The Politics of Social Protection in Rural India

Social protection, in the context of informal
economy, is a challenging task. When traditional
societies transform into modern state and their
economies prosper, formal social protection becomes
indispensable. A new dynamics of the symbiotic
existence of informal and formal social protection
takes place. This generates a politics that shapes
the access to social protection. Empirical
examination of the promotive and protective social
protection programmes (employment guarantee scheme
and income maintenance programme) of rural India
reveals that both eligibility and entitlement
to welfare rights are contested within the power
structure of the local communities. Micro-politics
within the household, social groups and communities
as well as macro-politics of the political parties
and internationalism interface each other in the
politics of social protection. This is unraveled by
examining the network of poor people in the villages
of India. The path-breaking research into the
multilayered politics of state, market, civil
society and households, through innovative
methodologies, shows how competing interests in the
society shape the public policies.

Autorentext

Sony Pellissery received his school education in Kerala, India and higher education at IIT Bombay and Oxford University. Prior to his doctoral degree his work among the Bhil adivasis, demonstrating leadership skills for social justice, gained him Ford Foundation's International Fellowship, and this book is based on his doctoral work.

Klappentext

Social protection, in the context of informal economy, is a challenging task. When traditional societies transform into modern state and their economies prosper, formal social protection becomes indispensable. A new dynamics of the symbiotic existence of informal and formal social protection takes place. This generates a politics that shapes the access to social protection. Empirical examination of the promotive and protective social protection programmes (employment guarantee scheme and income maintenance programme) of rural India reveals that both eligibility and entitlement to 'welfare rights' are contested within the power structure of the local communities. Micro-politics within the household, social groups and communities as well as macro-politics of the political parties and internationalism interface each other in the politics of social protection. This is unraveled by examining the network of poor people in the villages of India. The path-breaking research into the multilayered politics of state, market, civil society and households, through innovative methodologies, shows how competing interests in the society shape the public policies.