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Synopsis While the Indian economy has performed well in terms of growth rate of GDP in the recent past, its performance in the form of human development indicators has been unsatisfactory. Social sectors like health, family welfare, education, employment, women empowerment, and rural infrastructure have lagged behind in the race for better standard of living. Successive governments during the last two decades or so launched various programmes for the uplift of socially disadvantaged groups but eh results have not been up to expectations. In this line, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) announced on May 27, 2004 has promised to raise public spending on education to 6 per cent of GDP and that on health to 2-3 per cent of GDP. The implementation of these assertions will be keenly watched by development economists and social activists. This book examines various issues associated with social uplift of Indian masses. It explains various schemes and programmes of the government to improve the living conditions of the disadvantaged groups of Indian society and comments on their implementation.