Demography India, Special Issue: RASTA (2025)
Intersecting Inequities: Health and Nutrition Among Vulnerable Populations: A Special Issue of Demography India

From the Chief Editor’s Desk

Recently, our journal, Demography India, has seen several innovative changes. In this context, we are happy to present a special issue of Demography India on Health and Nutrition Among Vulnerable Populations in India. It is well known that RASTA (Research and Analysis for Scientific Transformation and Advancement) initiative of The Population Council generates vital, actionable research and strengthens evidence-based policymaking in India. By fostering collaboration between researchers, government institutions, and think tanks, RASTA addresses critical developmental challenges with a special focus on vulnerable and underserved populations. Dr. Punit Mishra, Lead-RASTA, approached IASP with a request to bring out a special issue of Demography India based on papers contributed by different authors about reproductive health and nutrition and presented during the 45th Annual Conference of IASP held at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, from 12–14 December 2024.

The management committee of the IASP and Demography India discussed the matter at length. After a lot of deliberations, we decided to publish this special issue if the papers met the standards for publication in Demography India. Although RASTA papers had gone through several rounds of review before submission, Demography India also constituted a committee to review all the papers submitted for publication. Thus, the full papers have been carefully edited by a committee comprising Prof. Suresh Sharma, Dr. Anil Chandran, Dr. Ajay K. Singh, Dr. Jeetendra Yadav, Dr. Gudakesh, and Dr. Emily Das. The final decision to publish the issue was taken when our review committee recommended that all the papers submitted by the RASTA team be published in Demography India on merit. These papers cover a diverse range of topics related to Indian demography, including anaemia among women, nutritional inequality among tribal groups, adolescents’ concerns, maternal health care, family planning practices in the North-Eastern States, and sexual and reproductive health disparities between wives of migrant and non-migrant husbands in India. Most papers are based on the data from NFHS-5 (2019-21). The findings of the papers underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the unique health and nutrition challenges faced by India's population, and they are of interest to academicians and civil society organizations.

We express our sincere gratitude to IASP President Prof. Suresh Sharma, IEG, for supporting the publication of this journal. Furthermore, we extend our appreciation to all our reviewers of this special issue for their valuable insights and timely feedback on the research papers submitted for publication. We are thankful to the staff of the IEG for providing all types of support in publishing the journal.

If you have any comments on the publication of this special issue of Demography India, feel free to contact Prof. A. K. Sharma at arunk@iitk.ac.in or 4aksharma@gmail.com, or Dr. Gudakesh, Institute of Economic Growth, at gudakesh@iegindia.org. Your feedback will help us shape the journal in the future.

Arun Kumar Sharma
Chief Editor, Demography India

Foreword

It gives me immense pleasure to present this special issue of Demography India, which brings together a collection of 11 research papers developed under the RASTA (Research and Analysis for Scientific Transformation and Advancement). This special issue is a result of RASTA's effort to build a robust community of data-driven researchers, equipped to address the pressing challenges of India’s social sector through evidence-based insights and innovative approaches.

RASTA serves as a unique platform where early-career scholars are mentored by senior experts, enhancing their capacity to handle large-scale datasets and address critical development issues. RASTA platform has created a vibrant network of passionate researchers committed to advancing the quality and impact of social science research in India. The papers in this special issue reflect the diversity and depth of research nurtured through this mentorship-driven model. I congratulate the authors, their mentors, and the entire RASTA team for their relentless efforts in bringing this special issue to fruition. I am confident that the findings and insights presented in these papers will contribute significantly to India's ongoing dialogue on health, nutrition, and social well-being, inspiring further research and action.
With best wishes for continued success,

Dr. Niranjan Saggurti
Country Director, Population Council, India

About RASTA

RASTA (Research and Analysis for Scientific Transformation and Advancement) is a multi-institutional collaborative platform supported by multiple donors and led by the Population Council since 2018. It has been providing analytical support to various departments within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), other Government of India ministries, development partners, and stakeholders to promote evidence-based decision-making for effective program and policy implementation. Through in-depth analyses of publicly available data, RASTA plays a critical role in strengthening the use of evidence within the health system. Initially focused on supporting the Family Planning (FP) division of MoHFW, RASTA has, since 2022, expanded its research scope to cover the broader RMNCHA+N spectrum. One of the unique aspects of RASTA is its commitment to capacity building of young Indian researchers through a structured mentorship model. This model aligns analytical training with real-world programmatic research questions, helping to cultivate a cadre of RASTA Scholars skilled in data-driven policy support.

Over time, RASTA has also initiated institutional partnerships with state-level research and academic organizations to ensure sustainable, long-term capacity strengthening in data use. This evolution marks RASTA’s growing commitment to building a culture of data-informed decision-making within public institutions, enhancing institutional capacities, and creating a pool of skilled researchers capable of supporting national and sub-national health priorities.

Since its inception, RASTA has mentored over 60 scholars and early-career researchers and has published more than 40 program and policy briefs, including contributions to the FP2020 and FP2030 initiatives. It has produced over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals. RASTA has also undertaken more than 40 data analysis and documentation exercises to inform health programs and policies. These milestones reflect RASTA’s sustained commitment to enhancing evidence-informed programme and policy implementation in India.

Punit Mishra
Lead, RASTA, Population Council, India