Mapping child vulnerability in India: where does the compass point
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20262403Keywords:
Child vulnerability, Child-centred, Evidence-based policymaking, TransdisciplinaryAbstract
Background: Exposure to multiple and overlapping social and economic risks shapes children’s developmental outcomes, yet India lacks an integrated framework to systematically identify and map these vulnerabilities. This study addresses this gap by developing a multidimensional and spatially disaggregated framework for child vulnerability using a transdisciplinary research (TDR) approach.
Methods: Drawing on iterative consultations with academic experts, practitioners and policy stakeholders, an initial set of over 70 indicators across four domains, health, education, child protection and resilience, was identified and refined to 24 indicators based on relevance and data availability. These indicators were derived from eight large-scale, open-source government datasets covering all states in India and applied to generate district-level vulnerability rankings across 665 districts. Statistical analysis was undertaken using STATA Version 17.
Results: The resulting national and state-level maps reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in child vulnerability, both across- and within states, highlighting substantial intra-state disparities that are often masked by aggregate statistics. The findings demonstrate that vulnerability is unevenly distributed and closely linked to local socio-economic, infrastructural and demographic conditions.
Conclusions: The study contributes both empirically and conceptually by illustrating how multidimensional vulnerability frameworks can be operationalized under data constraints. At the same time, it highlights critical gaps in existing data systems, particularly in relation to psychosocial wellbeing, protection and empowerment. Overall, the study provides a scalable framework for mapping child vulnerability and underscores the need for more integrated, spatially disaggregated and child-centred data systems to support evidence-based policymaking in India.
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