Recently I read an article in a very renowned journal- Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). The article was on the reality check of the very well celebrated Growth Stories of the Gujarat and Bihar. The article was written by R. Nagaraj and Shruti Pandey. I thank them to attempt this subject at a very crucial point of time for our country when both the Chief Ministers of these states perform almost a national role in terms of influencing common people's mind for voting in a direct or indirect manner in the elections.
Many of my century people are obsessed with ranks and comparative statistics especially when they attempt to argue for certain person of their affected choice of vote. So in this article Gujarat state is compared in the area of industrial development and social development. Many of the country people believe that the state is "world's best case study" or simply "the best one available in India". Either of them, seems almost contradictory if one considers the facts highlighted in the article about Gujarat.
The article clearly mentions that to overcome statistical problems related to time and period in computing tend growths etc.; in the article the author avoided the trend growths computations and examines the 'ranks of the states'. It is good for comparison and also to digest as, I said earlier, majority of followers of certain personality obsessed with comparison statistics especially of ranks and all. I have observed many times that they feel thrilled when they hear or say that my or our or ''his"(that refers certain personality) 'state' (which is always a part of India) stands "above" some other state and that is why "we" or "he" is great!!---"he" is god"!!! etc etc. (You can laugh also. :) !)
So in this context, let us enjoy the same methodology of comparing Gujarat with other states and lets check whether these things are acceptable for "those" great followers or not.
I would like to highlight a few facts observed about the Gujarat from the article. They are as follows:
GSDP, Industries and all----
The article clearly mentions that to overcome statistical problems related to time and period in computing tend growths etc.; in the article the author avoided the trend growths computations and examines the 'ranks of the states'. It is good for comparison and also to digest as, I said earlier, majority of followers of certain personality obsessed with comparison statistics especially of ranks and all. I have observed many times that they feel thrilled when they hear or say that my or our or ''his"(that refers certain personality) 'state' (which is always a part of India) stands "above" some other state and that is why "we" or "he" is great!!---"he" is god"!!! etc etc. (You can laugh also. :) !)
So in this context, let us enjoy the same methodology of comparing Gujarat with other states and lets check whether these things are acceptable for "those" great followers or not.
I would like to highlight a few facts observed about the Gujarat from the article. They are as follows:
GSDP, Industries and all----
1. Gujarat's share in total Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of all the states of India at the constant prices from 1993-94 to 2011-12 has remained roughly stable between 7% to 8%.
Data does not convey any evidence that the Gujarat state's share has ever in the last decade surge ahead of the national average as many people believe that Gujarat is the best performer, this fact needs to be underlined.
In 1996-97, Gujarat's share in total GSDP of all the states of India at the constant prices was 8% and in 2011-12 it once again attains the same. It seems it merely recovered from the past. What about the improvement?
Data does not convey any evidence that the Gujarat state's share has ever in the last decade surge ahead of the national average as many people believe that Gujarat is the best performer, this fact needs to be underlined.
In 1996-97, Gujarat's share in total GSDP of all the states of India at the constant prices was 8% and in 2011-12 it once again attains the same. It seems it merely recovered from the past. What about the improvement?
2. The all India rank of Gujarat state on the scale of the Per capita income at the constant prices was 9th in 1993-94 and in 2011-12, the state once again ranked 9th. That conveys a kind of recovery only and not the evidence of much celebrated growth story.
From 1993-94 to 2011-12, the lowest rank the state attained was 12th (in 2000-01 and 2001-02) and the highest rank the state attained was 6th (in 1998-99).
From 1993-94 to 2011-12, the lowest rank the state attained was 12th (in 2000-01 and 2001-02) and the highest rank the state attained was 6th (in 1998-99).
3. The existing 5% to 7% share of Gujarat in the Total Agriculture GSDP merely represents a recovery of the lost ground of the 1990s.
4. The all India rank of the Gujarat state on the scale of GSDP in Manufacturing at constant prices is constant since 1995-96 except in the year of 2000-01. Where is the well celebrated and campaigned 'improvement' in industries sector?
But, the share in GSDP of total manufacturing of all the states in India has gone up from about 11% in 1993-94 to 14% in 2011-12. Nice!! But from where this increment is coming from? Surly not from all types of industries but from one single type of industry.
The incremental manufacturing output is mostly coming from a single industry- petroleum refining- whose share in gross value added in the state's registered manufacturing has risen from 4% in 2000-01 to nearly 25% a decade later. Amazing!!!
The charge is very clear here. The well celebrated growth is coming from the import-dependent, capital-intensive, coast-based and export-oriented industry; not from the industries which enjoy the regional economic linkages which is actually in favor of the country.
But, the share in GSDP of total manufacturing of all the states in India has gone up from about 11% in 1993-94 to 14% in 2011-12. Nice!! But from where this increment is coming from? Surly not from all types of industries but from one single type of industry.
The incremental manufacturing output is mostly coming from a single industry- petroleum refining- whose share in gross value added in the state's registered manufacturing has risen from 4% in 2000-01 to nearly 25% a decade later. Amazing!!!
The charge is very clear here. The well celebrated growth is coming from the import-dependent, capital-intensive, coast-based and export-oriented industry; not from the industries which enjoy the regional economic linkages which is actually in favor of the country.
Social aspects and all------
Many accuse that, Gujarat can only be contested on the social development front if the investigator acts very critically using statistics. So let don't use so called 'statistically critical' indicators.
The Physical Quality Life Index (PQLI) is simple average of the literacy rate, infant mortality and life expectancy at age 1.
The data very clearly shows that the state of Gujarat has maintained a marginally better status than the national average since 1981.
The all India rank was 7th in 2001 and it is still 7th in 2011. What a development in ten years!! Cheers! In 2001, the PQLI was 105.6 and in 2011, it reduced to 104.3. The states that improved themselves on this front are as follows: Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharshtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu out of seventeen major states of India. ------------
It is not like I want to insult """a part of India""". We are not taught to by means of ""comparison" or by any means. But still, I need to write it, just for the sake of those who put in place their "great" logic in favor of certain person as if he is whole ans sole.
Consider this as an example only. Let those followers learn what to interpret and how to, because at the end their decisions will surly affect me as a citizen of this country.
Source of that article: http://www.epw.in/insight/have-gujarat-and-bihar-outperformed-rest-india.html
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