PLGI Cover Page

Policy, Law, and Governance Insights

eISSN : 3107-7706 | Frequency: Half-yearly

Editor in Chief : Prof. (Dr.) Rashmi Aggarwal

About : Policy, Law, and Governance Insights is a bi-annual, peer-reviewed, national e-journal dedicated to publishing scholarly research and insights into policy analysis, legal frameworks, governance models, and public administration. The journal seeks to promote interdisciplinary dialogue on public polic Read more

Article Metrics
Views : 153 | Downloads: 180
Crossref Citations: Loading...

View in Google Scholar
Dimensions
Altmetric Attention
PlumX:

Inclusion Policies and Household Well-Being: Evidence from Pasmanda Muslims in India

  • Naushadul Haque Mullick Naushadul Haque Mullick Professor Department of Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi India ,  
  • Taufeeque Ahmad Siddiqui* Taufeeque Ahmad Siddiqui Corresponding author Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India ,  
  • Kashif Iqbal Siddiqui Kashif Iqbal Siddiqui Assistant Professor Centre for Distance and Online Education, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India ,  
  • Tosib Alam Tosib Alam Assistant Professor Department of Economics, Centre University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir India ,  
  • Prashant Ranjan Prashant Ranjan Research Scholar Department of Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi India
Received: February 03, 2026
Accepted: April 08, 2026
Published: May 11, 2026
Volume: 2 (1) | Page: 1-13

Abstract

Purpose:- This study examines the joint effects of financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and health inclusion on household well-being in India, with a specific focus on the moderating role of Pasmanda Muslim identity.

Design/Methodology:- Using primary household-level data collected from 2,400 households across six Indian states—Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Jammu & Kashmir—the study employs Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to estimate both direct and moderating effects.

Findings:- Moderation analysis reveals that Pasmanda Muslim identity significantly conditions inclusion outcomes. Financial inclusion yields stronger welfare gains for Pasmanda households, indicating high marginal returns to formal financial access. In contrast, the welfare impact of health inclusion is weaker for Pasmanda Muslims, highlighting persistent structural and institutional barriers in converting health access into improved well-being. Digital inclusion does not exhibit significant differential effects by social identity, suggesting that digital constraints affect vulnerable households more broadly.

Implications:- The findings underscore the importance of integrated, identity-sensitive inclusion strategies. The study contributes to the literature by advancing a multidimensional and intersectional understanding of inclusion and provides policy relevant insights for designing equitable and effective inclusion frameworks in India.

Originality/Values:- This study is the first of its kind to incorporate identity-sensitive moderation analysis. The study responds to growing calls in development research to move beyond universalist inclusion models and account for structural inequality.

Keywords: financial inclusion; digital inclusion; health inclusion; pasmanda muslims; household well being; pls-sem.

References

  1. Aker, J. C., & Mbiti, I. M. (2010). Mobile phones and economic development in africa. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(3), 207–232. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.24.3.207
  2. Ayushman Bharat. (2018). Ayushman Bharat—Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): Operational guidelines. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  3. Balarajan, Y., Selvaraj, S., & Subramanian, S. (2011). Health care and equity in India. The Lancet, 377(9764), 505–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61894-6
  4. Banerjee, A., & Duflo, E. (2011). Poor economics. A radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty’. Society and Economy, 35(4), 573–587.
  5. Beck, T., Demirguc-Kunt, A., & Honohan, P. (2009). Access to financial services: Measurement, impact, and policies. The World Bank Research Observer, 24(1), 119–145. https://doi.org/10.1093/wbro/lkn008
  6. Beck, T., Demirgüç-Kunt, A., & Levine, R. (2007). Finance, inequality and the poor. Journal of Economic Growth, 12(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10887-007-9010-6
  7. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. JG Richardson’s Handbook for Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education.
  8. Burgess, R., & Pande, R. (2005). Do rural banks matter? Evidence from the indian social banking experiment. American Economic Review, 95(3), 780–795. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828054201242
  9. Census of India. (2011). Census of India 2011: Primary census abstract. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Government of India.
  10. Chakravarty, S. R., & Pal, R. (2013). Financial inclusion in India: An axiomatic approach. Journal of Policy Modeling, 35(5), 813–837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2012.12.007
  11. Cole, S., Sampson, T., & Zia, B. (2011). Prices or knowledge? What drives demand for financial services in emerging markets? The Journal of Finance, 66(6), 1933–1967. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2011.01696.x
  12. Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
  13. Deshpande, A. (2011). The grammar of caste: Economic discrimination in contemporary India. Oxford University Press.
  14. Digital India. (2014). Digital India programme: Vision and strategy. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
  15. Drèze, J., & Sen, A. (2013). An uncertain glory: India and its contradictions. In An uncertain glory. Princeton University Press.
  16. Gabor, D., & Brooks, S. (2017). The digital revolution in financial inclusion: International development in the fintech era. New Political Economy, 22(4), 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2017.1259298
  17. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling(Pls-sem) (2nd ed.). Sage Publications Inc.
  18. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to reportthe results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
  19. Heeks, R. (2017). Information and communication technology for development(Ict4d) (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315652603
  20. Kabeer, N. & others. (2010). Can the MDGs provide a pathway to social justice?: The challenge of intersecting inequalities. Institute of Development Studies Brighton.
  21. Karlan, D., & Morduch, J. (2010). Access to finance. In Handbook of Development Economics (Vol. 5, pp. 4703–4784). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-52944-2.00009-4
  22. Kish, L. (1949). A procedure for objective respondent selection within the household. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 44(247), 380–387.
  23. Kruk, M. E., Gage, A. D., Arsenault, C., Jordan, K., Leslie, H. H., Roder-DeWan, S., Adeyi, O., Barker, P., Daelmans, B., Doubova, S. V., English, M., García-Elorrio, E., Guanais, F., Gureje, O., Hirschhorn, L. R., Jiang, L., Kelley, E., Lemango, E. T., Liljestrand, J., … Pate, M. (2018). High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: Time for a revolution. The Lancet Global Health, 6(11), e1196–e1252. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30386-3
  24. Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2014). The economic importance of financial literacy: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(1), 5–44. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.52.1.5
  25. National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). (2006). National e-Governance Plan. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
  26. National Health Mission. (2013). Framework for implementation. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  27. National Health Policy. (2017). National Health Policy 2017. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  28. NITI Aayog. (2022). India@2047: Vision for a developed India. Government of India.
  29. Nussbaum, M. C. (2011). Creating capabilities: The human development approach. Harvard University Press.
  30. Putnam, R. D., Nanetti, R. Y., & Leonardi, R. (1994). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy.
  31. Rangarajan Committee. (2008). Report of the Committee on Financial Inclusion. Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
  32. Reddy, K. S., Patel, V., Jha, P., Paul, V. K., Kumar, A. S., & Dandona, L. (2011). Towards achievement of universal health care in India by 2020: A call to action. The Lancet, 377(9767), 760–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61960-5
  33. Rogers, E. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations 5th. Free press.
  34. Sachar Committee. (2006). Social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community of India. Prime Minister’s High Level Committee, Government of India.
  35. Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
  36. Silver, H. (1994). Social exclusion and social solidarity: Three paradigms. Int’l Lab. Rev., 133, 531.
  37. Thorat, S., & Neuman, K. S. (2012). Blocked by caste: Economic discrimination in modern India. Oxford University Press.
  38. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2019). Human development report 2019. UNDP.
  39. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations General Assembly.
  40. Van Dijk, J. (2005). The deepening divide: Inequality in the information society. Sage.
  41. Wagstaff, A., & Doorslaer, E. V. (2003). Catastrophe and impoverishment in paying for health care: With applications to Vietnam 1993–1998. Health Economics, 12(11), 921–933. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.776
  42. World Bank. (2016). World development report 2016: Digital dividends. World Bank.
  43. World Bank. (2021). Financial consumer protection and digital financial services. World Bank.
Recently Cited By
Loading citations...
Citation copied to clipboard
×
Cite this Article