S Madheswaran - Böcker

This study offers insight into the discriminatory workings of the labour market and its unequal outcomes with respect to employment, wages, and occupations, and its impact on the poverty of Scheduled Caste wage workers in India. It develops an understanding of the persistence of caste inequality in employment, wages, and occupations between the Scheduled Caste and the higher castes in the private and public sectors in India. It also identifies the causes of high unemployment and low wages of the Scheduled Caste workers, and their segregation in low-paid occupations. The authors provide convincing empirical evidence ofdiscrimination in wages and its impact on reduced wage incomes and increase in the poverty of the Scheduled Caste wage workers. Estimation of discrimination in employment, unemployment, and occupation, and its impact on income and poverty of the Scheduled Caste is net addition to the existing knowledge on the subject.

The Indian Mining Industry: An Economic, Social, and Environmental Analysis delves into the intricate workings of India's mining sector by exploring the complex interplay between profit, people, and the planet. Using statistical data, case studies, and expert opinions, Parida and Madheswaran examine the productivity, efficiency, and compliance of the Indian mining industry, focusing on Odisha's Jajpur district as a case study. By employing plant-level data from 2000 to 2017 and advanced econometric methods, the authors reveal the industry's impact on output, income, and employment, while highlighting key challenges such as a low reserves-to-production ratio, inadequate investment and infrastructure, procedural delays, land acquisition issues, a shortage of skilled human capital, corruption, lack of sustainability, and a complex policy environment. The book also examines energy efficiency across sub-sectors and the environmental and social performance of mining firms, revealing significant gaps in compliance and commitment towards maintaining environmental quality and biodiversity. This comprehensive analysis thus provides valuable insights for academicians, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to balance economic growth with sustainable development.

This volume delves into the study of the world’s emerging middle class. With essays on Europe, the United States, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the book studies recent trends and developments in middle class evolution at the global, regional, national, and local levels. It reconsiders the conceptualization of the middle class, with a focus on the diversity of middle class formation in different regions and zones of world society. It also explores middle class lifestyles and everyday experiences, including experiences of social mobility, feelings of insecurity and anxiety, and even middle class engagement with social activism.Drawing on extensive fieldwork and in-depth interviews, the book provides a sophisticated analysis of this new and rapidly expanding socioeconomic group and puts forth some provocative ideas for intellectual and policy debates. It will be of importance to students and researchers of sociology, economics, development studies, political studies, Latin American studies, and Asian Studies.

In an era where evidence-based policymaking defines the credibility of governance, Value of Statistical Life in India offers a landmark contribution to the economics of risk, labour welfare, and regulatory design. This ground-breaking volume presents one of the most rigorous empirical estimations of the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) in the Indian context, addressing a critical gap in public policy analytics.Focusing on occupational risks within India’s manufacturing sector—particularly in Gujarat, the book systematically examines compensating wage differentials, insurance mechanisms, and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) frameworks. Through advanced econometric modelling and a global meta-analysis using mixed-effects regression techniques, the authors situate Indian VSL estimates within international standards, aligning domestic policy discourse with practices in developed economies such as the United States.Transcending descriptive analysis, the book offers a robust analytical foundation for cost–benefit evaluation, regulatory impact assessment, environmental risk governance, and labour protection reforms. By advocating the institutional adoption of VSL as a cornerstone of policy appraisal, it provides a transformative framework for integrating economic valuation into safety and health legislation.Scholarly, in depth and strategic in relevance, this volume is indispensable for academics, policymakers, multilateral agencies, and regulatory authorities committed to strengthening risk governance and advancing labour welfare in emerging economies.