WhyIndia’sproblemswon’tbesolvedbyrapideconomicgrowthaloneWhenIndiabecameindependentin1947aftertwocenturiesofcolonialrule,itimmediatelyadoptedafirmlydemocraticpoliticalsystem,withmultipleparties,freedomofspeech,andextensivepoliticalrights.ThefaminesoftheBritisheradisappeared,andsteadyeconomicgrowthreplacedtheeconomicstagnationoftheRaj.ThegrowthoftheIndianeconomyquickenedfurtheroverthelastthreedecadesandbecamethesecondfastestamonglargeeconomies.Despitearecentdip,itisstilloneofthehighestintheworld.MaintainingrapidaswellasenvironmentallysustainablegrowthremainsanimportantandachievablegoalforIndia.InAnUncertainGlory,twoofIndia’sleadingeconomistsarguethatthecountry’smainproblemslieinthelackofattentionpaidtotheessentialneedsofthepeople,especiallyofthepoor,andoftenofwomen.Therehavebeenmajorfailuresbothtofosterparticipatorygrowthandtomakegooduseofthepublicresourcesgeneratedbyeconomicgrowthtoenhancepeople’slivingconditions.Thereisalsoacontinuedinadequacyofsocialservicessuchasschoolingandmedicalcareaswellasofphysicalservicessuchassafewater,electricity,drainage,transportation,andsanitation.Inthelongrun,eventhefeasibilityofhigheconomicgrowthisthreatenedbytheunderdevelopmentofsocialandphysicalinfrastructureandtheneglectofhumancapabilities,incontrastwiththeAsianapproachofsimultaneouspursuitofeconomicgrowthandhumandevelopment,aspioneeredbyJapan,SouthKorea,andChina.Inademocraticsystem,whichIndiahasgreatreasontovalue,addressingthesefailuresrequiresnotonlysignificantpolicyrethinkingbythegovernment,butalsoaclearerpublicunderstandingoftheabysmalextentofsocialandeconomicdeprivationsinthecountry.ThedeepinequalitiesinIndiansocietytendtoconstrictpublicdiscussion,confiningitlargelytothelivesandconcernsoftherelativelyaffluent.Dr癡zeandSenpresentapowerfulanalysisofthesedeprivationsandinequalitiesaswellasthepossibilityofchangethroughdemocraticpractice.
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