ANNOUNCEMENTS
Persistent disparities between urban and rural regions continue to test India's inclusive development narrative. This thesis examines the patchy distribution of infrastructure and healthcare access across Indian states, focusing on the elements of disparity using a panel data approach. Employing state level data from 2016 to 2019, this study constructs two composite indices Infrastructure Disparity Index (IDI) and Healthcare Disparity Index ( to quantify rural urban gaps. These indices are derived through normalized indicators such as piped water access, electricity availability, sanitation coverage, public healthcare infrastructure, and educational institutions.
The main empirical analysis is conducted using fixed effects panel regression models, allowing control for unobserved heterogeneity across states. The results highlight three key findings: first, governance quality significantly reduces infrastructure d isparity, stressing the role of institutional effectiveness in equitable development. Second, literacy emerges as a mutual mitigating factor for both healthcare and infrastructure disparity, suggesting that educational attainment improves utilization and a ccess to public services. Third, while urbanization is often related with economic progress, it is found to intensify infrastructure disparities, indicating the need for inclusive urban planning.
The thesis contributes to the academic discourse on spatial inequality by combining theoretical insights with robust quantitative evidence. Rather than presenting general policy advice, the study confines its focus to interpreting statistically significant relationships, which can inform further applied research or limited policy experimentation. The findings also provide a framework for measuring disparity over time, which could serve as an investigative tool for state level planning bodies.
In doing so, the study avoids rigid generalizations and instead offers emp irically grounded observations on the drivers of development disparity. The analysis emphasizes the need of institutional capacity, literacy investments, and strategic urban management in addressing the quality of life divide between urban and rural India. Overall, this thesis seeks to build a nuanced, evidence based understanding of development gaps, with the aim of enriching ongoing debates on federal equity and social justice.
