zakir Husain - Active Ageing and Labour Market Engagement: Evidence from Eastern India

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The study was funded by a grant from the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi, under its Major Research Project scheme. I am grateful to the ICSSR for providing me with the financial assistance to undertake the primary survey and obtain the necessary reference materials and other necessities to complete the project.

During the execution of the project, I received support from various sources that I gratefully acknowledge.

The following persons assisted in the execution of the survey: Ms. Debaki Sarkar and Mr. Roshan Ronghang (Field Supervisors); Dr. Kushal Kumar Sahu, Ms. Mousumi Samal, Mr. Navin Sahu, Ms. Payel Banerjee, Mr. Pravat Kumar Gupta, Mr. Ravi Kumar, Mr. Sourabh Dhar, and Mr. Subhajit Duttagupta (Field Investigators); and Mr. Sukumar Sarkar (Summer Intern). I would also like to thank Ms. Bijayalaxmi Mohanty and Ms. Poonam Priyadarshini Senapati for their assistance during the field survey at Bhubaneswar. Mr. Prabodh Pande (Summer Intern) prepared the data entry package in CS Pro.

The help extended by Ms. Nayantara Biswas, Research Assistant, was invaluable. She helped to clean and edit the data and also undertook the analysis. Chapter 1 was mainly prepared by her. She also painstakingly prepared the reference list, contents, and lists of tables and figures. The methodological manner in which she preserved her work greatly reduced my labour. Her careful editing rooted out many errors, while her willingness to learn was a source of inspiration. I wish her the best in her future academic career.

In addition, the following persons helped me to execute the work: Dr. Saswata Ghosh, Health and Demography Specialist, Centre for Health Policy, Asian Development Research Institute, Patna, who provided useful suggestions and contacts for the field survey; Dr. Debjani Roy, Head of Postgraduate Department of Geography, Nirmala College, Ranchi; and Dr. Sumantra Ray, Presidency University, who helped in the Ranchi component of the survey.

At the administrative level, Mr. Sumit Biswas, Deputy Registrar, Sponsored Research and Industry Cell, helped to smoothen all administrative and financial difficulties. The SRIC staff were super-efficient in finance-related matters of the project. Without their ready assistance, I would not have been able to complete the study.

I am particularly grateful to Dr. Inder Sekhar Yadav. He provided mental support and encouragement at all times and in all matters. This was invaluable to me in my work.

Last, but not the least, I am indebted to my mother and wife for their constant support and encouragement. They bore the brunt of my labour without complaint; while their prodding helped me to reinvigorate myself and jump again into the fray. It is said that women hold up half the sky; in my case, they held up an even greater share, for which I will be grateful to them.

is Professor at the Economics Department in Presidency University, Kolkata. He uses econometric tools and methods to study issues related to exclusion and discrimination in gerontology, education, demography, and health. He has been a Faculty in institutes like Indian Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He has also been a Consultant in the Prime Ministers High Level Committee for Preparing a Report on Status of Muslim Community in India and a Member of the West Bengal State Planning Board.