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short takes
Making sense of economics
Randeep Wadehra
 Economic Development of Haryana
by Mandeep Singh & Harvinder Kaur. Deep &
Deep, N. Delhi. Pages 224. Rs 350.
WITH just 1.37 per cent of the total geographical
area and 2 per cent of the population, Haryana is certainly a small
state; and, going by its per capita income, a prosperous one. But that’s
where the happy story ends. True, perceptible progress has been made in
the fields of infrastructure development, education etc, but the overall
picture is dismal. Its sex ratio shows the girl-child’s poor status in
the society, and this ratio is equally bad, if not worse, among children
in the age group of 0 to 6 years. At 28.06, its decadal population
growth is much above the national figure of 21.34 during the period 1981–1991.
Similarly, its other social indicators like
availability of health services, literacy rates etc, have a vast scope
for improvement. The authors have taken great pains in collecting,
tabulating and analysing the data relating to all aspects, positive and
negative, of Haryana’s economy and polity. It is a handy reference
book.
New Indian Economy and Reforms
by K.L. Gupta & Harvinder Kaur. Deep & Deep.
Pages 358. Rs 550.
Near-bankruptcy forced the government to abandon the
path of pseudo-socialism and get real vis-`E0-vis the global economic
scenario. Thus began India’s tryst with what we refer to as the
market-driven New Economy. Economic and fiscal policies were transformed
into growth-oriented facilitators. Doors were thrown open to MNCs on an
unprecedented scale. Privatisation of our PSUs reached a frenetic pace.
Political and bureaucratic mindsets began to get acclimatised to the
changing economic environment.
The authors have systematically studied the economic
reforms and their impact on the economy. For example, chapters two and
three take a look at the aims and objectives of the new policy measures
as well as the impact of industrial policy changes; chapter four
evaluates the status of the public sector in the new economic regime. In
fact, the book’s ten chapters scrutinise the current performance and
future prospects of the various sectors of our economy, while taking
into account possible pitfalls on the road to achieving pre-determined
goals. Useful for economists as well as policy makers.
Decentralised Governance in India: Myth and Reality
Surat Singh (ed). Deep & Deep. Pages 415. Rs 880.
In a dynamic environment a society needs to
constantly update its micro and macro level tools of governance in order
to give the citizens an optimum quality of life. Ours is a quasi-federal
structure with many subjects on the concurrent list. This creates a lot
of confusion and heartburn when it comes to making and implementing
policies and programmes.
While the states would like to have more decentralisation of various
decision-making processes, the centre prefers to strengthen its hold on
the reins. The debate seems eternal. Even today intellectuals swear by
the Panchayati Raj as the basis of a decentralised Indian polity. But is
it workable? Was Gandhiji’s ideal of the Panchayati Raj too utopian?
These concerns and others involving the state of our governance have
been attended to in detail in this thought-provoking book. The
contributors are very learned people, and the deliberations well
informed. Highly recommended.
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