Preface ix Economic Reforms and Social Transformation: An Overview 1 Parti Agrarian and Rural Transformation 1 Impact of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG) on the Agrarian Structure 25 Paramjit S. Judge 2 Change and Stagnation in Agrarian Punjab at the Turn of the Century 43 Manj'it Singh 3 WTO, Agriculture and Social Concern 68 Sunil Phougat 4 Facets of Agricultural Development in Punjab: Issues and Concerns 82 Shalini Sharma and Simran Sidhu Part II Rural Power Structure and Transformation of the Excluded 5One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward: Dalits and Women's Participation in Panchayati Raj 103 S.R. Ahlawat and Neerja Ahlawat 6Panchayat Extension Act to Scheduled Areas: Emerging Issues in Scheduled Tribes' Rights Over Native Resources 140 Satish K. Sharma 7 Caste Inequality in Contemporary Rural India: A Note Based on NSSO Consumption Expenditure Surveys 158 Satish Deshpande 8Mapping Women's Empowerment Through 73rd Amendment: A Study of Punjab 181 Jagrup Singh Sekhon 9New Panchayati Raj and Social Transformations: A Sociological Appraisal 198 Raj Singh 10 Right to Information: The Grassroots Movement for Transparency in Panchayats 206 Ramesh C. Nayak 11 Economic Reforms and Tribal Development 217 Jaikant Tiwari 12 Globalization and Indigenous Knowledge Systems: An Indian Tribal Case 225 Avinash Kumar Singh 13 Economic Reforms, Human Rights and Atrocities Against the Dalits 234 S.R. Ahlawat Part III Population, Gender, Empowerment and Transformation 14 Marriages Below the Legal Age in India 267 Mahendra K. Premi 15 Across-Region Marriages: Emerging Concerns in Rural Haryana 281 Neerja Ahlawat 16 Economic Perspectives of the Declining Sex Ratio: Some Inferences 299 Sunil Gulati 17 Sex Ratio and the Girl Child in North-West India 324 Mahendra K. Premi 18 Development of Girl Child: Task Ahead for Local Bodie;; in Haryana 332 Ramesh C. Nayak 19 Women Empowerment Through Cooperatives: A Case of LijjatPapad 341 Rajinder Chaudhary 20 Urban Change, Gender and the Limit of Social Transformation: Evidence from Ahmedabad Slums 365 Yutaka Sato 21 Tibetan Women in Comparative Perspective 391 Rashmi Gupta 22 Role of State in Empowering Women 401 D.P. Singh 23 Beyond the Economic Reforms 419 Jitender Prasad Contributors 433