Economic Policy Reforms And The Indian Economy

India is the second most populous country in the world and also one of the poorest. From the late 1940s to 1980, India's per capita income grew at an average annual rate of only two percent. Expansionist economic reforms during the 1980s boosted economic growth but also unfortunately resulted in high inflation and a balance of payments crisis. As a consequence, in 1991 the government announced sweeping new changes in economic policies. Economic Policy Reforms and the Indian Economy evaluates the effects of those changes and identifies areas of the Indian economy still in urgent need of reform. After an overview of Indian economic policies and development since independence, papers focus on the country's fiscal situation, the environment for private economic activity, education, the reservation of certain activities for small-scale industry, and determinants of differentials in rates of growth across the different Indian states. Contributors include respected academic specialists on India and policy reform, high-level Indian administrators, and present and past policymakers.

This Volume Evoluates The Effects Of Economy Still In Urgent Need Of Reform. The Overview Of Indian Economic Policies And Development Since Independence Is Given Special Focus.

Papers presented at the National Seminar on "New Economic Policy: Perspective and Issues" held at the A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, October 23-24, 1992.

A lucid and brilliantly-argued book on India's recent economic reforms Nearly fifty years after independence, India remains a very poor country. It ranks near the bottom in terms of per capita income, and is similarly placed in the Human Develoent Index which measures social well-being. Economic growth in India has been less than half that of China or even other countries in Asia. And governments, at the Centre as well as in the states, are close to insolvency. The reason for our spectacular underachievement lies in the continuation of policies which had a certain validity as a response to the colonial experience, but which have long outlived their usefulness. The global economic scene has changed dramatically since they were formulated, and we must respond to the new realities. Bimal Jalan, the well known economist and present Governor of the RBI, in this lucid and well-argued book, makes a case for governments doing what they alone can best do, and less of what they cannot do effectively.

Six Years Have Passed Since The Fast Process Of Liberalisation And Globalisation Was Started In India In July 1991. The Book Examines The Achievements And Failures Of The Process Of Economic Reforms During This Period. It Makes Useful Suggestions To Make The Economic Reforms More Successful And Human. The Role Which The State Has To Play In Accelerating The Process Of Economic Development And In Lessening Social Tensions Involved In Rapid Economic Reforms Has Been Clearly Laid Down In Detail.The Book Studies The Experience Of Economic Reforms In Other Countries And The Lessons Which India Can Draw From That. It Also Examines The Role Which Multinationals Can Play In The Economic Development Of The Country.The Book Analyses The Impact Of Economic Reforms On The Agricultural Economy And The Cottage And Small Scale Sector. It Emphasises The Need For Greater Attention To These Sectors On Which Depends The Well Being Of An Overwhelming Portion Of The Population.A Host Of Issues Concerning The Process Of Liberalisation And Globalisation Have Been Examined By Fortyseven Economists Spread Over The Entire Country.The First Volume Was Published In 1995 And The Response Of Readers Was So Heavy That It Had To Be Reprinted Again. The Encouraging Response To The First Volume Has Led To The Publication Of The Second Volume.

Since 1991, the Indian economy has been exposed to economic liberalization and globalization in line with structural adjustment and stabilisation policies initiated by IMF and World Bank. This analysis outlines the controversial shift in Indian economic policy from State-oriented development strategy to market-oriented development that leaves decisions of production and distribution to be made by the market.

A decade after the implementation of the initial wave of economic reforms in India, the process of transforming the country into a fully developed market economy continues. A hallmark of the globalised economy is its ability to sustain competitive efficiency which, in turn, can lead to enhanced growth. This important new book gauges how far India has been successful in achieving this goal by implementing the correct economic reform measures. There is a severe lack of solid analytical evidence or rigorous scientific studies on the success of India's economic reforms. The expert authors attempt to redress this imbalance with a thorough analysis of key aspects of the state of the Indian economy since 1991. Keeping poverty reduction as the major objective, they comprehensively discuss and identify further reform measures which are vital in the monetary, fiscal and agriculture sectors in order to maintain and improve the momentum of growth. When compared with East Asian countries including China, India's lacklustre growth performance indicates that the task of reform is far from over. The authors argue that India needs to pursue its reform process much more vigorously at both the central and state levels in order to achieve its full growth potential. Providing a comprehensive assessment of the impact of economic reforms in India, this book will appeal to policymakers, researchers and students with an interest in developing economies. Political scientists as well as economists in the fields of liberalisation and international development will also find this an engaging and enlightening volume.