Determinants of Health and Development in Contemporary India: The Bio-Politics of Stratification and the Post-Colonial Growth Paradox

DOI

https://www.doi.org/10.59256/ijrtmr.20260604004

Published In

Volume 6, Issue 4 (2026)

Published Online

July-August 2026

Pages

41-47

Article Type

Original Article

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Contemporary India presents a profound post-colonial growth paradox: rapid macroeconomic expansion runs parallel to stagnant domestic human development parameters. This structural divergence necessitates an epistemic shift toward the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework. Rather than evaluating population wellness through localised, apolitical biomedical interventions, this study examines how health inequalities are structurally manufactured by rigid caste hierarchies, gendered labour divisions, and sub-national geographical fragmentations. By integrating fundamental cause theory with critical political economy, the paper analyses the bio-politics of graded inequality, the gendered autonomy gap, and the dual-burden nutritional transition driven by ultra-processed foods. Furthermore, it explores contemporary environmental traps and digital frontiers that induce youth psychiatric crises. Ultimately, this paper argues that addressing India’s health crisis requires shifting from technocratic interventions to a comprehensive, state-funded structural redesign that treats physical well-being as a fundamental democratic right.