Economics India

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Recent World Bank Report on Indian Economy and Development Issues

The World Bank has just published a new report on India titled “India Development Policy Review” with a focus on challenges facing the country.

The review notes that while India’s economy is booming, its healthcare, education, water, power and transport – appear to be deteriorating.

Also, large segments of the populationare are being left behind.

Some of the findings of the report are as follows:

-India’s full immunization rates have fallen over the past five years.

-A typical doctor at a Primary Health Center in Delhi is less competent than a counterpart in Tanzania, and substantially less so than one in Indonesia.

-Almost 2/3rd of children in government primary schools cannot read a simple story, and half of them cannot solve simple numerical problems.

-While India’s prosperous states have poverty rates that are comparable with the richer Latin American countries, the poorest states are mired at Sub-Saharan African levels of poverty. And, the gap is growing.

-While the services sector booms, agricultural productivity is declining, constraining the growth of the rural economy.

-Recent growth has generated very little formal sector employment. Of a total labor force of roughly 390 million in 2003, only 8 million were employed in organized private sector.

We will make an independent assessment of various issues raised and recommendations made in the report as we go along -- your participation is very much requested.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Resuming Posts

We are resuming the blog with immediate effect. Sorry for the break in postings which was due to unavodiable reasons. Thanks for your continued interest in this blog.

Resuming Posts

We are resuming the blog with immediate effect. Sorry for the break in postings which was due to unavodiable reasons. Thanks for your continued interest in this blog.