Essays on Inclusive Growth and Some Reminiscences

C.H. HANUMANTHA Rao

India’s Twelfth Five Year Plan seeks to achieve inclusive and sustainable development through an appropriate growth process by reducing regional disparities in development, raising the growth rates of agriculture and manufacturing, and by giving high priority to health and education. Against this backdrop, the essays on inclusive growth in this book focus on regional disparities in development, technology fatigue, marketing con-straints and sustainable use of water  in respect of agriculture; ensuring accountability in performance; and the growth performance in Andhra Pradesh where the rising discontent against regional disparities in development led to the recent decision of the Union Government to form separate state of Telangana. 

The book also includes some remini-scences of the author from his student days to his interactions on economic policy issues concerning equitable development since the 1980s, with individuals ranging from veteran freedom fighters to the eminent scholars and public figures, including some Prime Ministers of India. 

“In this book, Prof. Hanumantha Rao who is one of the foremost development economists in the country makes sincere efforts to explain the rationale, challenges and solutions for attaining inclusive growth. The essays on reminiscences would inspire many particularly the younger generation.” 
— Mahendra Dev   
Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development 
Research, Mumbai.

“Each chapter of this book reflects the long experience of the author in policy design, and the depth of his understanding of socio-politico-economic realities of India. It reminds us that growth is necessary, but so is inclusiveness. Serious readers of Indian economy will feel grateful that such a collection of essays has been brought together to touch our conscience and pose a challenge to innovate.”
— Ashok Gulati
Chairman, Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices,
Government of India.

“This book brings together the essays which give significant insight on the causes of less inclusive character of agriculture growth. Rao's long engagement with policy research, brings lessons for reducing back-log of poverty, malnutrition, unemployment and regional disparities, suggesting priority to labour-intensive techniques, rural non-farm sector, manufacturing and infrastructure development in the less developed regions,  supplemented by special programmes in spheres where growth failed to reach. Written with passion and involvement the book has lot to offer to make growth pro-poor.”     
— Sukhadeo Thorat
Professor of Economics, Centre for the Study of Regional
Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University and Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science
Research, New Delhi.

C.H. Hanumantha Rao is Chancellor of University of Hyderabad (Hyderabad Central University); Chancellor, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Hyderabad; and Honorary Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, as well as at the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), University of Delhi.

He served as a Member of several expert bodies, including, Seventh and Eighth Finance Commissions; Planning Commi-ssion, 1982-1986; Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, 1983-1985; Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), 1981-82 and 1995-1997; Central Board of Directors, Reserve Bank of India, 1994-2000; and the National Advisory Council, 2004-2008.

He also served as Chairman, Steering Committee on Agriculture and Allied Sectors for Formulation of the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012), Planning Commission, 2007;  High Powered Fertilisers Pricing Policy Review Committee, GoI, 1997-98; Expert Committee  on Rehabilitation and Environmental Aspects   of Tehri Hydro-Electric Project, GoI, 1996-97; Advisory Committee, National Accounts Statis-tics, GoI, 1992-1995; Technical Committee on Drought Prone Area Programme and Desert Development Programme (DPAP & DDP), Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, 1993-94; National Commission on Rural Labour, GoI, 1990-91; Expert Committee for Review of Methodology of Cost of Production of Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI, 1990; and Advisory Council on the Implementation of the 20-Point Programme, GoI, 1987-1989.

Prof Rao was awarded Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize for 1974-75, by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, for Outstand-ing Contribution in the field of Agricultural Economics; he is a Fellow, National Academy   of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi; received K.H. Batheja Award for one of the best books published in Economics in India during 1993-94; received the Financial Express Award for Lifetime Work in Economics, in 1995; and was awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the President of India in 2004 in the field of Literature and Education.