Examining Chequered Development Trajectory of Three Newly Created States (Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand) Since the 2000s

Tribeni Sonowal, Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University
Rahul Kumar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Dr. Kunal Keshri, Assistant Professor

This study examines the socio-economic development of India’s three states—Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh—formed in 2000 from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, respectively. The study focuses on trends in infant and under-five mortality rates and their association with maternal healthcare indicators, such as institutional births and antenatal care visits, in relation to educational improvements. It utilizes data from four rounds (1992-93, 1998-99, 2015-16, and 2020-21) of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and the second round (2002-03) of the District Level Household Survey (DLHS). District-level estimates of maternal health and mean years of schooling for males and females in newly created districts since 1991 are derived from the 2001 Census. Geospatial mapping and logistic regression are also applied. Findings reveal that the mean years of schooling for females increased significantly from NFHS-1 (2.9) to NFHS-5 (7.8), surpassing the rate for males. The newly formed states have outperformed their parent regions in institutional births and antenatal care visits. The analysis shows that maternal education, age, media exposure, and wealth significantly enhance healthcare access. The study highlights the need for targeted policies in education and healthcare to address socio-economic challenges and improve maternal health outcomes in these states.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Mortality and Longevity, Population and Development, Spatial Demography

See extended abstract.