Social Development of India and South Africa

Social Development of India and South Africa: A Panoramic Perspective presents a comprehensive and comparative examination of social development in India and South Africa, two major democracies of the Global South whose developmental trajectories have been profoundly shaped by historical inequalities and the enduring legacies of colonial governance. Intended for scholars, students, policymakers, development practitioners, civil society actors, and international agencies, this edited volume offers empirically grounded and theoretically informed insights into equitable, context-sensitive, and sustainable approaches to social development. About the Editors Dr. M Hilaria Soundari is a Professor and Head, Department of Applied Research, at The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu. A senior social scientist, her work focuses on rural development, gender, social work, and applied research, with extensive experience in research leadership, teaching, and doctoral supervision. Dr. A. Balakrishnan is working as a Senior Professor, Department of Applied Research at The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. He has more than 30 years of experience in teaching and research. He has guided more than 10 research scholars. He has published more than 50 research articles in various national and international reputed journals, and proceedings. Dr. Nevashnee Perumal is a Senior Lecturer and Acting Head of Department in Social Work at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Dr. Mhadeno Y. Humtsoe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rural Development at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya. She holds a Ph.D. in Rural Development from Gandhigram Rural Institute and is a Government of India Post-Doctoral Fellow in Population Sciences at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai.