Articles by K Navaneetham

We examine whether access to aspects of social infrastructure, such as toilet facilities, drinking water on the premises and clean cooking fuels, leads to a decline in the incidence of undernutrition among women, which remains quite high in India. The analysis, based on the National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-06) unit-level data, suggests that access to these three aspects of social infrastructure is likely to enhance women's nutrition in India. Of these three aspects, the influence of access to clean cooking fuels remains quite significant. The findings, which assume importance from multiple angles, underline the importance of policies and programmes that ensure access to social infrastructure to the poor, in general, and poor women, in particular.

This article utilises the National Family Health Survey-3 data and presents an empirical assessment of income-related health inequality in India. It undertakes a state-level analysis of inequities in child health by employing the widely accepted measures of concentration curves and concentration indices. It finds that the poorer sections of the population are beleaguered with ill health whether in the quest for child survival or due to anxieties pertaining to child nutrition. Further, an attempt is made to comprehend the relationship between income inequality and health status in the Indian context. The analysis reveals that the degree of health inequalities escalates when the rising average income levels of the population are accompanied by rising income inequalities. The income-poor sections have different needs and therefore, planning and intervention necessitates an understanding of the sources of inequality and recognition of the vulnerable groups to arrive at efficient resource allocation and policy decisions.

Decline in Sex Ratio Alternative Explanation Revisited S Irudaya Rajan U S Mishra K Navaneetham COMMENTING on Kundu and Sahu (hereafter referred as KS) on their note on variation in sex ratio (SR) [October 12,1991], we had provided an alternative explanation for the decline in SR noted in the 1991 Census [December 21, 1991]. Again, Saraswathi Raju and Mahendra K Premi (hereafter referred as RP) have joined the debate neither making any meaningful contribution nor clearing the doubts raised by us [April 25, 1992). RP in their re-examination of alternative explanation have made scathing criticisms 'blindly' against us.