Publication: India : Reducing Poverty, Accelerating Development
Date
2000
ISSN
Published
2000
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Reducing poverty, and providing for
minimum needs, is the ultimate yardstick against which to
measure development. To this end, the study outlines
India's growth rate, improved social indicators, and
poverty reduction since the 1970s, but specifies that,
despite this progress, poverty is a serious concern, where
social indicators remain below comparator countries. Human
development is examined, focusing on social indicators,
stating the delivery of health and education is fraught with
limited accountability for performance and with low
management capacity. Governance is critical to development,
but the country's inadequate and adverse factors hinder
the development of public administration, instead,
performance incentives, and accountability within a
downsized civil service, effective financial management, and
decentralization should be pursued. Infrastructure should
attract private investments, but the perverse impact of
subsidies preclude the provision of private services.
However, regulatory agencies are imperfect alternatives to
competition, but corporatization would be an essential step
in attracting the private sector. The study further reviews
deregulation to increase trade growth and improve labor
market flexibility. Conclusions call for reforms, arguing it
would lead to higher growth, favorable balance of payments,
and further capital inflows, including foreign direct investments.
Citation
“World Bank. 2000. India : Reducing Poverty, Accelerating Development. World Bank Country Study;. © New Delhi: Oxford University Press. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f3db3c3f-7a24-56dc-abbe-97726a97db93 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”