Journal of Social Review and Development

Trajectory of rural asset creation: the efficacy of MGNREGA vs. Fund security vulnerability of VB G RAM G

Jyoti Atri — 2026-07-03

This study attempts to examine the impact of employment generation on asset creation using panel data regression under MGNREGA in Uttar Pradesh from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Regression results show a positive impact of labour days generation on asset creation under the scheme. The generation of more labour days leads to more asset creation. The regression results are also supported by the trends of employment generation and asset creation. This highlights that money spent on the scheme is not a waste of resources, and the scheme can very well achieve the twin objectives of employment generation and development of rural infrastructure. On the contrary, replacing MGNREGA with the new scheme VB-G-RAM-G may lead to less asset creation in rural areas in the absence of a guaranteed supply of funds.

Intersections of caste and gender: a systematic review of women’s literacy and employment disparities in India

Mamta — 2026-07-06

Women’s literacy and employment in India one of the major socio-economic challenges caste-based disparity that affecting. However significant progress has been made in improving educational access and increasing women’s participation in the workforce, inequalities continue to persist across caste groups. Women who belong to socially disadvantaged communities face multiple forms of rejection due to the combined effects of caste and gender. These inequalities influence access to education, skill development, employment opportunities, income generation, and overall socio-economic advancement. This study examines the extent and pattern of caste-based disparities in women’s literacy and employment with the objective of understanding how caste influences educational attainment and workforce participation among women. Secondary data sources such as census reports, government publications, labour force surveys, and published research studies are used to analyse trends and regional differences. Thus, women from historically marginalized caste groups generally experience lower literacy rates, reduced educational attainment and limited access to formal employment compared with women from socially advantaged groups. Findings revealed there are many factors that influence women literacy and employment such as early marriages, children’s burdens, safety concerns and mobility especially in work place and transport.

Impact of health infrastructure on under-five child mortality rates in Nigeria

Onyekwelu Chidimma Vera — 2026-07-08

The study examined the impact of health infrastructure on under-five child mortality rates in Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to: determine the impact of stock of health practitioners on under-five child mortality in Nigeria; ascertain the impact of health immunization programme on under-five child mortality in Nigeria and assess the impact of hospital bed space on under-five child mortality in Nigeria. This study made use of ex-post-facto research design. The data analytical techniques were descriptive Statistics, Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit Root test and dynamic ordinary least square method (DOLS). These variables of the study consist of under-five-child (UFCM), stock of health practitioners (SHP), health immunization programme (HIP) and hospital bed space (HBS) were sourced from the CBN Statistical bulletin and World Bank database (WDI) from 1991 to 2025. The empirical result shows that stock of health practitioners have negative and significant impact under-five child mortality (t-statistic -2.1518< Sig-value; 0.05; P-value; 0.0445); health immunization programme has negative and significant impact under-five child mortality (t-statistic -2.8988 < Sig-value; 0.05; P-value; 0.0092) and hospital bed space has negative and significant impact under-five child mortality (t-statistic 17.5220 < Sig-value; 0.05; P-value; 0.0000). The study recommended that Nigeria government at all levels from the federal, state and local to massively invest in the provision of health infrastructure which is a strong viable means of reducing mortality incidence in Nigeria. Nigeria’s share of government expenditure to the health sector falls massively below the minimum standard of 16% as recommended by UNESCO for a developing country.

Reconceptualising sustainability and sustainable business practices in contemporary management

Kokila Negi — 2026-07-10

Sustainability has become an essential pillar of business strategy in the contemporary business landscape of globalisation. Businesses are increasingly expected to balance between economic performance alongside social responsibility and environmental stewardship to optimise long-run business growth and value creation for stakeholders. Sustainability is an integrated approach in business, which involves incorporating principles of environmental, social and governance (ESG) into business decisions and operations.

The present study highlights the role of sustainability and sustainable business practices as a multidimensional framework that includes environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability in improving corporate reputation, customer trust, brand loyalty, corporate efficiency and long-run competitive advantage. The present study also explore the rising significance of sustainability in consumer decision-making, as today’s consumers are more likely to choose companies that shows ethical behaviour and environmental responsibility.

Moreover, the strategic significance of sustainability in relation to current issues like climate change, scarcity of resources, government regulations, and stakeholder expectations are also discussed. It further provides directions on how to create and execute sustainable business strategies, such as engaging with stakeholders, adopting technology and technology-driven innovations, good governance, and circular economy practices.

Furthermore, the research highlights the key challenges to sustainability adoption, including implementation costs, lack of expertise, knowledge and resistance to change. The present study is based on the existing literature and real-life business illustrations and the authors conclude that sustainability is not only a moral duty, but also a strategic one, necessary for being resilient, profitable, and gaining a sustainable competitive advantage.