Most studies of intergenerational mobility focus on adjacent generations, and there is limited knowledge about multigenerational mobility-status transmission across three generations. We examine multigenerational educational and occupational mobility in India, using a nationally representative data set the India Human Development Survey that contains information about education and occupation for three generations. We find that mobility has increased over generations for education, but not for occupation. We also find that there are stark differences across social groups, with individuals belonging to socially disadvantaged communities lagging behind in social progress. Multigenerational mobility for Muslims in education and occupation has decreased in comparison to Hindus over the three generations. While we find that there is an increase in educational mobility for other disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes compared to General Castes, we do not find evidence of increased occupational mobility over the three generations.

Most studies of intergenerational mobility focus on adjacent generations, and there is limited knowledge about multigenerational mobility—that is, status transmission across three generations. We examine multigenerational educational and occupational mobility in India, using a nationally representative data set, the Indian Human Development Survey, which contains information about education and occupation for three generations. We find that mobility has increased over generations for education, but not for occupation. We also find that there are stark differences across social groups, with individuals belonging to socially disadvantaged communities in India lagging behind in social progress. Multigenerational mobility for Muslims in education and occupation have decreased in comparison to Hindus over the three generations. While we find that there is an increase in educational mobility for other disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes compared to General Castes, we do not find evidence of increased occupational mobility over the three generations.

A growing body of research shows that COVID-19 both reflects and exacerbates existing inequalities. However, there are significant gaps in this research area with respect to ‘horizontal’ or group-based inequalities in Global South countries. Lack of group-disaggregated data often contributes. In this paper, we use available data to explore how horizontal inequality in India may influence COVID-19’s impact through the differential impact of lockdown policies across caste and religious groups, as well as across states and urban-rural areas. In so doing, we build upon Egger et al. (2020)’s lockdown readiness index. India, the second most populous country in the world, is a relevant case for such analysis not only because it has pronounced horizontal inequality, but also because it adopted an especially stringent lockdown policy. Our analysis illustrates stark differences in lockdown readiness across groups, which in turn could exacerbate existing horizontal inequalities.

The reported uptake of the intrauterine device (IUD) as emergency contraception is very low despite its superior efficacy when compared with levonorgestrel emergency contraception. A prospective study was conducted to investigate the methods of emergency contraception offered to and accepted by women attending South Staffordshire Sexual Health Clinics. A total of 240 women attended the clinic for emergency contraception during the 2-month study period. The IUD as a method of emergency contraception was not offered to the majority of women presenting within 72 h of an episode of unprotected intercourse. Nulliparous women presenting before 72 h were significantly less likely to be offered an IUD compared with parous women, p < 0.01. This study shows that the IUD is not offered to the majority of patients, in particular nulliparous women, attending for emergency contraception. Also, the low rate of the uptake of the emergency IUD is related, at least in part, to the counselling patients receive from clinicians.