Social sector in IndiaThe social sector in India has been inundated with a variety of successful development initiatives by the state governments. These have showcased innovative approaches, effective strategies, long lasting impact and sustainability in reaching out to the most marginalized sections of population. Considering the usefulness of the compendium on Good Practices, and their wide popularity as reliable reference material, it is necessary to document the recent case studies and disseminate them in the form of a “Resource Book on Good Practices in Social Sector Service Delivery 2015”. This compendium not only documents the emergence and operations of good practices, the conditions for their replicability and sustainability but also synthesizes lessons for the future. The themes covered include, among others, livelihoods and skill development, health, education, food security, women and child development, environment, drinking water and sanitation, social security and energy. This Resource Book, comprising of 37 case studies across 22 States and 2 UTs, is a joint effort between the former Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) and UNDP and is prepared in consultation with the State governments and UT administrations. Though the effort has been to collate the maximum number of good practices, yet it is quite likely that some of the good practices could not be covered due to paucity of time.