Contents: Preface. I. Economic reforms and agriculture: 1. The political economy of economic reforms. 2. Economic reforms and agricultural growth: the relevance of east and South-east Asian experience for India. 3. Liberalization of agriculture in India: some major issues. 4. Trade liberalization, WTO, and viability of Indian agriculture. II. Agricultural growth: 5. Agricultural growth: post-reform trends and major issues for further reform. 6. Agricultural research and technology: new perspectives. 7. Irrigation reforms: major issues. 8. Rural credit reforms. III. Food security: 9. Declining per capita demand for foodgrains in rural India: causes and implications. 10. Foodgrain surpluses: causes and policy implications. 11. Rural transformation in Asia: post-reform trends and perspectives. 12. Trade liberalization and rural poverty. 13. Attack on poverty and deprivation: role of structural change and structural adjustment. 14. Economic reforms and rural poverty: post-reform experience. 15. Poverty alleviation programmes and their integration with overall development. IV. Sustainable rural development: 16. Sustainable rural development: some conceptual issues and the Indian experience. 17. Watershed development in India: recent experience and emerging issues. 18. Sustainable use of water for irrigation: Indian experience and areas for reform. V. Conclusions: 19. An overview of findings and agenda for further reform. Appendix. References. Annexure. Index.
"This book is the outcome of explorations over the last decade into an economic reform package for India which reconciles economic efficiency with social equity. It examines economic performance and policies in interrelated areas including the agricultural sector, food security, rural poverty, and sustainable rural development in India and suggests an agenda for further reform.
In drawing out a comparative perspective between post reform India and East Asia, Hanumantha Rao attributes the extraordinarily high GDP growth rate in agriculture, speedier demographic transition and the rapid pace of poverty reduction achieved by east and Southeast Asia to not just an open and market driven economy, but to the ability of the state to implement radical land reforms, infrastructure, and human resource development in the pre-reform period. Many of the shortfalls in achieving the objectives of growth with social justice are due to the failure to take account of these initial conditions. That India did much less in all these respects is seen as an important reason for its slower progress even after the initiation of reforms.
The author suggests the following measures as essential for sustaining reform:
Stepping up agricultural growth to sustain overall growth rate in GDP.
Removing restrictions on domestic trade.
Public investment in basis infrastructure such as roads, irrigation, marketing, power, research and extension.
Expanding institutional credit to meet farmers' requirements.
This collection, showcasing the work of one of the foremost scholars in the discipline, is essential for students and researchers of agricultural and development economics, environment, and international trade. It will be a valuable guide for policymakers, activists, as well as for agricultural and trade analysts." (jacket)
