The early years of 1990s economic reform and change has neglected social sectors both in India and Central Asia. As a result, poverty has also increased in India and Central Asian countries. The economic, political, and social situation has worsened in all Central Asian states due to transition from command economy to market economy. The early 1990s political decision has been dominated by a narrowly conceived version of economic policy for both India and Central Asia. As a result, the quality and the structure of social protection changed in a negative way. Indeed, in some cases, the pursuit of a strict economic orthodoxy has left various sections of the community marginalized and alienated. Both the societies confront a number of challenges that is as profound as the economic changes of the past. The process of globalization and technical change has influenced economy and society in complex ways, including raising expectations of consumption and remuneration for skilled knowledge workers, creating greater demand for some information skills and services, causing unemployment amongst those with few qualifications, and destabilizing some traditional ways of life and increasing social exclusion. It detaches groups and individuals from social relations and institutions and prevents them from full participation in the normal activities of the society. In India and Central Asia, communities face social exclusion on the basis of their identity as ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, religious community, and gender. Inclusive development, therefore, is essential, and it should be the top priority in development programs of India and Central Asia. Research in this area has not been touched upon so far. Since Central Asian countries are relatively new and trying to establish their democratic institutions, this piece of work will be helpful for their nation-building processes. So far as the mutual benefit for both the regions is concerned, India is an old democracy, and its inclusive policy can be lessons for Central Asian countries. On the other hand, the experience of Central Asias policy implementation can be a lesson for India. This piece of work has potential impulses to policy makers, academicians, and researchers of these five Central Asian countries and India. This work can make a distinction than the conventional researcher in India by focusing on development studies, social exclusion, inclusive policies, and comparative studies in international developments. Key words: social exclusion, poverty, deprivation, development, diversity, India, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan

Despite India’s record of rapid economic growth and poverty reduction over recent decades, rising inequality in the country has been a subject of concern among policy makers, academics, and activists alike. Poverty and Social Exclusion in India focuses on social exclusion, which has its roots in India’s historical divisions along lines of caste, tribe, and the excluded sex, that is, women. These inequalities are more structural in nature and have kept entire groups trapped, unable to take advantage of opportunities that economic growth offers. Culturally rooted systems perpetuate inequality, and, rather than a culture of poverty that afflicts disadvantaged groups, it is, in fact, these inequality traps that prevent these groups from breaking out. Combining rigorous quantitative research with a discussion of these underlying processes, this book finds that exclusion can be explained by inequality in opportunities, inequality in access to markets, and inequality in voice and agency. This report will be of interest to policy makers, development practitioners, social scientists, and academics working to foster equality in India.

This book examines similarities and differences between art in ancient Indian (Indus) civilizations and that of the Aegean civilizations. The comparison raises questions about possible cross-cultural influences, which became more significant following Alexander’s invasion and the subsequent adaptation of Indian art under the Indo-Greek kingdoms.

Muslim minorities in China and India form only a small fraction of their respective populations, yet as they principally live in troubled border states, they are of key strategic importance in the war on terror. In this global context, this book explores whether economics is more important than the suppression of rights in explaining social unrest.

The art of successful negotiations over protracted conflicts presupposes a political commitment to peace and a willingness to compromise, which are sorely lacking in the current disorderly world. Part of the blame for this lies in weak and ineffective national and global leadership. This book’s sharp focus on the role of leadership at different levels—national government, rebel and Western/regional government mediators—as well as that of the UN and non-governmental players in settling intra-state disputes, is a unique feature which sets it apart from others. Much of the existing literature does not adequately discuss the role of the above actors in developing countries. Asia’s Trouble Spots is a serious attempt to fill this gap. The seven country studies in Asia—Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China—discuss, inter alia, how peace negotiations between national political and rebel leaders have unfolded. The role of state-sponsored cross-border terrorists and non-state spoilers such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS is addressed in the context of geopolitical rivalry among regional and global powers. A. S. Bhalla challenges the view that Western leaders can act as impartial mediators in intra-state and inter-state disputes. With few exceptions, their record has been dismal at best. Their failure in conflict resolution arises from a loss of moral authority and credibility, which follows the gradual erosion over the years of such liberal values as the rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights. Commercial and strategic self-interests have also tended to undermine peacebuilding efforts.

This issue of Physician Assistant Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Vincent Morelli, Roger Zoorob, and Joel J. Heidelbaugh, is devoted to Primary Care of the Medically Underserved. Articles in this issue include Primary Care Issues in Rural Populations; Primary Care Issues in Inner City America and Internationally; Medical Care for Undocumented Immigrants: National and International Issues; Pediatric and Adolescent Issues in Underserved Populations; Women’s Select Health Issues in Underserved Populations; Medical Care of the Homeless: An American and International Issue; Occupational Health and Sleep Issues in Underserved Populations; Infectious Disease Issues in Underserved Populations; Psychological Issues in Medically Underserved Patients; Substance Use Issues Among the Underserved: United States and International Perspectives; Diet and Obesity Issues in the Underserved; Exercise and Sports Medicine Issues in Underserved Populations; Environmental Justice and Underserved Communities; Climate Change and Underserved Communities; Geriatric Care Issues - An American and an International Perspective; Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Underserved Populations; Cancer in the Medically Underserved Population; and International Comparisons in Underserved Health - Issues, Policies, Needs and Projections. CME credits are also available to subscribers of this series.

This issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, guest edited by Drs. Vincent Morelli, Roger Zoorob, and Joel J. Heidelbaugh, is devoted to Primary Care of the Medically Underserved. This outstanding issue includes the following articles: Primary Care Issues in Rural Populations; Primary Care Issues in Inner City America and Internationally; Medical Care for Undocumented Immigrants: National and International Issues; Pediatric and Adolescent Issues in Underserved Populations; Women's Health issues in Underserved Populations; Geriatric Care Issues: American and International Perspectives; Medical Care of the Homeless: An American and International Issue; Cardiovascular Issues in the Underserved; Occupational Health and Sleep Issues in Underserved Populations; Infectious Diseases Issues in Underserved Populations; Cancer in the Underserved; Psychological Issues in Underserved Populations; Substance Abuse Issues Amongst the Underserved: American and International Perspectives; Diet and Obesity Issues in the Underserved; Exercise/Sports Medicine Issues in Underserved Populations; A Global Perspective on Climate Change and Health in Underserved Populations; and International Comparisons in Underserved Health: Issues, Policies, Needs and Projections.

The four Central Asian States (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan) security agencies and government have adopted several law and order measures to effectively fight against radicalization, but some states failed to intercept the infiltration of the ISIS militants from Afghanistan into the region. The power structures, social institutions and local authorities of the Central Asian states are unable to work with radical Islamic groups. The prospect of nuclear terrorism in Central Asia and possibly in Russia, is crystal clear. The risk of a complete nuclear device falling into the hands of terrorists will cause consternation in the region. Nuclear terrorism remains a constant threat to global peace. Access of terrorist organizations to nuclear material is a bigger threat to civilian population. These are some of the issues discussed in the book. The issues are based on well researched papers by eminent authors on the subject.

Winner of the International Studies in Poverty Prize awarded by the Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) and Zed Books. Poverty has become the central focus of global development efforts, with a vast body of research and funding dedicated to its alleviation. And yet, the field of poverty studies remains deeply ideological and has been used to justify wealth and power within the prevailing world order. Andrew Martin Fischer clarifies this deeply political character, from conceptions and measures of poverty through to their application as policies. Poverty as Ideology shows how our dominant approaches to poverty studies have, in fact, served to reinforce the prevailing neoliberal ideology while neglecting the wider interests of social justice that are fundamental to creating more equitable societies. Instead, our development policies have created a 'poverty industry' that obscures the dynamic reproductions of poverty within contemporary capitalist development and promotes segregation in the name of science and charity. Fischer argues that an effective and lasting solution to global poverty requires us to reorient our efforts away from current fixations on productivity and towards more equitable distributions of wealth and resources. This provocative work offers a radical new approach to understanding poverty based on a comprehensive and accessible critique of key concepts and research methods. It upends much of the received wisdom to provide an invaluable resource for students, teachers and researchers across the social sciences.