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Human society in the 21st century, along with development and progress, is also confronting numerous social problems, one of which is the problem of suicide, which is assuming the shape of a daunting problem. The death of a person caused by suicide is a matter of grave concern across all Indian states in contemporary times. Today, a lot of people are dying themselves by suicide due to stress, depression, and familial and social imbalance. The present study understands the nature of suicide in Indian society and examines the causes of suicide. The author has applied the phenomenological content analysis method. The information for the current research has been collected using news content from various Indian newspapers, magazines, and news portals through the phenomenological view. The researcher has collated 210 occurrences of suicide from newspapers in Uttar Pradesh between October 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. The study has indicated that there is a substantial rise in suicide cases due to rapid changes in society resulting in anomic conditions. The effect of the anomic situation has also contributed to isolation and loneliness, which, in turn, leads to suicide in three ways personal anomie, familial anomie, and societal anomie. Moreover, the anomic situation has led to the various factors instrumental in suicide such as frustration, family problems, love affairs, poverty, harassment, sexual violence, social boycott, chronic diseases, and bankruptcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement in educating children remains a crucial first step in building an informed citizen. It becomes a routine matter for children to follow the footsteps of educated parents. However, for the first-generation learners, e.g. particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), it is an arduous task because they belong to the least developed communities in India, with poverty and illiteracy forming the base of their existence. This paper examines the extent of involvement PVTG parents have in educating their daughters and identifies ways for improvement. Findings based on this original study suggest that the parents realise involvement, but their knowledge of involvement differs from the general population and the Western context. Hence, the study proposes four types of Cs to integrate their involvement: Concern, Communication, Condition, and Cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on persons with disabilities has laid bare the link between health and economic outcomes. This article reviews the legal and policy framework impacting economic outcomes for persons with disabilities in India against the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty, economic growth, and productive employment. It offers a policy framework for realizing the human rights of persons with disabilities by advancing their inclusion in India's economic development. People with disabilities have not benefited as much from India's economic development as non-disabled persons. The UN disability rights treaty may oblige India to ensure that people with disabilities are included in its economic development. Historically, India's laws and public policies addressing people with disabilities have not always supported them as intended. For India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of global goals for UN member states, it will need to protect the human rights of people with disabilities by creating policies to address their intersectional needs. Policy creating economic participation opportunities, recourse from unfairness and discrimination, and effective safety nets may improve outcomes for people with disabilities in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study empirically examines the role of behavioral factors in the perpetuation of poverty through a comparison of the behavior of poor and nonpoor household members across five major dimensions. The study found evidence supporting the presence of suboptimal decision-making among poor in the surveyed region. The poor were found to indulge in irrational spending patterns and have higher present bias, risk-aversion, lower aspirations, lack of institutional trust, and gender bias than nonpoor persons. This becomes a cause of a vicious cycle of poverty. Targeting these problematic behavioral tendencies of poor individuals can help provide a low-cost solution for sustainable reduction of the magnitude of poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty remains a major challenge for the countries of the global south. Decent employment opportunity, a crucial determinant of poverty reduction, is increasingly becoming elusive for those countries regardless of a decent rate of economic growth. There is a growing separation of economic growth and employment growth under the aegis of neo-liberal economic policies. Economic growth, instead of becoming inclusive, turns out to be “jobless” or “job loss.” Failing to reverse this trend, “Active Labour Market Policies” (ALMPs) in the form of “Public Works Programmes” (PWPs) have emerged as a major strategy to reduce unemployment and poverty. Secondly, rural–urban migration is very much relied upon for the same. Raising agricultural productivity, a crucial question of “agrarian transition,” well evident and verified across the globe, is, however, becoming oblivion in the fight against poverty. In this context, based on a primary survey of 300 households in the poorest regions of India, this paper endeavors to investigate the relative strength of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), rural–urban migration, and land productivity on poverty. The study suggests that an agrarian-centric intervention is more effective in dealing with poverty as compared to MGNREGA (ALMPs) and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicides by the farmers' is increasing in India. From 2005 to 2020, 319,598 famers committed suicide and in states of AP and Telangana this number was 319,598 which is 28% of the total. It implies that more than one quarter of the total number of farmers' who committed suicide in the ountry were from Telangana and AP. Worldwide farming is considered as a high risk occupation for mental diseases. May be because of the nature of farming and the risk of natural calamities. The study aims to identify the factors that contribute to farmer suicides in Telangana andAndhra Pradesh (AP) and to propose preventive solutions for the problem. In this research in-depth interviews were done with the close relatives ofthe person who committed suicide and qualitative methodology is used. We find that the main causes of farmers suicides are economic and not themental health of the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy's general situation, many households are now financially vulnerable. It is like a vicious cycle: once a household is caught, it will remain in the trap until and unless it competently manages its finances. These problems experienced by households have drawn attention to social capital. Self-help groups (SHGs) originated in India to pull out low-income households from poverty and are now recognized as social capital, which can be defined as the action of a group cooperating to enhance all its members' benefits. This article aims to explain how SHGs have contributed to reducing various factors or determinants of household financial vulnerability through a review of several other publications, theses, newspaper articles, and reports. It was discovered that SHGs now provide much more benefits than just alleviating poverty. They have helped to reduce bad loans or non-performing assets, reduced the dependence on informal sources of finance, made households more resilient toward crises such as COVID-19, and enabled households to save money and manage their finances accurately. Organizing themselves into SHGs is the only way for rural households to overcome financial difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) poses a significant global health challenge and focused research is vital for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oxidative stress (OS) and DNA damage on PTB. Methods: There were two groups: (a) cases consisting of mothers with PTB (<37 weeks of gestation, n = 100) and (b) controls consisting of mothers with term birth (>37 weeks of gestation, n = 100). Women with vaginal infection, non-cephalic presentation, multiple gestations, fetal anomalies, Cesarean delivery, pregnancy with Mullerian anomalies, or preeclampsia were excluded from the study. OS analysis was conducted by measuring levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and total protein and DNA damage were evaluated by CBMN-Cyt assay. Statistical analysis was performed using students' t -test and one-way ANOVA. Results: Low levels of antioxidants SOD and CAT (p <.0001), and total protein (p <.0001), besides high malondialdehyde (byproduct of LPO) (p <.0001) were observed in the PTB group. Moreover, high frequencies of micronuclei (p <.0001) and nucleoplasmic buds (p <.01) were detected in the PTB mothers compared to term birth mothers, while no significance was observed in the nucleoplasmic bridge frequencies. Conclusion: When the body's immune system and antioxidants fail to cope up with the generated OS, it can lead to PTB. Along with other body tests, OS markers and CBMN-Cyt tests have the potential to be used in diagnostics for early warning as well as monitoring and advising mothers for a better pregnancy outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines escalating concerns about out-migration from tea gardens, focusing on Kurti Tea Garden in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, of India. Results from a comprehensive field study illuminate a complex scenario, with only 21.13 per cent of individuals employed and pervasive challenges in promotion prospects. High living expenses, limited livelihood options, and inadequate amenities propel households into debt, prompting migration. South India, notably Thiruvananthapuram, emerges as a preferred destination, especially for the younger demographic. The study provides insights into multifaceted reasons driving migration, stressing the need for holistic interventions, encompassing economic, socio-cultural, and labour-related aspects. It advocates for improved wages, enhanced living conditions, healthcare access, education, and measures to counter deceptive recruitment practices. The study reveals that comprehensive strategies are essential for addressing challenges related to migration-driven hardships in tea gardens. This can be achieved through collaborative efforts involving the government, management, and civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary objective of the paper is to examine the asymmetric Cointegration and asymmetric causality between financial development and poverty alleviation on annual data in Indian context over the period from 1980 to 2019. Design/methodology/approach: First nonlinearity test by Brooks et al. (1999) is applied to ascertain the nonlinear behavior of the variables used. Once the nonlinear behavior of variables is confirmed, asymmetric and nonlinear unit root tests by Kapetanios and Shin (2008) are applied to check for the order of integration of selected variables. Next, nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL) is employed to analyze the asymmetric Cointegration. Finally, Hatemi-j- asymmetric causality tests is applied to work out the direction of asymmetric causality. Findings: The empirical findings document the existence of asymmetries in the short-run as well as long-run between poverty and financial development. The asymmetry reveals that negative financial development shocks leave a more profound impact on poverty alleviation than their positive equivalents. The findings of Wald's test also confirm the presence of asymmetric Cointegration. The asymmetric cumulative dynamic multipliers used to examine the behavior of asymmetries and adjustments with respect to time lend credence to the results calculated using NARDL estimator. This result exhibits the robustness of the model. Furthermore, the result emanating from recently introduced asymmetric causality test reveals a unidirectional asymmetric causality between negative shocks in financial development and poverty. The findings of the present study necessitate the need for investigating asymmetric and nonlinear effects in finance–poverty nexus, which existent literature has completely neglected, in order to have relevant policy conclusions. Research limitations/implications: The study used "Per capita consumption expenditure" as a measure for poverty due to lack of continuous time series data on headcount ratio. In future, researchers can extend this study by incorporating headcount ratio as a measure of poverty in their respective works. There is further scope of research on this issue by finding out the impact of formal and informal sources of credit on poverty separately. A panel data study for developing countries over a period of time could further confirm/negate the findings of the present study. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge none of the studies in Indian context has scrutinized asymmetric and nonlinear impact of financial development on poverty. To dredge up asymmetric structures at work, the authors have used the highly celebrated NARDL estimator. To enrich the existent body of knowledge along the lines of asymmetric (nonlinear) linkages, the authors have also used recently introduced asymmetric causality test by Hatemi-j-(2012) to find out the direction asymmetric causality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mission Balam Sukham's Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) combats malnutrition through prevention, treatment, and community engagement, ensuring children receive adequate nutrition for healthy growth. Objective: To document IYCF practices and risk factors of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among NRC beneficiaries Methodology: A prospective cohort study was conducted comprising of 63 children aged 6 months to 5 years having SAM alongwith complications admitted at NRC of South Gujarat over the duration of 10 months. Observations: 90.5% poverty, 57.1% migrants, 7.9% single parent. 69.8% initiated breastmilk within 1hr, 15.9% weren't fed with colostrum, 6.3% were given pre-lacteals. 93.7% were exclusively breastfed, 6.3% initiated breastmilk at the time of 6 months. 16%, 60% and 9.8% met the criteria of MDD, MMF and MAD respectively. Boys show significant association on admission and discharge both (t = 2.43, p= 0.026 on admission and t= 2.66, p= 0.015 on discharge). In 13-24 months, MDD group (t = 2.34, p=0.02), children not suffering from anaemia shows significant weight (t=-2.540, p=0.18). Conclusion & Recommendations: Children's weight improvement is linked to better IYCF practices, emphasizing its importance of caregiver attention and education, highlighting need to address cultural barriers and promote practices like exclusive breastfeeding and continuous breastfeeding, focusing on empowering mothers and caretakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child labor is considered one of the main social problems that affect the community and has a physical and psychosocial impact on a child's health, growth, and development. The study aimed to describe the sociocultural discourses of children involved in child labor. A macroethnographic approach was used to collect the data from the selected community areas of Punjab, India. Materials and Methods: A community-based qualitative study using purposive sampling was carried out among children engaged in child labor (n = 8). The data were gathered through in-depth or semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation under four phases: community context assessment, egocentric network analysis, validation, and dissemination of study findings. The guide for consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) was followed. Ongoing analysis was conducted using Spradley's analysis approach to identify the themes. Results: Thematic analysis resulted in the emergence of various themes related to child labor, namely, adaptability, money-centric attitude, sense of being underserved, social deprivation, work burden, reduced emotional expression, workaholism, abuse, family shoulder, family cohesion, and sense of industry. Apart from that, inhuman living and working conditions, as well as school deprivation among study subjects, were observed. Poverty emerged as the single most compelling factor for child labor in India. Conclusion: The study concluded that child labor had a negative impact on children's overall development. An effective intervention to stop child labor is if vulnerable children are identified through primary healthcare, and a relationship of trust is built that allows for the provision of health care, education, support, and referral to additional services outside the health sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lack of research exists concerning the heterogeneity of the occupational injuries of slum dwellers across industries which has a close link with health expenditure and hence livelihood. It necessitates analysing their occupational injuries and associated out-of-pocket health expenditures. Multi-stage random sampling is used to collect the primary data and the logit model is used for data analyses. Permanent non-fatal injuries in the civil-mechanical industries and temporary non-fatal injuries in textile industries are common. The share of health expenditure of the injured workers seeking medical consultations remains 59% of their average monthly income. Average monthly income, parental occupation, types of industry, job security, risk intensity, and salary basis are significant estimates of occupational injuries. The differences in the nature and extent of the occupational injuries of the workers across industries in the light of the socio-demographic and working environment context provide significant insight into the policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social innovations implemented by public libraries rarely alleviate poverty. Mobile payments (i.e., financial transactions over mobile phones) represent the most widely used solution to alleviate poverty in developing countries, provided that people living in poverty have mobile, financial, and information literacy. This article reports a 3-year-plus study of proposing, testing, customizing, and disseminating a practice-based, outcome-driven, and community-oriented social innovation in the form of a "unified mobile, financial, and information literacy toolkit" to public librarians in India, who can assess mobile, financial, and information literacy of the poor at once and enhance their mobile payment readiness. Public libraries can be a strategic partner of the United Nations and governments in developing countries for addressing the grand challenge of poverty in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite a commendable rise in the number of women seeking delivery care at public health institutions in South India, it is unclear if the benefit accrues to wealthier or poorer socio-economic groups. The study's aim was to investigate at how the public subsidy is distributed among Indian women who give birth in public hospitals in the southern regions. Methods: Data from the Indian Demographic Health Survey's fifth wave (NFHS-5, 2019–21) was used in this study. A total of 22, 403 were institutional deliveries across all the southern states of India were included. Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on childbirth in health institutions was the outcome variable. We used summary statistics, Benefits Incidence Analysis (BIA), concentration index (CI), and concentration curve (CC) were used. Results: Most women in the lowest, poorest, and medium quintiles of wealth opted to give birth in public facilities. In contrast, about 69% of mothers belonging to highest quintile gave birth in private health institutions. The magnitude of CI and CC of institutional delivery indicates that public sector usage was concentrated among poorer quintiles [CIX: − 0.178; SE: 0.005; p < 0.001] and private sector usage was concentrated among wealthier quintiles [CIX: 0.239; SE: 0.006; p < 0.001]. Benefit incidence analyses suggest that middle quintile of women received the maximum public subsidy in primary health centres (33.23%), followed by richer quintile (25.62%), and poorer wealth quintiles (24.84%). These pattern in the secondary health centres was similar. Conclusion: Poorer groups utilize the public sector for institutional delivery in greater proportions than the private sector. Middle quintiles seem to benefit the most from public subsidy in terms of the median cost of service and non-payment. Greater efforts must be made to understand how and why these groups are being left behind and what policy measures can enhance their inclusion and financial risk protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a fourth- or fifth-century narrative known as the Acts of Thomas and his Wonderworking Skin , Jesus sells the apostle Thomas as a slave to the governor of India. When the governor's wife converts to Christianity, dumps all her earthly riches outside her front door, and turns celibate, the governor has the apostle tortured and his skin flayed off, but Thomas survives, and uses his peeled-off skin to raise the dead. This paper uses Kathryn Tanner's concept of culture to compare the ideals advocated by this story – servitude to Christ, voluntary poverty, sexual abstinence, readiness to suffer, and zeal for evangelization – to ideals expressed in first-century Christian literature. The subculture expressed by the narrative is found to consist entirely of ideals also expressed in the New Testament, which are updated, recontextualized, and radicalized in order to reach an audience of fourth- or fifth-century Christians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprofit humanitarian organizations work to alleviate poverty and are evaluated in part on their effectiveness in doing so. One such organization is Heifer International, a global humanitarian nonprofit whose mission is to "end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth." In this study, we assessed the impact of Heifer International's Values-Based Holistic Community Development approach on beneficiaries' interpersonal communication competency and positive communication behaviors. The article offers a cross-sectional study of 815 women in Bihar India across four-time periods: baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. Compared to baseline, participants reported higher levels of positive communication behaviors and interpersonal communication competence across 6, 12, and 24 months. Implications of these findings for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Construction laborers succumb to poor health due to the inherent workplace health hazards and poor socio-economic living conditions. With rising healthcare expenses, the increased risk of poor health may aggravate their economic status, pushing them deeper into poverty. Settings and Design: The current cross-sectional multicenter study comprehensively investigated the determinants of health, health-seeking behavior, and poor economic impact regarding catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) among construction laborers. Methods and Material: We collected details on illnesses among self and family members of the construction laborers that required healthcare visits during the previous year and their approximate expenses. Among the 1110 participants with complete data, 37% reported illness requiring a healthcare visit either for self or a family member. Results: Regression models to ascertain demographic and living condition determinants of perceived illness revealed an increased risk of illness when the kitchen is shared with the living space (OR = 1.87) and use unhygienic smoky cooking fuels (OR = 1.87). More than 25% of those who reported illness incurred CHE. Conclusion: We conclude that the frequency of perceived illness and the economic impact, i.e., CHE is relatively higher among the construction laborers. Our results demonstrate that poor living conditions add to the burden of morbidity in construction workers and families. Providing healthcare coverage for this population and engaging and educating them about affordable healthcare are necessary future steps to prevent the worsening of the economic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies educational aspirations and grade achievements of teenagers in India, using Structural Equation Modelling with data from the Young Lives Study. The analysis differentiates direct effects of relevant socio-economic and individual characteristics on educational output from indirect effects through aspirations. In this sample, some student characteristics – parents' education, mothers' caste and the student's gender – have no direct effect on educational output, but an indirect effect on educational aspirations going through abilities. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in particular girls, are at a disadvantage at age 12 because they have accumulated lower cognitive abilities. Abilities shape aspirations, which then impact educational output beyond the mere effect of abilities. Girls are at a double disadvantage: besides lower average skills at age 12, they developed lower aspirations than boys of the same characteristics. The economic situation of the household was neither directly nor indirectly related with students' achievements in school. These results help distinguish aspirations as drivers of behaviour from aspirations as correlates of other characteristics, and they have relevant policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2000s, hundreds of government-funded health insurance (GFHI) schemes were introduced in India. These schemes are meant to prevent poorer households from incurring catastrophic health expenditures. Through GFHIs, policy-makers want to mobilize the decision-making powers of private consumers in a liberalized healthcare market. Patients are called upon to act as 'co-creators' of healthcare value by optimizing supply through demand. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with insurance users in South India, we argue that GFHIs fail because people experience the value of insurance in drastically different ways that only partly overlap with how the policy assumes they value insurance. In addition, the hollow promises of health coverage can be experienced as so frustrating that signing up for health insurance actually makes people feel devalued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a product of various deprivations. Gender discrimination is linked with deprivation in terms of socio-economic and political opportunities. This study explores the link between female-headship of a household and its vulnerability towards urban poverty. Further, the most vulnerable sub-sections among the urban female-headed households are identified. The study is based on the 68th round of Household Consumer Expenditure, and Employment and Unemployment Survey, India. Female-headed households were found to have higher odds to be urban poor as compared to their male counterparts. However, this gender-based difference in odds to be urban poor disappears once educational attainment of household-head is controlled for. This highlights that the discrimination in terms of educational attainment is major cause and solution to urban poverty among female-headed households. Further, female-headed households are not a homogeneous group and exhibit significant differences in their vulnerability to urban poverty across different socio-economic and demographic subgroups. The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on female education in India is expected to create a long-term gender gap in terms of poverty. Thus, the public policy should stress on skill and educational attainment of females and target the poverty alleviation programmes on vulnerable sub-section of the female-headed households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological study was conducted in rural Rajasthan, India, to explore young widows' lived experiences. On receipt of written informed consent, we interviewed 14 young widows. The data were analyzed in an idiographic style using the interpretive phenomenological approach. The perspective of loss and sociocultural contexts grounded the analysis. Six themes emerged corresponding to the women's widowhood experiences: becoming a widow; entangled by customs; stigmatization; the impossible marriage; hope in widowhood; and economic deprivation. The results underline the predicaments of young widows, and these experiences are largely framed by the sociocultural and gender norms prevailing in rural communities. The study's findings imply the need for strengthening social and legislative measures for young widows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live‐in child domestic work is an often exploitative informal labour sector that involves child migration and long‐term separation of children from their family. While studies have documented the impact of family separation in cases of adult migration and young adult migration, little is known about the impact of child migration and related parent–child separation. This small‐scale, explorative qualitative study aimed to understand lived experiences of parent–child separation through in‐depth interviews with seven parents of children working at households in Karnataka, as live‐in domestic help. This study is the first of its kind to explore parental experiences of separation from their child/ren in the context of live‐in domestic work and explores notions on the existence of choice in decision‐making, and sheds light on how practices of separation are interlinked with socioeconomic factors, societal hierarchy and cultural practices of parenting that lead to understanding and coping with the ensuing separation. It concludes by identifying some policy implications that are relevant for organizations seeking to re‐unify and reintegrate children with their families after a period of separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses illustrations from rural India and Bangladesh to develop a critical analysis of practices and experiences of poverty often overlooked in development policies. It challenges the principle measurement, calculative rationality and static representation in anti-poverty interventions that present poverty as a 'problem' to be resolved. It draws on poststructuralist ideas to express poverty differently and shift from problem-solving to problematisation. Drawing on the concept of 'rhizome' it highlights the connectivity, heterogeneity and multiplicity of poverty. Examples from interviews and photo diaries illustrate manifold poverty as a combination of heterogeneous activities, objects and affects that complicate development ethics and challenge the logic of reason in existing policies. The paper explores improvisation, experimentation, hope and repetition as mechanisms for critically evaluating aquaculture-led development and attending to overlooked objects, uncertain outcomes and untold stories of disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When immunization of under-five children results in Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE), it affects motivation of parents for vaccination inversely. Objectives: To assess determinants affecting preference for specific/mixed type of health facilities and to estimate out-of-pocket expenditure towards immunization of under-five children. To assess opinion of participants for prevention/decreasing OOPE towards immunization. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted at one of zones of Ahmedabad city, selected by simple random sampling. Following technique of "30x7 cluster survey" with necessary house-hold information received from Municipal Corporation, selection of 7 children was pursued from each cluster reaching to sample-size of 210 (30 X 7). Results: Of 211 children included in study, 124(58.77%), 68(32.23%) and 19(9%) had taken immunization services from government, private and mixed variety respectively. Majority of families (110, 88.71%) preferring government healthcare-facility for immunization incurred expenses <5000 INR/child as while in other two groups, all beneficiaries had expensed>5000 INR/child. Conclusions: Determinants like child's gender, parents' education, Type of family, Socio-economic status, delivery place of child and occupation of father had statistically significant association with preferred place of vaccination. Fixation of upper ceiling-limit of vaccines which are recommended by pediatricians but not covered in government run program was one of suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is one of the most important emerging economies of the present historical moment. Thanks to its geographic and demographic extension, it is one of the countries with the greatest prospects for economic growth, but such growth has been hindered by high levels of poverty, inequalities and social vulnerabilities, falls in GDP and low human development indexes, in addition to the constant political tensions that have arisen since its independence. Today, it has gone from being an economy that privileged agriculture to a market economy, with a strong presence in the provision of services, with tendencies to strengthen relations with the European Union, Japan, the United States, Australia and Latin America. Future prospects include GDP growth, population growth, poverty reduction and a better position in relation to global economies. The method used for the elaboration of the research is of the analytical-descriptive type, it is concluded in the relevance of India within the present geopolitical scenario, in its vital presence for the provision of services, for commercial activity and for the strengthening of multilateral cooperation, with strong presence of Indian labor throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on ethnography of one family's life with diabetes in a poor settlement in Delhi's suburbs, this paper examines the relationship between emotional structures of care and kinship in the face of chronic illness. While anthropologists have argued for a relational understanding of care and discussed how, in India, modernity and social transformations have resulted in crises of familial care, less attention has been paid to the emotional terrains of care and its difficulties as they unfold in concrete relationships over time. This paper demonstrates how emotional intensities define the possibilities, limits, and ambivalence of kin care for the chronically ill. Described as care without heart, this mode of attention implies a continuation of care labour that maintains kinship ties and holds the possibility of kin futures, but is disinvested emotionally and feels unsatisfactory. The analytic of care without heart expresses a particular mode of care by which persons navigate dominant moral regimes around gendered family responsibilities and imperatives of love in relationships, but without fully subscribing to them. Care without heart at once signifies an inadequate form of care, invokes North Indian normative moral regimes around family care responsibilities and emotions, and acknowledges the shortcomings of these regimes and norms of relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent has chronic poverty increased during the pandemic? In July and August 2021, we revisited seven villages of southern Rajasthan (India), where we had studied household poverty dynamics in 2002. We find that in the two decades before the pandemic (2002–2020), people's structural positions improved vastly, chronic poverty fell from nearly half to less than 20% of households. These gains in resilience helped people cope with the pandemic. The majority suffered deep income losses between February 2020 and August 2021, but there is no evidence of any substantive rise in chronic poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An article published on India Outlook in July 2019 stated that Dharavi, Mumbai's biggest slum, has now beaten the Taj Mahal as the most popular tourist destination in India, having "received a push by Hollywood and Indian films alike" (2019). Following Hesmondalgh's observation that cultural industries reflect the inequalities of capitalist societies (2007), we examine precisely the relationship between poverty tours, cinema and Bollywood as a cultural industry. Through the analysis of literature on poverty tourism and film-induced tourism in India, and the thematic analysis of entries in a Tripadvisors page dedicated to Bollywood and slum tourism in Mumbai, we argue that the combination of Bollywood and slum tours speaks of the parallel trajectories which lead towards the perception of the slum and Bollywood as the two most prominent symbols of authentic India in the global marketplace, and that this promise of authenticity makes slums popular as tourist destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, Nuh, barely 75 km from India's parliament, was ranked by the Government as the country's most 'backward' district. It is a region fraught with many challenges including endemic poverty and simmering communal tensions, which among other factors have contributed to historically limiting women from pursuing higher education or building career aspirations. While the state has attempted to correct this by building new colleges, this paper explores how women experience and navigate these college spaces. Using a critical feminist lens, it seeks to understand the social and cultural possibilities that college life and higher education have in their lives. Findings suggest that while there are major restrictions on social agency within their everyday life, college emerges as a liminal space that provides an 'escape'. The college space for these women offers possible pathways of imagination, dialogue, solidarity and support, all forming the complex matrix of their future possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respected Chief Guest, guests from overseas, esteemed colleagues, dear students, and friends, I am deeply honoured to address you at this prestigious gathering at the Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons (IAPS) Conference. I take this opportunity to remind all members that our responsibility extends far beyond our operating theatres. The Incidence of congenital anomalies in India is still 18.2/1000 live births with a high mortality of about 6.78/1000 live births, with a vast majority of these children with congenital anomalies being born into poor families, resulting in a large proportion of children being left untreated or incompletely treated. To address these problems, the IAPS makes the following suggestions: (1) Urgent instructions from the government to insurance providers to launch affordable and easily accessible insurance policies that address the needs of newborns, infants, and children. (2) To ensure the appointment of at least one pediatric surgeon for every pediatric intensive care unit/neonatal intensive care unit being set up in district hospitals. (3) To make pediatric surgery an essential subject in the undergraduate curriculum at MBBS level and ensure that medical colleges and district hospitals have at least one full time pediatric surgeon on their faculty. (4) To ensure that newborns and children (up to the age of 18 years) have access to a pediatric surgeon or specialist who is well trained in surgery on children, much like medical problems in this age group are treated by pediatricians, surgical problems should be entrusted to pediatric surgeons. Someday, a pediatric surgeon for every child's operation may become a reality. Hope that day is not too far away. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rural India, poverty and unemployment constitute a vicious cycle. Unemployment is caused by poverty, while poverty is caused by unemployment. The vast bulk of poverty reduction programmes consists of community development activities, which include self help group (SHG) operations. These groups do a tremendous lot for rural communities, including improving the quality of life and generating employment through microcredit. Economic empowerment (financial stability) and social empowerment (social standing and self-confidence) are required to empower the poor. Empowerment will result from expanding mental and non-mental spaces that enable action and voice to enhance life quality. Planners and policymakers demand strategic planning for rural women's social and economic empowerment in the country's states, as most women joined SHGs for economic empowerment and family welfare. Reviewing articles, theses, and books yielded the findings of this study. India's best lesson is to employ SHGs for anti-poverty and women's empowerment which social workers can serve considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between farm size and productivity has been a topic of interest in agricultural research for decades due to the significance of agriculture in rural economies and its potential to reduce poverty and promote inclusive growth. The relationship between farm size and productivity is influenced by factors such as the type of crop being produced, costs of cultivation, farm management practices, access to inputs and markets and socio-economic conditions. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between farm size and productivity in the context of farming households, their cost of cultivation and the types of crops they produce. Using the Cobb–Douglas production function, the present study estimates the regression function for principal crops such as cotton and paddy in the study area. The findings reveal strong evidence of an inverse relationship between farm size and productivity, indicating that small and marginal farmers are more productive in wetland cultivation (paddy). In contrast, medium and large farmers are more productive in dry land cultivation (cotton). The paper also investigates the availability and accessibility of credit facilities for different farm sizes. It concludes that small and marginal farmers depend mainly on non-institutional credit agencies compared to medium and large farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study has made a thorough investigation into the spatial clustering, trend, and intensity of multidimensional poverty in India between 2005–2006 and 2021. Data has been obtained from the global multidimensional poverty report [developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and UNDP] and the national report of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for 2021 [prepared by NITI Aayog] for India based on the NFHS-3 and NFHS-4 datasets. The study shows that, despite significant interstate disparities, multidimensional poverty in India has decreased from 0.279 in 2005–2006 to 0.118 in 2021. States like Bihar, Jharkhand continue to experience extreme multidimensional poverty. The study demonstrates that even though the intensity of poverty has remained relatively constant, the poorer states are significantly more advanced in reducing poverty than the nation's wealthier states. This suggests a pattern of pro-poor poverty reduction. Besides the study explores indicator-wise deprivation of MPI among the states and it is witnessed that Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tripura, and Bihar have made splendid progress in reducing deprivation in different indicators (antenatal care, electricity, drinking water, assets) of multidimensional poverty, while the magnitude of deprivation is acute in several indicators like nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation, and housing in these states. Based on the analysis, the present study suggests that India should undertake target-based interventions in poverty-prone regions to reduce poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1991, India embarked on economic reform. This research asked if post-reform growth in the two newly formed states of Undivided Andhra Pradesh was or was not pro-poor. In both states, real monthly per capita expenditure increased, but poverty declined faster in 2004–05 to 2011–12 than in 1993–94 to 2004–05. Even though Telangana's economic growth was lower than that of Andhra Pradesh, its growth elasticity of poverty was high enough to cause a more rapid decline in poverty. In the second period, growth in both states was found to be pro-poor because of high-growth elasticities of poverty and lower income inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition, particularly iodine deficiency, is one of the major contributing factors to thyroid disorders in India. Poverty in India is contributing to the increase of thyroid disorders through malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of access to medical facilities. Another factor is the lack of awareness about the symptoms and risk factors of thyroid disorders. Intake recommendations for iodine are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. WHO recommends universal iodinization of salt. High levels of iodine intake sometimes are associated with an increased risk of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or autoimmune thyroiditis. We conducted a retrospective study at our hospital from December 2017 to January 2023. A total number of 57 cases were studied. Out of 57 patients, 46 patients presented with hypothyroidism and 11 with hyperthyroidism. Various clinical presentations, pathologies and socioeconomic problems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women in Manipur, India, practice marup to respond to poverty and support each other during a crisis and for planned social events. Based on in-depthinterviews of group members, this article presents a case study of marup. It examines thispractice from the feminist social work lens to discuss implications for feminist social work with groups. The practice of mutual aids, democratic functioning and solidarity in marup develops women's capacities and prioritises economic development. Marup is a robust group framework that strengthens women's social and economic positions of women by creating financial capital, extending their social network and building social support. From the feminist social work lens, marup comes into play to interrupt the power relations between men and women within and outside the household. Through the processes and dynamics of group activities, marup represents a robust framework of a group practice that responds to women's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing complementary feeding at 6 months can reduce premature death. We examined timing and factors associated with complementary feeding using the Indian Human Development Survey II (n = 11,218 women). Only 21% of mothers initiated complementary feeding at 6 months, 42% at 7–9 months, 33% at ≥10 months. In adjusted results, we found mothers with low income, with no formal education, and who had never formally worked were less likely to introduce complementary feeding at 6 months (p > 0.05). Our results indicate women in less advantaged groups are less likely to initiate complementary feeding at recommended age than women in more advantaged groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of household wealth dynamic remains an important methodology in the identification of poverty traps. To overcome measurement issues in survey data, livelihoods-based approaches of the dynamics of poverty are typically examined using panel regressions of a livelihoods regression on household assets and other socio-economic factors over time. In this paper, we characterise the livelihoods regression as a 'livelihoods technology', and use a latent class-technology approach to account for heterogeneity in how households generate a livelihood. We use a detailed dataset from rural India covering 213 households across 2001–2014, and control for selection issues through a Heckman Selection model. Our results are the first in the wealth dynamics literature to show that substantial heterogeneity exists in the technologies with which households generate their livelihoods. Importantly, we show that accounting for heterogeneity in household livelihoods 'technologies' more readily identifies different equilibria in wealth levels and provides previously foregone information on who is poor and why they remain poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has more than 4500 distinct population which are different based on caste, tribe, religion, locations, physical features, social beliefs, and language. Genome India project was approved in February 2020 by the Ministry of Science and Technology to aim gene-mapping of 10,000 samples across India. The IndiGen program achieved the entire genome sequencing of the 1029 healthy Indians. Gene sequencing at population scale can now be benchmarked using this method. The ability to decode the genetic blueprint of Indians for diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases will be emerged further on. A national of different deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) is maintained by the government for the purpose of medical and matching the criminal DNAs during trials. The UK established its National DNA Database in 1995 by the name of National DNA Database. Australia has almost 8.37 million DNA profiles, which they are using as forensic data. It involves novel methods for monitoring and controlling behavior as well as redesigned means of administering justice, all of which contribute to the construction of new ideas of justice and social governance. DNA phenotyping can be included in the criminal justice system by the project to make it DNA database and DNA databank for the law. This goal can be accomplished by determining the distribution of the data of the genetic outlines by geographical zone and the following closeness of the reference sample to a probable area of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In 2018, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme as a progressive step toward universal health coverage. The scheme was intended to provide health insurance for the socioeconomically deprived population. This study was undertaken to assess the coverage of the scheme and to assess the reduction in medical out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the urban slum dwellers in Mysuru. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for the study. Oral consent was taken from the participants before administering the questionnaire. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews. Statistical tests such as percentages and mean were calculated using SPSS software (Version 26, Licensed by JSSAHER). Results: The study was conducted among 104 individuals, of which 73% were females. Only 38 (33%) of the participants had PM-JAY cards while 59 (56.73%) did not have any health insurance. Thirty percentage (78.95%) of the card holders had utilized the insurance in the past 1 year and incurred an OOPE of Rs. 25,873/-. For all the cardholders, this amount was spent from their savings. Conclusion: The coverage of the scheme and OOPE reduction toward health care is still lacking. Greater measures need to be taken by medical officers, medicosocial workers, and other field workers to identify eligible households and help them avail the benefits of this scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth is considered to be the most important factor for achieving a lower level of poverty, but burgeoning inequality could affect poverty reduction adversely. This article decomposes the change in both rural and urban poverty into what can be termed as 'growth effect' and 'distribution effect' for twenty major Indian states during India's highest growth episode (2004–2011). It further examines the pro-poorness of the growth in these states. One of our key findings is that while income growth plays a key role in rural poverty reduction, rising inequality appears to be a major hindrance with respect to urban poverty. Our investigation also suggests that higher growth is not necessarily pro-poor. If the growth process itself is iniquitous, it might reduce the poverty elasticity of income and, in turn, result in slower poverty reduction despite high growth. This being specifically relevant for urban India and with urban poverty increasingly becoming a serious concern, economic policymakers should adopt a policy paradigm ensuring a more inclusive urban growth instead of considering growth as a panacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common mental disorders (CMD) cause a range of health, social and economic burden, and disorders like depression and anxiety are more prevalent among women. Prevalence and factors contributing to increased vulnerability for CMDs have regional variation. Identification of factors contributing to the vulnerability is essential to both psychiatric epidemiology and in addressing mental health challenges in the community. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed at understanding the burden of CMD and its association with social determinants of mental health. Women hailing from urban slum attending the outpatient family care facility for their medical problems constituted the sample. Data was collected using a clinical research form with variables such as sociodemographic profile, health profile, and psychosocial profile. The questionnaire had specific questions on indicators of poverty, certain stressors, and support system. Presence of CMD was assessed using Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R), a standard tool for CMD research in primary care settings. A cut off score of 12 and above was considered for detecting CMD. Research ethical principles were adhered to and data was analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results: Among 172 women, 77 (44.8%) were diagnosed to have CMDs. Univariate analysis revealed a significant association between age, marital status, living arrangement, educational level, difficulty with buying food, presence of debt, chronic medical illness, husband's alcohol use, marital satisfaction, experiencing abuse, family support, religious participation, and a diagnosis of CMD. Multivariate analysis showed high burden with nuclear family arrangement, difficulty to buy food, experiencing abuse and, low burden with higher educational level, family support, and religious participation. Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence and the treatment gap of CMDs in primary setting, family-physician should be sensitized for detection and management of CMDs. Social interventions targeting poverty, women's education and empowerment, and support system are likely to decrease the burden of CMDs in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the determinants of unidimensional and multidimensional poverty among the farm households of rural India, using the data of India Human Development Surveys conducted in 2004–2005 and 2011–2012. We found a significant reduction in poverty among these households over this period. However, this reduction was not uniform across different sub‐groups of the farm households. Our findings confirm that the important factors of poverty dynamics in India are educational attainment, number of household members, and caste. We observed that caste and household size considerably impacted the unidimensional poverty significantly, but not the multidimensional poverty, which was affected more by the education level of the heads of household. The study concludes that unidimensional poverty significantly matters for multidimensional poverty and vice versa in terms of determining poverty dynamics. Hence, target‐based interventions in education, nutrition, and better access to water and sanitation, particularly to lower social groups (schedule classes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes) help in reducing multidimensional poverty in rural India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Out of the 1.324 billion people in India (2016), around 12.4% of the population is below the poverty line. In India, out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOP) expenses account for about 62.6% of total health expenditure – one of the highest in the world. High OOP health expenditures push many households into poverty. This study aims to identify the impoverishing effects of OOP health expenditures in India. Methods: Data from the recent national survey by the National Sample Survey Organization – Social Consumption in Health 2014 are used to investigate the effect of OOP health expenditure on household poverty. Poverty headcounts and poverty gaps were estimated at the household level before and after making OOP healthcare payments. A logistic regression model is for predicting the effect of various factors on the incidence of impoverishment due to OOP health expenditures. Results: There were 65,932 households in the sample. The total poverty headcount in the population before making OOP payments was 16.44% and it increased to 19.05% after making OOP payments. This 2.61% increase in the poverty headcount corresponds to 6.47 million households. Logistic regression results showed that medium and large households, household members with increased duration of stay in the hospital, utilization of private health facility and the presence of chronic illness increased odds of impoverishment due to OOP health expenditures. Conclusions: Health insurance programmes must be expanded to cover outpatient and preventive health services, include people above the poverty line, cover the whole household irrespective of the number of members living in the household and the coverage threshold limits must be increased. Urban poor must be enrolled in health insurance programmes without any delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the recent decade, the study of social norms has become popular as it can explain and change harmful social behaviours, such as Open Defecation (OD). Open defecation is is a threat to public health. It causes diarrheal infections. Households formed the unit of study as they constitute an essential social institution to adopt and use latrines. Aim: To compare the social norms of the latrine user and OD practitioners of households with regard to disgust, purity and pollution, latrine and OD beliefs, and the preference for latrines that differ in cost. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 486 participants at Aurangabad district, Bihar, India, from July 2019 to January 2020. The district is one of the worst performers in latrine adoption in the country, according to the census of India 2011, Swachh Bharat Mission 2016, and NFHS-5 2019-21 data. A pretested questionnaire prepared by Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE) was used as a tool for data collection. Data collected were entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Descriptive data analysis was performed and represented in tabular forms. The categories of households were made on the basis of the defecation practices (latrine user and OD practitioners). Results: The study found that social norms regarding purity and pollution were the same across the two groups. Both the groups (latrine user and OD practitioners) agreed that OD was disgusting and polluting behaviour. The two groups were coherent in the preference for latrines based on cost. Conclusion: The social norms are evolving in the study setting. Households have recognised the relevance of latrine use in contemporary times. The gap in practice is the only difference between the two groups of households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This individually randomized trial was conducted to estimate the effect of promoting community‐initiated kangaroo mother care (ciKMC) in low birthweight (LBW) infants on infant breastfeeding performance. It was designed as a substudy within a larger primary trial on ciKMC and infant survival. Five hundred fifty stable LBW mother‐infant dyads (1500−2250 g) who provided consent, were consecutively enroled for breastfeeding performance assessment. The ciKMC intervention included promotion and support of continuous skin‐to‐skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) through home visits during the neonatal period. The primary outcome was effective breastfeeding performance indicated by an infant breastfeeding assessment tool score of ≥10 after the end of the neonatal period. As secondary outcomes, we reported maternal satisfaction related to infant breastfeeding, and EBF after the end of the neonatal period. We completed outcome assessments in 96% of participants. In the ciKMC arm, 92% of the infants showed effective breastfeeding performance against 81% in the control arm [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16−1.32]. In the ciKMC arm, 65% of the mothers reported to be very satisfied with their infants' breastfeeding against 51% in the control arm (aPR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05−1.41). The proportion of infants practicing EBF was 89% in the ciKMC arm against 45% in the control arm (aPR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.45−1.81). Our study findings suggest that promotion of ciKMC can improve effective breastfeeding, EBF and maternal satisfaction related to breastfeeding in LBW infants. Key messages: In low birthweight (LBW) infants, breastfeeding can be challenging with low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF).Our trial in North India among 550 LBW infants showed that promotion of community‐initiated Kangaroo mother care (ciKMC) can substantially improve infant breastfeeding performance.ciKMC promotion substantially improved EBF prevalence at the end of the neonatal period, number of breastfeeds per day and duration of each breastfeed. It also enhanced mother's satisfaction with their infant's breastfeeding performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We interviewed 221 antenatal women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy attending a primary care antenatal clinic at a low-income area in Delhi, India, during 2019–20. The Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women (MDD-W) score for 10 food groups was calculated using the open recall method during a 24-h recall period. The median MDD-W score was 6 (IQR 4–7). Low dietary diversity (MDD-W <5) was observed in 65 (29.4%) participants. Low SES and higher age (≥25 years) were statistically significant predictors of lower dietary diversity, but it was unrelated to parity. Furthermore, protein deficit was observed in 185 (83.7%) and calorie deficit in 210 (95%) participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal 1 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations member States in 2015, is to end poverty in all forms everywhere. The major indicator to monitor the goal is the so-called headcount ratio or poverty rate, i.e., proportion or percentage of people under poverty. In India, where nearly a quarter of population still live below the poverty line, monitoring of poverty needs greater attention, more frequently at shorter intervals (e.g., every year) to evaluate the effectiveness of planning, programs and actions taken by the governments to eradicate poverty. Poverty rate computation for India depends on two basic ingredients – rural and urban poverty lines for different states and union territories and average Monthly Per-capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE). While MPCE can be obtained every year, usually from the Consumer Expenditure Survey on shorter schedules with a few exceptions where the information is obtained from another survey, determination of poverty lines is a highly complex, costly and time-consuming process. Poverty lines are essentially determined by a panel of experts who draws their conclusions partly based on their subjective opinions and partly based on data from multiple sources. The main data source the panel uses is the Consumer Expenditure Survey data with a detailed schedule, which are usually available every five years or so. In this paper, we undertake a feasibility study to explore if estimates of headcount ratios or Poverty Ratios in intervening years can be provided in absence of poverty lines by relating poverty ratios with average MPCE through a statistical model. Then we can use the fitted model to predict poverty rates for intervening years based on average MPCE. We explore a few in this work models using Bayesian methodology. The reason behind calling this 'synthetic prediction' rests on the synthetic assumption of model invariance over years, often used in the small area literature. While the data-based assessment of our Bayesian synthetic prediction procedure is encouraging, there is a great potential for improvements on the models presented in this paper, e.g., by incorporating more auxiliary data as they become available. In any case, we expect our preliminary work in this important area will encourage researchers to think about statistical modeling as a possible way to at least partially solve a problem for which no objective solution is currently available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]