Indicators Of Social Development Research Articles

Considerations on the Influence of the Globalization Phenomenon on Small-sized Communities

"The present study is the result of a field research carried out in July 2022 in the municipality of Calafat in Dolj county. The findings of the study draw attention to global trends in urbanization. Currently, urbanization is an indicator of social development, and on a global level we find that societies registered on positive development trends also go through an intense process of urban development. This is also due to the fact that the city is at the same time both the result and the engine of the development of a society. In the case of small communities in Romania, we observe a reverse process, of deurbanization of small urban communities. Forced industrialization from the communist period was followed by the lack of solutions necessary for economic performance. The consultation of statistical data and the correlation with the way the population of small towns perceives the reality allow the estimation that globalization has had a destructive effect on the incompletely developed small towns by focusing only on industrial production and ignoring all the necessities of the urbanization process. "

Regional Disparities in Social Development in Haryana

The main objective of the present study was to analyse the pattern of district-level regional disparities in social development in Haryana. The study constructed a social development index (SDI) with consideration of 33 key indicators at the four-point of time, i.e., 1991-92, 2001-02, 2011-12, and 2018-19. The study used the “Wroclaw taxonomic” technique to construct composite indices. It was found that in 1991-92, Ambala, Karnal, and Sirsa districts were highly socially developed, whereas Jind, Faridabad, Panipat, and Kaithal districts were the least developed. Moreover, in 2018-19, Rewari, Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Panchkula had the highest level of social development, and Jhajjar, Gurugram, Panipat, and Rohtak districts had the least social development. Moreover, the study also observed that districts in the northern and southern regions had improved their level of social development. In contrast, districts surrounding the National Capital and the districts in the western region had deteriorated their level of social development. The study confirmed that the most economically well-developed districts, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, Jhajjar, and Rohtak, were deprived of social development, and also revealed that the disparities in social development in Haryana had widened over the period and suggested that the Government should immediately formulate policies to uplift social development in lagging districts and reduce the disparities.

A Comparative Study of Infant and Under 5 Mortality Rate and Institutional Births of EAG States with Reference to SDG-3 (Target -2): An Analysis of the NFHS (2019-20)

Children and maternal health are the supreme assets of a nation. Because mothers are reproductive or fertile women and children are the future of the nation. Therefore, both play a vital role for the future of the nation. The increase in economic productivity depends upon the health of the residents of any area. As we know that in 1980s, the social development indicators were included in the development indicators. The social development indicator includes health, education, sanitation, hygiene, etc.; in which health and education play a vital role in economic development. Sustainable Development has 17 goals in which SDG- Goal- 3 is related to Health and Well-being. SDG-3 have 13 targets and 28 indicators defined by United Nations like MMR, U5MR, IMR, HIV, suicide rates, life expectancy, etc. in which Out of 13 target, this study is based on SDG Goal – 3.2 (By 2030, end of preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce IMR to at least as low as 12 per 1000 live births instead of NNMR and Under -5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1000 live births) and Institutional birth of EAG States. The EAG states mainly consist of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This study is focused upon the comparative study among EAG states in terms of Infant and child mortality rate and institutional birth with the help of NFHS.

ВЛИЯНИЕ САНКЦИОННОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ СТРАН ЗАПАДА НА СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЕ РАЗВИТИЕ РЕГИОНОВ РОССИИ

The relevance of the study of the impact of Western sanctions on the socio-economic development of Russian regions as an information basis for making managerial decisions to ensure the sustainable functioning and development of the Russian Federation in the short and medium term is substantiated. The most sensitive sanctions of Western countries for the development of the industrial sector of the economy of the Republic of Bashkortostan are highlighted, taking into account the structure of the economy of the republic with a predominance of oil production, oil refining industry and petrochemistry. A methodological approach to the rating assessment of the impact of the sanctions policy of Western countries on the level of socio-economic development of the regions of the Russian Federation for the 1st half of 2022, including a system of indicators of economic, social, financial and demographic development, has been developed and tested. The use of the proposed approach makes it possible to identify regions that have been able to adapt to the sanctions and use them to increase the level of socio-economic development in order to replicate their positive experience in other regions of Russia, as well as to identify the regions most affected by the sanctions to develop measures for their state support. The typologization of the regions of Russia according to their sensitivity to the sanctions of Western countries has been carried out, with the allocation of the most and least affected regions of the country by sanctions. The rating positions of the Republic of Bashkortostan on sensitivity to Western sanctions have been determined, highlighting the key problems that they may face in the medium term in the conditions of economic war carried out by countries of the world "unfriendly" to Russia in response to a special military operation in Ukraine. A set of measures is proposed aimed at smoothing the negative effects of the sanctions policy of Western countries, as well as the use of additional opportunities in terms of the development of the industrial sector of the economy of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the areas of import substitution, support for high-tech exports, reducing dependence on imported equipment and components, and promoting innovative development. The results of the study were reported at the XIV International scientific and practical conference: "Innovative technologies for managing the socio-economic development of the regions of Russia", October 20-21, 2022, ISEI UFIC RAS, Ufa. The article may be of interest to researchers dealing with the impact of the sanctions policy of Western countries on the socio-economic development of Russian regions, and territorial administration bodies responsible for making managerial decisions in the field of anti-sanctions policy.

The development and progress of health literacy in China.

Limited health literacy is a serious public health problem. It is strongly associated with increased hospital admissions and readmission, poorer self-management, and health outcomes. It can lead to poor management of chronic disease, lower health care quality, increased mortality, and higher healthcare expenditures. Understanding China's current situation and the progress of health literacy levels are critical to achieving practical solutions for improving population health. This paper intended to provide a concise overview of the key milestones and specific practices in health literacy in China. We summarized the characteristics and changing profile of health literacy from 2008 to 2020 in China. We developed an intervention framework based on social ecosystem theory for improving health literacy in China. Meanwhile, some multi-level actionable recommendations were proposed. The study revealed that China has made progress in improving health literacy in the last decades. Health literacy levels increased from 6.48% of the population in 2008 to 23.15% in 2020. Geographic disparities were substantial. The East performed better health literacy than the Central and West, and cities had higher adequate health literacy than rural areas. Social development index, age, and education level were highly associated with health literacy. A global joint effort to improve health literacy will be required. And we advocate a whole-of-society approach that involves the participation of the entire ecosystem around the targeted population.

Social inequality deeply affects people’s perception of ecosystem services and disservices provided by street trees

To ensure that changes in the landscape do not reinforce existing inequalities or create new ones, it is vital to continuously monitor the urban landscape. This is especially important in situations of poverty and economic and environmental inequality. However, little is known about the influence of socioeconomic factors on peoples’ perception of Ecosystem Services (ES) in Latin American cities, where a weak environmental governance, deep social inequality and high biodiversity and degree of endemism will differently determine the supply and demand of ESs. In this study, we investigated the social perception of a range of ESs and Ecosystem Disservices (i.e., negative impacts of ecosystems on people; ED) delivered by the street trees of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a city marked by a strong socioeconomic inequality. For this, we used a questionnaire investigating how the perceptions about the provision of ESs and EDs by street trees is modulated by sociodemographic (e.g., age and gender), urban (e.g., population density), socioeconomic (e.g., Social Development Index; SDI) and ecological factors (e.g., street trees density). For that, we used bi- and multi-variate analysis, including principal component analysis. We found that in neighborhoods with lower SDI, lower population density, lower species richness and higher arboreal deficit, respondents identified more ESs related to food provision, air quality, noise, and flood regulation while in neighborhoods with opposite characteristics, residents tend to affirm the esthetic identity of their neighborhoods, which are usually better maintained in terms of both green and grey infrastructures. Female respondents identified more safety EDs regarding negative aspects of street trees (e.g., risk of crime). Also, younger respondents identified for more regulatingservices (e.g., climate regulation and habitat support). We demonstrate that local assessment of ESs and EDs is necessary to adequately instruct suitable strategies for increase people's engagement, identify potential conflicts, as well as planning, designing, and managing the green infrastructures.

Socio-economic inequality in Kazakhstani regions: Assessment and impact on regional development management

Excessive differentiation of socio-economic development of regions leads to the collapse of a single socio-economic space and the emergence of socio-economic inequality. This study assessed socio-economic inequality in Kazakhstan and its impact on regional development management. It analyzed interregional disproportion of socio-economic development of regions through the index approach using statistical data from the Bureau of National Statistics for 2011–2019. A comprehensive study of the socio-economic development of Kazakhstan and its regional differences employed the proposed index of social and economic development. It was revealed that Kazakhstan has a high level of interregional differentiation of socio-economic development, which indicates the existing socio-economic inequality, requiring the development of new and improvement of existing mechanisms to create an inclusive economy. There are significant gaps in socio-economic development between Kazakhstani regions. According to the proposed index, Kazakhstan is at the above-average level (42, B). From 2011 to 2019, the index was practically at the same level (39-42). The average social and economic development was shown by Almaty (61.1, B++), Nur-Sultan (59.9, B+), Karaganda (53.1, B+), and East Kazakhstan (51.0, B+). Low social and economic development was shown by Akmola (29.8, C+) and North Kazakhstan (22.4, C+). The difference in the socio-economic development of the regions is directly interconnected with the regional economic and social policy. According to the results, to implement state policy in inclusive development and overcome socio-economic inequality, respective measures should promote economic integration, including the mechanisms of regional, industrial, and research policy, comprising all levels of state regulation. AcknowledgmentsThis study is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan within the project “The science impact on Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development: methodology, assessment models and development scenarios” (IRN AP08052745).

Towards Sustainable Social Development in Bangladesh

This special issue is a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022), who was the Head of the Commonwealth. Bangladesh became the 32nd member of the Commonwealth on 18 April 1972. As the Head of Commonwealth, Her Majesty was engaged in a number of Sustainable Development programs among the member states. In Bangladesh, her visit in 1983, alongside eulogisation on several occasions about the coping and resilience of the people of Bangladesh when natural disasters attacked the country, gave confidence and conviction among the people of Bangladesh, which in turn significantly impacted sustainable social development. Social development is multidimensional as it covers all social sectors that bring about all-around development to health, education, family planning, environment, gender equality, infrastructure, social services and so on. It is not only social development but sustainable social development which has been recently emphasised by academics, researchers, development partners, environmentalists and many others. Bangladesh, a lower middle-income country, has been thriving to ensure sustainable social development in different sectors, resulting in some commendable outcomes, despite many barriers that she faces now. The articles included in this special issue of Space and Culture, India journal, have focused on multidimensional and multifarious factors relating to sustainable social development in Bangladesh. The diverse perspectives explain and critically analyse varied issues that are directly linked to sustainable development goals (SDGs) declared by the United Nations (UN), which may be considered important for the overall improvement of the social development indicators of Bangladesh. These articles could be useful for the policymakers concerned about ensuring sustainable social development not only in Bangladesh but in all developing and least developed countries worldwide.

The Impacts of COVID-19 Shock on Intergenerational Income Mobility: Evidence from China.

The COVID-19 crisis has caused a huge negative shock to economic activities worldwide, leading to a reduction in income and changes in income distribution. Intergenerational mobility is an important indicator of sustainable social development. This paper explores the short-term impacts of the sudden COVID-19 pandemic on intergenerational income mobility and personal income in China. Using the variation in the number of confirmed cases across provinces, we construct a province-level pandemic intensity index and combine it with individual data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). We apply a general difference-in-difference strategy to identify the causal effect of the pandemic on intergenerational income mobility. We find that personal income is positively related to parental income, and that the COVID-19 crisis has caused a decline in individual income and exacerbated intergenerational income persistence. A more intense COVID-19 pandemic shock is associated with a larger increase in intergenerational income elasticity and intergenerational income rank–rank slope. We found that with one standard deviation increase in local pandemic intensity, the intergenerational income elasticity increases by 0.315 and the intergenerational income rank–rank slope increases by 0.198 on average. The mechanism testing suggests that heterogeneous effects among different groups are the force underlying the results. Low-income, low-skilled, and low-parental-income individuals have suffered a more severe impact from the pandemic shock.

Global, regional, and national burdens of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 years from 1990 to 2019: a trend analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, are major sexual health issues among adolescents and young adults globally, but data on the burden and trends of these diseases are sparse. We aimed to assess the trends in the burden of HIV and other STIs among adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 years from 1990 to 2019 on the global, regional, and national level. In this trend analysis based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we reported on the number, rates per 100 000 population, and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) of incidence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of HIV and other STIs (syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, and genital herpes) at the global, regional, and national level among individuals aged 10-24 years. We further analysed these global trends by age, sex, and social development index (SDI). We also used joinpoint regression analysis to identify the year with the most substantial changes in global trends. Globally, the incidence of HIV among adolescents and young adults decreased from 34·5 per 100 000 population (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 29·3 to 39·7) in 1990 to 22·7 per 100 000 population (20·3 to 25·8) in 2019, AAPC -2·6 [95% CI -3·1 to -2·0]); specific years in which HIV incidence decreased significantly were 1998, 2005, and 2014. Incidence of other STIs increased from 6986·3 per 100 000 population (95% UI 5504·8-8645·0) in 1990 to 7088·7 100 000 population (5620·1-8697) in 2019 (AAPC 0·2 [95% CI 0·1-0·3]); we found a substantial decrease in the incidence of other STIs in 2011 only. The rate of decrease in the incidence of other global STIs between 2009 and 2019 was approximately one-fifth the rate of the decrease in the global incidence of HIV for the same time period (AAPC -0·7 [95% CI -0·8 to -0·7] vs AAPC -3·4 [-3·8 to -3·1]). Regionally, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest incidence and highest DALYs from HIV and other STIs, and Oceania and Eastern Europe had the largest increase in the incidence and DALYs from HIV and other STIs between 1990 and 2019. By SDI quintile, the middle-SDI countries had the largest increase in HIV incidence between 1990 and 2019 and the DALYs from other STIs in the same period decreased in all SDI quintiles. Globally, females accounted for 278 076 (65·8%) of the 0·42 million incident HIV cases in 2019 and 68 115 077 (51·6%) of the 132·0 million incident cases of other STIs. Of all age groups, adolescents aged 10-14 years had the largest increase in the incidence of other STIs between 1990 and 2019 (from 1158·9 per 100 000 population [95% UI 857·8-1556·5] in 1990 to 1215·4 per 100 000 population [893·5-1616·1] in 2019; AAPC 0·1 [95% CI 0·1-0·2]). The individual STIs with the highest incident rates varied between age groups and sex. Global HIV incidence among adolescents and young adults decreased between 1990 and 2019, with significant decreases coinciding with the implementation of antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis. The incidence of other STIs in this population increased over the same period and only started decreasing in 2011, at a rate of only one-fifth of the rate of decrease of HIV. Earlier sexual health education and targeted STI screening are urgently required for adolescents and young adults. National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.

Parallel Leisure Sport Activities Diversity with Economic, Social and Human Development Indicators

Parallel Leisure Sport Activities Diversity with Economic, Social and Human Development Indicators

A methodology for assessing the performance of a budgetary institution in the context of managerial analysis

Subject. This article explores the possibilities of using macroeconomic indicators of crop production development and the standard of living of the population of rural areas to analyze the performance of budget organizations that provide public and commercial services to crop subjects. Objectives. The article aims to test the hypothesis that the effectiveness of management activities in organizations that perform the State function of maintaining crop production through State subsidies and commercial contracts with farms should be determined not only by the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of allocated funds, but also by analyzing the results of financing regions expressed by macroeconomic indicators. Methods. For the study, we used an economic analysis, and the logical and empirical methods. Results. The article defines macroeconomic indicators, on the basis of which data characterizing the intensity of the use of agricultural land, as well as the social development of rural areas, are calculated. Conclusions and Relevance. Indicators of crop production efficiency and social development should be taken into account to assess the quality of management of budgetary organizations. The proposed methodology can help to comprehensively assess the activities of a budgetary institution in the performance of State functions and in the future can be introduced into the system for assessing the effectiveness of the activities of heads of budget organizations on the basis of KPIs. The results of the study may be useful for the creation of models for assessing the performance of budget organizations in performing the State function.

The Quality of Life of the Population as an Indicator of Social Development (on the Example of a Sociological Study in the Kulundinsky district of the Altai Territory)

The article discusses the main approaches to the interpretation of the concepts of quality and standard of living of the population. The characteristic of the quality of life of the population is given on the example of one of the districts of the Altai Territory. The problem is considered through a number of objective and subjective features. The subject of the work is the quality of life as an indicator of the social development of the Kulundinsky district of the Altai Territory. Within the framework of this article, the quality of life is understood as a phenomenon of a socio-economic nature that incorporates elements of the surrounding world, as well as subjective satisfaction with a number of systems of functioning of society, which can be qualitatively and quantitatively sociologically expressed and investigated. The authors identified the main components of the quality of life of the population: the economic condition of the district, social indicators and the infrastructure of the district. Such methods of sociological research as in-depth interviews and questionnaires were used in the work, which make it possible to obtain the greatest amount of information, identify certain patterns and features. The main conclusions of the study are that according to objective indicators, the quality of life of the population is at an average level, and according to subjective indicators, at a high level, which gives reason to form an overall assessment of the quality of life of the population of Kulunda district above average. The hypothesis of determining the assessment of the quality of life is largely confirmed by subjective indicators, because despite a number of difficulties, the population as a whole assesses their own quality of life as good and very good in most cases, moreover, over the past year, a significant part of the population began to live objectively worse. Special attention should be paid to the self-assessment of the quality of life by the population of the Kulunda district, which requires further study.

Incidence, Morbidity and years Lived With Disability due to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in 204 Countries and Territories: Trends From 1990 to 2019

BackgroundWe aimed to examine the descriptive epidemiology and trends in the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsData were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 dataset. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to assess the trends in incidence rate, mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) associated with T2DM. Measures were stratified by sex, region, country, age and social development index (SDI) value.ResultsThe global age-standardized incidence rate of T2DM increased from 1990 to 2019, with an EAPC of 1.25 (95% CI, 1.19 to 1.31). In 2019, the highest age-standardized incidence rate of T2DM was observed in high-SDI regions, and the largest increase in this rate from 1990 to 2019 was also in high-SDI regions (EAPC, 1.74;95% CI, 1.57 to 1.90). At the regional level, Central Asia (EAPC, 2.53;95% CI, 2.45 to 2.61) had the largest increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of T2DM from 1990 to 2019. At the national level, Luxembourg (EAPC, 4.51;95% CI, 4.37 to 4.65) and Uzbekistan (EAPC, 3.63; 95% CI, 3.44 to 3.82) had the largest increases in the age-standardized incidence rate of T2DM from 1990 to 2019. The global age-standardized death and DALY rates increased from 1990 to 2019, with EAPCs of 0.26 (95% CI, 0.16 to 0.37) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.77 to 0.85), respectively. The age-standardized death and DALY rates showed the largest increases in Central Asia, South Asia and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa.ConclusionsGlobally, the age-standardized incidence, death and DALY rates increased from 1990 to 2019. Central Asia, South Asia and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa were found to have the greatest burden of T2DM. Future strategies should focus on these high-risk regions and other high-risk populations.

Social development of the Central Federal District regions

The article is devoted to the analysis of indicators of the social orientation of regional development. It is noted that currently the socio–economic component is considered as a social and economic component. It is proposed to use the indicators of the block «Culture, recreation, sports and tourism». An algorithm for calculating the generalized indicator of social regional development is proposed. A program has been developed that implements this algorithm and uses indicators of this block of indicators. For the regions of the Central Federal District, the calculated generalized indicators are given. The author predicts the possibility of using the data obtained by the Central Federal District regions for further research in temporal and spatial aspects.

BUDGET MANAGEMENT IN THE CONDITIONS OF GLOBALIZATION PROCESSES

Abstract. In this article we prove that globalization processes lead to uncertainty of future macroeconomic indicators of the state. This makes complicated the effective management of financial resources and requires the implementation of measures aimed at the modernization of budget management. We determined that the lack of budget strategy in the context of globalization of economic processes, which are combined with external and internal risks, requires further modernization of economic methods of management. We substantiated that one of the directions of strengthening the country's economy is strategic forecasting of socio-economic development indicators, which take into account the impact of globalization on market transformation and development of integration trends, the formation of open economy and integration of enterprises into international communication systems. The article highlights the external and internal phenomena that affect the implementation of budget management in the context of globalization, and create risks for socio-economic development of the country. During the research we identified the indicators that serve as indicators of long-term planning and reflect the relationship of macroeconomic, financial, investment, innovation, social and other components of the economic system. Also, we outlined the tasks, the solution of which will increase the efficiency of budget management. We made an analysis of the total public debt and the state budget deficit of Ukraine from 2008 to 2020, which proved the low level of efficiency of budget forecasting due to the unwillingness of the national economy to withstand the impact of external and internal factors. We emphasize the fact that the effectiveness of budget management is based on the reliability and realism of macro indicators of economic and social development of Ukraine. We propose the measures to minimize the impact of negative factors on the budget process, its optimization and increase the efficiency of budget management in the conditions of unforeseen risks.

MODELING OF FINANCIAL RESULTS OF SUBJECTS OF THE INNOVATION PROCESS IN THE REGION

The article develops and substantiates a methodological approach to modeling the results of innovative development of subjects of the regional business environment. The basic values of financial forecasting were indicators of the innovative potential of the business entity and indicators of the innovative attractiveness of the region.The system of indicators of innovation attractiveness of the region includes indicators of innovation activity of the region, social and economic indicators of regional development, indicators of innovative cooperation of the region, and indicators of international integration of the region. To assess the innovation potential of a business entity, such four levels of diagnostics are defined as: the potential of tangible assets; the potential of tangible assets in the form of working capital; the indicator of intellectual potential; the level of use of innovative potential.To substantiate the methodology for analyzing the innovative attractiveness of the region, software was developed in the database management system MS Access environment. Trends were identified by autocorrelation analysis and the foster-Stewart method, and the pair correlation approach was used with the sequential search of all parameters to find the relationship between the parameters. To achieve this goal, we will use the Pearson coefficient; various types of one-dimensional regression are used to increase the accuracy of the model.The forecast values calculated on the basis of modeling justified the existence of a close relationship between the expected economic results of the development of innovative cooperation in the region and the indicators of activation of entrepreneurial initiative. The results of modeling can be used as a basis for forming the policy of innovative development of the region. The results of modeling as well can be used in choosing strategic alternatives for innovative development of business entities.

Environmental, social and economic determinants of sustainable development in the process of managing municipalities illustrated using the example of the lesser Poland voivodeship

In an age of climate change and increasing negative environmental effects of the development of urban agglomeration, it is becoming more and more important to implement sustainable development principles in governing urban municipalities (Polish: gminy). The three areas of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental, have been extensively explored in scientific research over recent years. These studies have mostly covered international or regional areas and, to a lesser extent, local ones. Six environmental, economic and social indicators of sustainable development were examined for 14 urban municipalities located in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Only a selected group of indicators from these areas was assessed due to limited data availability. Social and economic measures showed a strong Spearman's rank correlation. Based on the collected research material, benchmarking was developed for the units under evaluation, indicating that over the period between the year 2014 and 2019, the city of Krakow occupied the highest position, on average, among urban municipalities of Lesser Poland Voivodeship, considering the measures analysed.

Deserts and Oases: Geospatial Analytics of Higher Education Access

Despite the high level of literacy, near universal enrolment in elementary education, and higher indices of social and human development among Indian States, Kerala has not made an impressive headway in higher education. Several studies show that there is ubiquitous relationship between ‘place’ and educational opportunities. Learners’ choice in enrolling to a programme and or an institution of study is largely driven by the geography and physical access to these institutions. This aspect has been widely covered in the Western context, but there are not many studies in the Indian context, especially so in Kerala. In this article, we propose a spatial-metric tool to assess disparity in educational opportunities by assigning a fixed dimension to define the ‘catchment’ area of an institution. We integrated our results with a model of higher education opportunity markets proposed in earlier studies for better understanding. This provides information about the graded nature in the choice of opportunities available in a region and its spatial distribution. Such regions are further classified as regions of negligible opportunities (education deserts) and abundant opportunities (education oases). The spatial-analytical tool proposed here can be recreated and applied across different regions employing various socio-economic and other relevant components of interest. This can have significant implications in educational planning and administration of a region.

RESULTS OF THE FIRST STAGE OF THE STRATEGY FOR THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHUVASH REPUBLIC UNTIL 2035

The Chuvash Republic is one of the 14 regions that make up the Volga Federal District. The Republic has great innovative potential and unrealized competitive advantages. In assessing the total investment potential of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the leaders are 5 regions of the district with high rates of socio-economic development (the Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Perm Territory, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara regions). Taking leading positions in certain industries (electrotechnical cluster, potato and milk production, etc.), in terms of a number of indicators of social and economic development, the republic is ranked 13–14th in the Volga Federal District and 50–60th in Russia. With this in mind, by decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Chuvash Republic was included into the list of 10 regions of the country with a low level of socio-economic development. The strategy is to be implemented within a five-year period, the implementation of the strategy is divided into three stages: the first stage – 2020-2021, the second – 2022-2025, the third – 2026–2035. The purpose of the study is to analyze the implementation of the first stage of the Strategy for the socio-economic development of the Chuvash Republic until 2035, and to assess the impact of the results of the first stage on achieving the goals set in the Strategy-2035. The relevance of the study is caused by the fact that the socio-economic situation of the whole country depends on the results of the socio-economic development of the regions. The study found that the average annual growth rate of indicators (production volume, gross regional product, budget revenues, and quality of life indicators), estimated based on the duration of the Strategy, were not met at the 1st stage. Indicators characterizing the state of development of small and medium-sized enterprises (the number of small enterprises, the number of people employed in them, their share in budget revenues) are deteriorating.