Mumbai: In the five years of the Narendra Modi government, India has witnessed near-universal electrification, though the quality of power supply remains sub-standard.
Addressing the supply challenge as demand for electricity rapidly increases will be key not only for India’s economic growth but also in empowering women in rural areas, according to a new World Bank study.
In the study, Hussain Samad and Fan Zhang analyse data from the 2011-12 India Human Development Survey, covering more than 40,000 households and 200,000 individuals, and find that access to electricity is associated with significant improvement in women empowerment.
