CRITICAL APPROACH TO INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Historically, growth and development have been mainly supposed in terms of economic performance. We were preoccupied with material production in terms of GDP and per capita income. However, perspectives on development and its rationale and measures have changed during previous decades. In the 1990s, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Human Development index brought visible attention towards the non-income dimensions of human wellbeing in the concept of development. Development is now much more than the rising and fall of national income; it is about the quality of life, level of human wellbeing, and access to basic social services. GDP and per capita income are just means but not an end. GDP growth or per capita income growth can be a valuable means when it creates jobs or raises wages or plumps government budget so that it can be redistributed. However, the ultimate goal of the economy should be to improve the quality of life of the average person and especially the worst-off section of society. So, development is not just about the expansion of the production of goods and services and the resultant growth of per capita income. Any development should put people at the center of its concern. It should be an inclusive process for enlarging people’s choices, opportunities, and capabilities. Previous experience of India shows that economic prosperity measured in terms of GDP as well as per capita income does not always ensure enrichment in quality of life reflected in broader dimensions of well-being like in indicators on equality, equity, longevity, literacy, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, woman empowerment, etc.

This book is a collaborative effort to critically examine various dimensions of growth and development both from a global and local perspective based on the contributions of intellectuals from diverse fields. At this juncture of time, often people in power talk blithely about growth and development which is skewed, and the media, as well as social media, carry the risk of misleading the public by blurring the distinction between rumors and truths. Hence, policymaking turns into a journey without maps. In that context, this book will be momentously pertinent in research as well as policy-making level.