Asia is the most populated continent of the world, known for its ancient civilizations, origin of religions, as well as its recent history of colonization. While Asia is known for its fast economic development, this region is also known for the largest number of poor people in the world. This book is a comparative study of social development in Asian sub-regions, exploring the following questions: ** What is the status of social development in Asia, with reference to the progress, the gaps, and the contradictions, if any? ** Is social development in Asian sub-regions homogenous or diverse? ** Why is Asia rising? What factors explain the diversity in social development progress across Asian sub-regions? ** Are there Asian values or development approaches that cut across Asian sub-regions? What are they and what determines them? ** What do Asia and the Asian sub-regions need to do for better progress in social development? ** If Asia is rising, what are the implications for international social development? Subject: Asian Studies, Development Studies]