What do we mean by development in India? Whose development are we talking about? Development for whom and for what? In a national consultation in Delhi on Inequality in India, organised by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability(www,cbgainda,org) . Reducing the economic, social and political inequality in India is hardly on the political or policy agenda of almost all major political parties, including that of AAP. Here are some key indicators: The monthly per-capita consumption of the top five percent rural population is 9 times more than than the bottom 5% and in the urban areas it is 14.7 times for the top 5% than the bottom 5%. The tax-GDP ration in India is one of the lowest- only 17%. Direct taxes constitute only 37 % of the total tax revenue. 80 million children ( 6-14 years) are still out of schools. More than 35% of the children drop out from the school before they reach class VIII. India has one of the highest prevalence of maternal and child mortality. Infant mortality rate 44 per 1000 live birth in 2011 and Maternal Mortality ratio at 178 in 2010-2012. India accounts for 21% percent of worlds global burden of disease. Do the main political parties care? 18000 crore of Rs is Spent on making Aadhar cards- and we still have more than 75% of people earning less than two dollars a day!! So the question is whether it is development for billionaires who fund the advertisement-election campaign for leaders of political parties or development for 15 % of the upward moving middle class? or for more than 85% of the people of India. When we still have women and children die due to hunger and malnutrition,mainstream political parties are spending around 5000 crores only for the advertisement of their leaders, polluting the country with tens of thousands of hoardings and making a mockery of democracy, Whose development? Whose India?
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 09:35:07 +0000
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