SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN INDIA: AN INTER - REGIONAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

India is a very diverse country and is divided into many states and regions. The factors, that originate are most significant for the overall growth process, relate to basic requirements of schooling, availability of food, minimum purchasing power and facilities like safe drinking water, health care infrastructure, better transport and many others to attain true sense of development. The government has to take necessary actions to improve the economic and social status across the nation without any biasness. Besides this the states are marked with wide disparity in socio-economic development. Various policies have been floated time and again to reduce these regional disparities. But the ongoing economic growth had proved to be a huge stumbling block in the reform process. However, recent outburst against inequality in developed countries, which followed the global financial crisis, has put the economic disparity at the forefront in economic debate worldwide. Further, India as a republic being 75 years old has seen both good times and periods of turbulence. These years have seen the development of a lively democracy and society where Indians have achieved excellence in the various fields. But the comparative performance of individual states has become one of most important areas of research. Given the regional disparities in India, a study of Indian states is important if the country has to develop economically in a balanced way. This study relates to an analysis of the social and economic indicators in the process of inter-regional disparities in India.