Development issues facing India

INDIAIssues of Development

Introduction

Despite being the 4th largest economy in the world, India is still classed as a developing country

Development in terms of the following topics: Economic strategies Structure of the economy Caste system The environment

However as the country is so large and diverse some of the problems will not apply to all of the states

Background Facts

Officially gained independence from British Colonial rule on 15th August 1947

Population of 1,166,079,217 The World’s largest electoral

democracy Eligible voters: 714 million Overall turnout of 59.7% (2009)

Current situation

Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, still significant problems of poverty

UN-Human Development Index 2009 HDI, Medium Human Development

Life Expectancy of 69.89 years Population below poverty line of 25% 47% of all children are malnourished and

classified as underweight Literacy rates:

total population: 61% (147th)▪ male: 73.4%▪ female: 47.8% (2001 census)

The economic policies

After independence in 1947 India’s economic development was dominated by socialist-influenced polices

Large state-owned sectors Red tape & extensive regulations (“License

Raj”) Country become a state isolated from the

world economy India slowly began to open up its market

through economic liberalisation (1991 economic reform

Economic Reform

Exports tripled between 1992-1997 Basic food prices rapidly increased

Reliant loans for growth, W.B.’s biggest borrower

GDP growth between 2007-2008 = 9.0%

Where is this wealth?

Inequality between states Great differences between the development

of Indian states Bihar/West Bengal Bihar has a legacy of a feudal system and a

political structure riddled with corruption Literacy rate of 53%

W. Bengal has implemented land reform to empower small farms, achieved economic and social success, high level of participation in politics Literacy rate of 69%

Environment

290 million Indian people are employed in agriculture (490 million)

Occupies 48% of the land The success or failure of the monsoon

rains makes more difference to the national income than any other figure

Uncertainty year on year around crop yield

The caste system

Hindu system of social differentiation Discrimination by caste has been

outlawed since independence In rural areas the caste system is still

deeply ingrained in the culture Dalits are the lowest regarded caste,

outcasts

Dalits (‘The Untouchables’) Over 200 million In rural areas they are still bound by

contracts to higher castes Often live in poor conditions and are

persecuted by the rest of the community The caste system hinders development

It reinforces dependency Maintains a large uneducated sector of the

population Group struggle to take part in the democratic

process

Disease

HIV/AIDS In 2007 there was an estimated 2.4

million Indians living with HIV (4th highest in the world)

Affected all sections of society

Conclusion

There may be a large upper class and a growing middle-class emerging but there still remains a base of 600 million whose basic needs are not being met

Educated, middle and upper classes need to be encouraged to invest in the rural population of India Unification between Indian states

Continued

‘Now you have a generation of young, urban Indians who are as uncomprehending of that other India as any Westerner. They have lost the language to be able to communicate with each other. They've become a different species.’ Arundhati Roy, Author

Questions…

Bibliography

Journeyman Pictures- India’s Maoist Revolution P. Shurmer-Smith. India, lobalisation and change http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/

6257057.stm http://www.worldbank.org.in/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/

COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/INDIAEXTN/0,,menuPK:295609~pagePK:141132~piPK:141109~theSitePK:295584,00.html

Europa World year book 2009 www.business.mapsofindia.com/india-economy/

ecodevelopment.html