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Economic growth and social development are co-related. Comment.
There is nothing more pleasing and palatable to hear from experts and economists that India is the second fastest growing economy and if the ill-effects of global meltdown do not affect our growth story harshly, India would become an economic power by 2020. Ever since the economy has been unshackled and left free of undesirable and unnecessary hurdles, we have written our success story on the economic front with commendable confidence and competence.
In a highly competitive world that we live in, if fast and sustained economic development is the crying need of the hour, it is equally true and telling that the constitutional guarantees and directives are made mandatory so that the goals of social development/social justice remain in sharp focus. Gone are the days when people could be pleased with pompous promises.
That economic and social development go hand in hand, is not only a fact of modern concept translated into reality, but also a sure safeguard against unrest and avoidable social/ethnic tensions. In India, if we witness some areas suffering from militancy or insurgency, the reasons may be both political and economic. When people’s perceptions and beliefs coalesce and express themselves or become visible in the form of alleged or real discrimination, deprivation, neglect or imbalance, it is time to ponder and take urgent steps to redress their grievances, both political and economic. It is the paramount duty of every government, whatever be its composition or complexion, to see that the benefits of growth trickle down to the various strata of society. Besides a fair share in the national economic development to those who still live below the poverty line, it is incumbent on governments, both Central and States, to focus directly on health, sanitation, education, housing etc issues of the rural and economically backward population.
There is no denying that accelerated economic growth is important to achieve social upliftment as only an efficient economy can produce surplus to meet the needs of one and all. All said and done, we require high economic growth, high public expenditure on social services, and an efficient and accountable public spending to ensure sustainable and stable growth for all social classes, especially those at the lowest rung of our socio-economic milieu.
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