An Appraisal of Socio-Economic Disparity at Block Level in Bankura District of West Bengal, India

Regional disparities in socio-economic development have long been a source of concern for policymakers, economists, geographers, and others. It is a global phenomenon observed in both developing and developed nations. Regional disparity occurs due to uneven regional development, which fluctuates over time based on social, cultural, economic, and demographic factors. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to find out the spatial variation of socio-economic development at the block level in Bankura district of West Bengal. The current study used 27 indicators across six dimensions (i.e., education, health, agriculture, banking and finance, livestock, and basic amenities) to measure the degree of spatial disparity. To examine spatial variations, common statistical techniques such as mean, standard deviation, and composite development index have been used