Development Path of India & its Neighbours
We study the development path of India in comparison with Pakistan and China because of the similarities these countries exhibit with India in the sense that all the three countries set out on their respective development paths roughly around the same time. India and Pakistan became independent countries in 1947, while the People’s Republic of China came into existence in 1949.
All these countries followed the process of economic planning in the initial years of their development planning. India undertook its first Five Year Plan from 1951-56. Pakistan announced its first plan, called the Medium Term Plan in 1956. China announced its first plan in the year 1953. India and Pakistan placed a similar thrust on the relative importance of the public sector and social expenditure.
All three countries had similar growth rates till the 1980s. their per capita incomes were nearly around the same figure. India undertook economic reforms in 1991. Pakistan implemented reforms in 1988, while China did so in 1978.
Development Strategy of India
In the development path of India, it first undertook the policy of closed trade. This was to give a thrust to domestic industries and reduce dependence on foreign products and companies. Thus, India followed what is called the import substitution strategy. Trade and interaction with the outside world remained limited. This outlook continued till 1991 when India finally decided to open its borders to free trade and liberalized its economy by allowing foreign companies to enter the Indian economy.
A thrust was given to employment generation under the Five Year plans. This was to make up for a rising population and lacking jobs to absorb the increased workforce size. Rural development was also given importance in India, for the important constituent it was of the Indian landscape.
Poverty alleviation came as a corollary of rural development and a part of the development path of India. India inherited a poverty-stricken economy from the British rule, which had destroyed its resource base completely. Therefore, poverty alleviation programmes and policies formed a major part of election campaigns and party promises.
The public sector was given significant importance, Private companies and industries were subject to strict regulations and standards. It was believed that the government was the sole protector of the people and would work towards social welfare.
Development Strategy of China
One of the key highlights of China’s development strategy is its Great Leap Forward (GLF). The strategy aimed at the high-scale industrialization of the economy. Rural communities were allowed to undertake collective cultivation. Urban communities were encouraged to undertake industrialization by even setting up industrial workshops in their backyards.
China has always followed a communist ideology. Severely critical of the free market forces and capitalism, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched in 1966-76 under the leadership of Mao Tse Tung. Following the revolution, China reformed its economy in 1978.
Reforms in agriculture allowed cultivators to keep the income from their lands after paying taxes. Industrial reforms were aimed at promoting collective local production. The public enterprises were exposed to foreign competitors as a result of the reforms. The goal was to generate enough surpluses to finance the modernization of mainland China. To this end, China set up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to invite investors to set up economic units in its territory.
Meghna Thapar 4 years, 11 months ago
Development Path of India & its Neighbours
We study the development path of India in comparison with Pakistan and China because of the similarities these countries exhibit with India in the sense that all the three countries set out on their respective development paths roughly around the same time. India and Pakistan became independent countries in 1947, while the People’s Republic of China came into existence in 1949.
All these countries followed the process of economic planning in the initial years of their development planning. India undertook its first Five Year Plan from 1951-56. Pakistan announced its first plan, called the Medium Term Plan in 1956. China announced its first plan in the year 1953. India and Pakistan placed a similar thrust on the relative importance of the public sector and social expenditure.
All three countries had similar growth rates till the 1980s. their per capita incomes were nearly around the same figure. India undertook economic reforms in 1991. Pakistan implemented reforms in 1988, while China did so in 1978.
Development Strategy of India
In the development path of India, it first undertook the policy of closed trade. This was to give a thrust to domestic industries and reduce dependence on foreign products and companies. Thus, India followed what is called the import substitution strategy. Trade and interaction with the outside world remained limited. This outlook continued till 1991 when India finally decided to open its borders to free trade and liberalized its economy by allowing foreign companies to enter the Indian economy.
A thrust was given to employment generation under the Five Year plans. This was to make up for a rising population and lacking jobs to absorb the increased workforce size. Rural development was also given importance in India, for the important constituent it was of the Indian landscape.
Poverty alleviation came as a corollary of rural development and a part of the development path of India. India inherited a poverty-stricken economy from the British rule, which had destroyed its resource base completely. Therefore, poverty alleviation programmes and policies formed a major part of election campaigns and party promises.
The public sector was given significant importance, Private companies and industries were subject to strict regulations and standards. It was believed that the government was the sole protector of the people and would work towards social welfare.
Development Strategy of China
One of the key highlights of China’s development strategy is its Great Leap Forward (GLF). The strategy aimed at the high-scale industrialization of the economy. Rural communities were allowed to undertake collective cultivation. Urban communities were encouraged to undertake industrialization by even setting up industrial workshops in their backyards.
China has always followed a communist ideology. Severely critical of the free market forces and capitalism, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched in 1966-76 under the leadership of Mao Tse Tung. Following the revolution, China reformed its economy in 1978.
Reforms in agriculture allowed cultivators to keep the income from their lands after paying taxes. Industrial reforms were aimed at promoting collective local production. The public enterprises were exposed to foreign competitors as a result of the reforms. The goal was to generate enough surpluses to finance the modernization of mainland China. To this end, China set up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to invite investors to set up economic units in its territory.
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