheme and status of crop insurance and agricultural credit in the state of Telangana. It also focuses on active agricultural services such as availability and distribution of quality seeds to farmers, market prices, and extent of share of different crops (high value crops, commercial crops and households’ consumption crops) and infrastructural facilities in selected villages.
Public Health Services - A Study in Telangana
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
The study will look at institutional efficacy in delivering such important health services in Telangana state and how is institutional governance (staffing, budgeting and monitoring) at respective health care centres. The basic questions raised are how are institutions functioning in providing primary health services? What are factors affecting women’s outreach during pregnancy and childbirth? Are there any factors to quantify health services (possible factors such as quality of care, treatment provided by health centres, costs of services if any, travel costs, awareness about services etc)? Have these factors changed during the last five years? These questions will be addressed in the proposed study.
Institutional Interventions for Maternal Care and Safe Motherhood in Telangana State: Status and Way Forward
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
The proposed research will identify the causal factors related to teenage pregnancies in Jogulamba Gadwal, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Warangal Rural and Khammam with a special focus on gender, income group, minority and social category against national level given the availability of data; Document all the programmes and schemes that are initiated to postpone the marriage of the women until they attain 18 years achieve in Vikarabad, Khammam, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool and suggest concrete steps to improve the performance of different indicators related to marriage by highlighting the comparative performances of districts (with best performing districts e.g. Medchal-Malkajgiri) of Telangana through documenting best practices; and Document all the programmes and schemes that are initiated for safe motherhood in Nirmal, Mancherial, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla and Khammam and suggest concrete steps to improve the performance of different indicators related to delivery care by highlighting the comparative performances of districts (with best performing districts e.g. Adilabad) of Telangana through documenting best practices.
Child Undernutrition in Telangana: An Assessment on the Efficacy of Nutrition Schemes
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
First, are there any significant hurdles in accessing the nutrition services by the children and the pregnant/lactating mothers, and if so what are such hurdles and how they can be addressed. Second, in what ways and means the reach and effectiveness of the nutrition centric services can possibly be enhanced in these districts. The study assumes critical importance, as it can provide insights on a crucial aspect in which significant improvement is required in Telangana.
State-led Empowerment or Employment?: A Study of Female Bus Conductors in Telangana
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
The study seeks to evaluate the empowerment effects of the public policy in Telangana earmarking 33 percent of bus conductor positions to females. Specifically, the study seeks to examine whether the state-led provision for female bus conductors has led to any significant enhancement in dimensions of empowerment in women’s lives. Further, it is important to identify the dimensions of empowerment in which this policy has contributed the most and the least improvement, and ascertain their causes and consequences.
By examining the linkages between women’s employment and empowerment through a public policy, what the study attempts to uncover are larger in ambit: potentials, actual achievements and possible limits of state-led empowerment. By uncovering such dimensions and the larger processes underlying whether and why female bus conductors feel themselves empowered or not and how, the study can help identify the proven enablers and possible hindrances to state-led public policies intending to bolster women’s empowerment through employment.
Including the Excluded: COVID-19, Online Education and Children with Disabilities in Telangana
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
The central questions addressed in this research are to: what have been the challenges children with disabilities encounter while accessing education? How has the shift to online education in the present pandemic phase affected their access? Has it opened up possibilities of flexible learning? Is online education exacerbating the marginalities and the impact of intersectionalities which children with disabilities encounter? How can we make online education more inclusive for children with disabilities? How do children feel that they can be better included? How can digital platforms be used to enhance education for children with disabilities?
The main aim of the study is to document the narrative of inclusivity in education in general and online education in pandemic phase in particular through the voices of children with disabilities.
A Policy Study on Governance of Welfare Development of Sanitation Workers in Telangana
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
This study will mainly analyze socio-economic conditions of households of sanitation workers of urban areas in 33 district’s headquarters. The aim of this research is to bring out concrete policy outcomes for both sanitation workers through institutional arrangements for the state of Telangana. The objectives of the research will be to describe the socio-economic condition of sanitation workers, to understand complex working and institutional environment, and to describe the characteristics of nature of work and its adverse health implications, their socio-economic complexities and review of existing governmental protective and safety measures so as to bring out a concrete plan of action for safety and protective measures of sanitation working force in the state.
Preparation of a Training Module for the Capacity Development of the Planning Department Officials, Government of Telangana
Department of Planning, Government of Telangana
Build capacity of officials on the fundamentals of socio-economic research; Equip them with the use of the qualitative and quantitative research tools, techniques and perspectives; and Train them in application of methods; impart familiarity in the selection of appropriate tools and techniques and writing of reports.
Aspirational Districts and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes: A Study in Telangana
CSD Core
The study is intended to examine the outreach and impact of the ongoing programme of Transformation of Aspirational Districts (Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalapally and Komaram Bheem-Asifabad) among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state of Telangana. The main objective of the programme is to enhance the Human Development Index and reduce developmental variations between both inter-state and inter-districts. The programme has identified these districts as backward based on certain indicators, thus signifying geographic location as a unit of intervention. In this proposed study, however, we seek to examine the objectives in a slightly different way, i.e. social location than geographic location. Specifically, the study would assess the outreach and impact of this programme among SCs and STs. The study analyses development process locating six thematic areas of the programme of Transformation of Aspirational Districts such as - Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure with a focus on marginalized social groups.
Being Childless: Coping a Social Taboo
CSD Core
Society treats married couples who are childless in a discriminatory manner and this often raises questions in one’s mind as to why being childless is a taboo. The factors that contribute to such a status are multi-pronged: biological, social and environmental. Thus, couples cannot alone be held responsible and society invariably finds the women at fault and blames them. These women are ill-treated on a daily basis and even addressed in derogatory terms such as as Godrallu (term in Telugu for ‘barren’ women). The main aim of this study is to probe the reasons behind such taboo, the perception of the society at large towards such couples and the ways and paths in which such couples cope in everyday lives. This study tries to address this by undertaking in-depth interviews with childless couples, medical practitioners, counsellers and the general public. The study tries to suggest recommendations to change the societal attitudes towards childless couples and the role of policy makers in helping them cope with the taboo.