"The contrast in social development between Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is as sharp as it is intriguing. Through this prism, Dipa Sinha’s insightful study sheds light on many critical aspects of India’s development." — Jean Drèze, Development Economist and Visiting Professor, Ranchi University, Jharkhand, India"This book is a must for policy makers, public administrators and community workers. Sinha brilliantly unpackages state performance and highlights … the vital importance of women’s freedom, state capacity, public accountability, and intra-family as well as community relationships in promoting human development." — A. K. Shiva Kumar, Economist and Policy Advisor, New Delhi, India