Now Reading: EAC-PM paper finds southern States led post-1991 growth
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EAC-PM paper finds southern States led post-1991 growth
Southern States became India’s leading economic performers after the 1991 liberalisation, with sharp gains in per capita income, according to an Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister paper. Maharashtra and Gujarat…
The Story in Brief
Southern States became India’s leading economic performers after the 1991 liberalisation, with sharp gains in per capita income, according to an Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister paper. Maharashtra and Gujarat also performed strongly, while Delhi and Haryana led among northern States. The analysis covers major States and tracks per capita income against the all-India average, along with each State’s share of national GDP.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar weakened after bifurcation, the paper says. Punjab’s performance declined after its Green Revolution-era lead, while West Bengal fell from third place among major States in the 1960s to 14th. Rajasthan and Odisha improved after liberalisation, though income gains were limited. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh remained near the bottom, while eastern States continued to concern the authors.
The Indian Opinion
The familiar claim that liberalisation lifted every State equally does not fit this record. Nor does blaming one policy alone explain Punjab’s decline or West Bengal’s fall. The paper’s comparisons also exclude several States and Union Territories, so they are not a complete national ranking. The useful test is whether poorer States can now raise incomes without relying on one city, one crop or one sector.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
