Dynamics of Development in Gujarat

Gujarat state is one of the developed states in India with its fourth rank in per capita income among the major states. The economy of the state has done particularly well in the 1990s by taking good advantage of the new opportunities created by the economic reforms. The enterprising population, with the support of the state government, has accessed new opportunities to raise the rate of growth to one of the highest in the country. However, these achievements are also accompanied by several weak points such as, almost stagnant agricultural growth, massive degradation and depletion of natural resources, heavy pollution in several industrial and urban centres, relatively low achievements in human development and wide regional disparities. One can say that the case of Gujarat is a typical case of a developing economy struggling to grow fast in the liberalized era at the cost of losing control of its environment and human development. The present book examines the different dimensions of the dynamics of development of Gujarat in order to understand the processes and to infer policy interventions for a healthy and sustainable development. A major conclusion of the book is that the economic growth of the state may not sustain for long if it is not backed by environmental sustainability, employment intensity, reduction in regional disparities, adequate infrastructural support and administrative efficiency.