Agriculture And Economic Development Of India

Agricultural sector occupies a key position in the Indian economy. Though agriculture has now shrunk as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) to around 13 percent, it is a vital sector and provider of livelihood for 2/3rd of India's working population. Although Indian agriculture is way back compared to the levels in developed countries, some notable developments have occurred since Independence in 1947. Large areas which suffered from repeated failures of rainfall have received irrigational facilities and new crops have come to occupy a significant position in the country's production and trade. Problems of rural indebtedness and the exploitative practices of the village moneylenders are much less. While there have been farmers-friendly efforts--such as those to promote institutional credit to rural areas, improved access to inputs, subsidies on fertilisers and electricity, minimum support prices etc.--but these have not been fully successful in protecting the interest of the farmers in general, and small/marginal farmers in particular. Marginal and small farmers have borne the brunt of the adverse circumstances in agriculture. The spate of suicides by farmers in many areas is the most disconcerting manifestation of this distress. Accelerating the rate of growth of agricultural production must be seen as central to a more inclusive growth.

1.Economic Development : Meaning, Measurement, Indicators and Determinants,2. Underdeveloped (Developing) Economy—Concept of Underdevelopment, 3. Human Development, 4. Indian Economy on the Eve of Independence (Colonial Economy), 5. Structure and Basic Features of Indian Economy, 6. Evaluation of India’s Economic Planning, 7. Import Substituting Industrialisation, 8. Economic Reforms in India : Liberalisation, Privatisation & Globalisation, Demonetisation and GST, 9. Growth, Development and Structural Change in India, 10. Various Means of Transport : Road, Rail, Water and Air, 11. Changes in Policy Perspective in the Role of Institutional Framework After 1991, 12. Economic Growth and Distribution in India, 13. Problems of Poverty in India, 14. Unemployment in India, Nature, Extent and Employment Policy, 15.Economic Development and Environment, 16.Agriculture Growth and Performance in India, 17. Land Tenure and Reforms : Agricultural Holding and Consolidation, 18. Plans and Agriculture Development : Green Revolution, 19. Technological Change and Development in Agriculture (Agriculture Mechanisation), 20. Agricultural Price Policy, 21. Food Problem, Food Policy, Public Distribution System and Food Security, 22. Prominent Large Scale Industries of India—Cotton Textile, Jute, Sugar, Iron and Steel and Cement, 23. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India, 24. Foreign Trade of India, 25. India and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), 26. Role of Foreign Direct Investment in India.

Statistical analysis of agricultural development and economic development in India from 1955 to 1971 - covers the economic structure with special reference to the role of agriculture, agricultural production, rural worker employment and labour productivity, etc., and includes statistical data on production increase. Graphs and statistical tables.

Contributed articles on economic aspects of agriculture in India.

This volume examines the transitions in Indian agriculture since the 1980s, and emphasizes upon the role of neoliberal policies and their impact. The essays presented here deal with a range of pertinent and contemporary issues, including global food security, livelihoods of agricultural labourers, and public and private investment. These weave together glimpses of the impasse faced by petty commodity producers (marginal and small farmers) and their subsequent economic distress and social exclusion. Comprehensive in analysis, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of agricultural economics, political economy, political science and public policy.