Agricultural Development, Rural Institutions and Economic Policy: Essays for A. Vaidyanathan

Where does India stand in terms of social and economic development goals? Are we at a crossroad today when it comes to economic development? With liberalization and globalization as the backdrop, this timely book discusses the most recent advances and changes in agriculture, rural transformation and institutional development in India. It emphasizes that public policy and decentralized local institutions have to move in tandem to ensure sustainable and deliverable agricultural development. The contributors support inclusive strategies of development, emphasize the need for better governance and decentralization in the development process, and support entry of market pricing and user charges in sectoral planning and management. The book is divided into sub-themes with significant policy implications–micro-credit policies, water resources, farm and non-farm employment, and institutions and governance. It calls for a reversal in the thinking on the planning process, that is, creation of institutions ahead of sectoral planning and balancing the sectoral growth priorities to meet social and regional requirements. Providing both quantitative analyses and policy prescriptions, this volume will be useful for agricultural economists, policymakers, postgraduate students, NGOs, and donor agencies.