This book analyses the reasons for relying on behavioural contraception methods among urban 'elites' in India and examines their efficacy in controlling fertility. It also traces variations in contraception choice over the reproductive cycle of women. Although researchers and policy makers generally equate reliance on behavioural contraceptive methods with low levels of education and awareness and lack of desire to control fertility, this perception has been questioned in recent years. The authors' analysis of the first three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data in India reveals that behavioural contraceptive methods are popular in eastern India. Moreover, it is urban educated women who rely on behavioural methods, and are apparently able to regulate fertility quite effectively with such methods. NFHS data, however, has some limitations and this motivates the authors to explore birth control methods through primary surveys of currently married graduate women in Kolkata. The use of behavioural contraception methods is a little researched area globally and this is the first book focusing on the topic in India.

Based on a survey of women workers in Kolkata's IT sector, this book argues that growth of the IT sector has created a demand for skilled professionals. This has provided scope for highly educated urban women to create a space of self-expression and enjoy enhanced status and prestige within their families. These women workers carefully plan their career and daily activities, keeping in mind the need to balance diverse and conflicting needs of work and home. This kind of decision-making occurs outside the utilitarian framework and is better framed in terms of Herbert Simon's 'satisficing' approach, which takes into account the bounded rationality of agents. Written in lucid, non-technical language, the book will be an invaluable addition to existing works on gender and labour studies and will be of interest to social scientists undertaking research on gender, labour and the IT sector.

This book provides a multidisciplinary analysis of the many socio-economic challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic across international boundaries, disrupting the economic system and life styles globally. It starts by setting the historical context of the pandemic and proceeds to describe the impact on the Indian economy, how certain sections of the population have become economically and psychologically vulnerable. International experts from diverse fields-development economics, macroeconomics, corporate finance, history, sociology, psychology, public policy, and urban studies-contribute to this exciting analysis of an Indian and global society at the crossroads. The book examines emerging themes related to global economic revival, intellectual property rights over the vaccine, and rupturing of the global supply chains. It discusses the response of institutions and markets to the global pandemic. It closes with a futuristic look at the new society and global system that may emerge out of the chaos. A valuable resource appealing to a wide readership across the social sciences and the humanities. Readers include undergraduate students, postgraduate students, researchers and academic teachers, and also public policy experts.

This book provides a broad overview of the current research on various aspects of development, with a focus on India. The content and treatment of the subject of development in this volume is distinctive in many ways. It is a balanced mix of theory and practical elements, dealing with a number of issues at micro as well as macro levels. The analyses of the current socio-economic problems are attempted in an elegant yet simple manner which makes it equally useful for an aspiring researcher in economics or any inter disciplinary field. The methodologies of the articles include analytical verbal argumentative logic, theoretical constructs or different versions of statistical, econometric or programming techniques. It also contains well written survey articles, which are useful in grasping the fundamental research issues and in tracing the progress of research in an area. The general scope of the book is very wide as the readership can include researchers, scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, policy makers and practitioners. Though the contributors are primarily scholars in the field of Economics or Statistics, the book contains useful takeaways for those working in the area of Development. It will also be of interest to policy makers and practitioners interested in development issues, and to post graduate students in Economics or any field, in social science, management or development.

This book provides a broad overview of the current research on various aspects of development, with a focus on India. The content and treatment of the subject of development in this volume is distinctive in many ways. It is a balanced mix of theory and practical elements, dealing with a number of issues at micro as well as macro levels. The analyses of the current socio-economic problems are attempted in an elegant yet simple manner which makes it equally useful for an aspiring researcher in economics or any inter disciplinary field. The methodologies of the articles include analytical verbal argumentative logic, theoretical constructs or different versions of statistical, econometric or programming techniques. It also contains well written survey articles, which are useful in grasping the fundamental research issues and in tracing the progress of research in an area. The general scope of the book is very wide as the readership can include researchers, scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, policy makers and practitioners. Though the contributors are primarily scholars in the field of Economics or Statistics, the book contains useful takeaways for those working in the area of Development. It will also be of interest to policy makers and practitioners interested in development issues, and to post graduate students in Economics or any field, in social science, management or development.

Preservation of built heritage is emerging as a major issue in the urban planning process of developing countries. This book criticizes the tendency of policy makers to sacrifice cultural remnants of the past for future benefits. It argues that policy makers must seek economically viable solutions to handle the problems of conserving built environment. Starting from the questions of what to preserve and for whom to preserve, the book makes a convincing case for conserving built heritage on economic grounds. It argues that policy makers must introduce a transparent and systematic process of grading built heritage, and identifies multi-criteria decision-making method as an important tool for this purpose. This is followed by a discussion of how to fund conservation. Based on a contingent valuation survey, the book examines the replicability of heritage tourism policies prevalent in developed countries for countries like India. The analysis sheds new light on an area of emerging importance in developing countries, and should be of value to urban economists, urban planners, cultural economists, historians, architects and conservationists.