Accelerating Growth and Poverty Reduction : A Policy Framework for Indias Development

Contents: Introduction. I. Growth, poverty and employment: 1. Integrated policy framework for the next decade. 2. A new development paradigm: employment, entitlement and empowerment. 3. Policies for employment generating growth. II. Agriculture  and industry: 4. Reform of agriculture and agro-processing policies. 5. Policy for investment revival: industrial and investment slowdown. III. Fiscal, financial and external: 6. Agenda for reforms: fiscal. 7. Approach to financial reform. 8. Central value added tax: CENVAT. 9. Agenda for reform: external. 10. Exchange rate management. 11. Capital account convertibility: looking back and ahead-lessons from the Asian crisis. 12. Policy measures for meeting capital inflow surge. IV. Sectoral policies: 13. A communications policy for the 21 century: unleashing an information-communication revolution. 14. Telecom 2020: increasing tele density and internet access. 15. FDI policy for media. 16. Policy framework for power. 17. Urban infrastructure, real estate and housing policy: eliminating slums and generating employment. 18. Railway reform. Bibliography.

"This book is based on policy papers written during the nineties at the Ministry of Finance. The fundamental objective of economic policy is to generate equitable economic growth and thus bring about the increased well being of all citizens. The goal of these policy papers was to remove policy distortions that were hindering growth and productivity and to introduce economic and institutional reforms that would accelerate growth. The policy recommendations were shaped by theory and empirical evidence on the one hand, and by institutional/organisational and socio-political constraints on the other.

The eighteen essays included in this book encompass a broad canvas: the new paradigm on which the reforms of 1991 were based and integrated policy framework that it entails; policies that have special relevance for ensuring growth with productive employment; macro-economic reform issue related to the fiscal situation and the external accounts; problems and policies relating to different sectors such as agriculture, industry, telecom, power and urban. Issues such as adoption of value added tax, capital account convertibility, FDI in media, which have been at the centre of public debate, have also been covered in the book." (jacket)