Abstract:
The paper attempts to estimate multidimensional inequality of opportunity in human development outcomes for Indian children using multivariate probit method. We also decompose multidimensional inequality by dimensions and inequality of opportunity in single dimension by circumstances using the Shapley decomposition method.  For this analysis, we use the two rounds of India Human Development Survey conducted in 2005 and 2011-12. The datasets provide information on performance of children in the age group of eight to 11 on mathematics and reading test scores. The anthropometric measures are also reported for these children. Based on this information, we are able to understand the performance of child on education and health outcomes. We find that the inequality of opportunity in educational performance is substantial and remained constant over the period under consideration. Moreover, the results show some evidence of social immobility as the family’s economics and social background along with parental education determines majority of the inequality of opportunity in educational performance. In the case of health status, the inequality of opportunity is not as high as that for the education, however, the family’s background is still the major contributor to the inequality of opportunity.

Speaker: Prof. Rama Pal, Dept of HSS, IIT Bombay