Gradients of Household and Parental Contextual Factors on Education and Health of Children in Northeast India

Melody Thangjam
Laishram Ladusingh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

This paper provides an empirical assessment of the gradients of household’s social group and economic status and parental education on child well-being in terms of education and health of children in northeast India, most underdeveloped region inhabited by a number ethnic indigenous tribes. The design of the study is follow up of children in 5-17 years from 2004-05 to 2011-12 from the two rounds of India Human Development Survey. It is found that children of lower social group, scheduled tribes and scheduled castes have lower years of schooling compared to children of other upper castes. Girls outperform boys in terms of average years of schooling unlike in other states in India. Mother education significantly enhance years of schooling of children and outwit household economic well-being. No sex differential in child malnutrition is found in northeast India while scheduled castes children are found more malnourished than that of other backward castes.

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 Presented in Session 95. Parenting and Child Development in International Contexts