social good and economic growth in India

Relationship between social good and economic growth in India

India is a diverse country and so are its needs. India lacks a growth model. But there are three major states that distinguished themselves with relatively high levels of human development – Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. You will be surprised to learn that Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are all states that were very poor not very long ago. Whereas, Punjab and Haryana were still among the relatively prosperous states since independence but they are still behind Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s official poverty estimates for Tamil Nadu were higher than the over figures of India, for both rural and urban areas. Social relations were extremely oppressive in Kerala.

Now how are these three states doing so well as compared to other states? Despite the stark differences, the three states managed to overcome all the social and political obstacles. The reason that these states are doing so well is that these states laid a strong foundation to overcome social disparities within the states, and encouraged the growth of human capabilities by providing midday meals to all children and focusing on building extensive social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads, public transport, water supply, electricity connections, etc. Today, Tamil Nadu has some of the best public services among all Indian states, and many of them are accessible to all on a non-discriminatory basis.

Like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh launched ambitious social programmes, which also included a vigorous drive towards universal elementary education. Himachal Pradesh is on a par with Kerala as far as elementary education is concerned. Now gradually, other social indicators are also catching up.

We cannot (should not) expect a single growth model to be enough for the growth of all the states within a country. Because “one shoe doesn’t fit all”. But there are certain parameters that can be common to every growth model. Similarly, these states shared some common experiences in their trajectory towards development.

Active social policies

These states had an active social policy system that enabled them to do so well in human development index.

Universality approach

These states had a universalistic approach in the provision of essential public services. They made certain facilities, like midday meals for children, education for all, proper drinking water, sanitation, primary health care and ration cards, effectively available universally, instead of ‘targeting’ it to a specific section of the society. The provisioning of essential services had not only been made universal but also free.

Efficient administration

These efforts have been facilitated by a comparatively efficient administration. The heroes in implementing the policies efficiently were the ‘old-fashioned’ public institutions like schools, hospitals, government offices, and Gram Panchayats.

Social relations

Dealing with social inequality has also been an important part of these shared experiences. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu dalits were the depressed class for a very long time. But now, these states decided to deal with their social relations and provide facilities to everyone without discrimination. Himachal Pradesh, on the other hand, was relatively at a better position as it had a more favourable social environment.

Peoples’ participation

These experiences did not just reflect that they had constructive state policies and an efficient administration but also that people actively participated in democratic political decision making. The social advances, education to all, and the working of democratic institutions enable people to have a say in public policy and social arrangements.

Enhancement in human capabilities

Last but not the least, these states did not encourage the growth of human capabilities at the cost of conventional economic growth. In fact, these states managed to strike the right balance between the economic growth and growth of human capabilities.

The diversity of experiences within India itself helps us understand the complementarity between economic growth and state support for human wellbeing. Despite distinct social history and political culture, which were among the major hurdles, these states still managed to overcome all the barriers with their growth model. These three states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh – show that if the kind of model they adopted is followed by all the states, India can grow. This growth model will be inclusive of GDP per state, infant mortality rate, education, and standard of life.

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