Assessing inter-district variations in the level of socio-economic development in Bihar by applying principal component analysis

Socio-economic development of a region has been considered as a process of human progress that improves the quality of life of people. In this context, the present study tried to disclose the spatial inequality of social and economic indicators throughout the districts of Bihar. It also highlights inter-district variations in the level of socio-economic development in the study area by using a composite index e.g., Socio-Economic Development Index (SEDI). A total of twenty indicators from both social and economic spheres have been used to construct SEDI. Considerable spatial disparity throughout the social and economic indicators reported in the study. Findings also show that the composite score of overall socio-economic development ranged between 0.262 to 0.525 with the district Patna ranked first and Darbhanga district ranked last. Patna, Aurangabad, Jamui, Kaimur, and Rohtas are the top most developed districts in SEDI of Bihar; while Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Purba Champaran, Madhubani, and Sheohar are the least developed districts, respectively. The wide inter-district disparity in SEDI of Bihar has resulted. Thus, it is important to take appropriate and effective action to eradicate inequality at its root cause.