Gujarat's macroeconomic growth story has been commented upon. This is not just about a double-digit GSDP growth in the last 10 years. It is also about an even more remarkable double-digit growth in agriculture. However, questions are often raised about this growth. Isn't this just about industry and manufacturing? What about the social sectors? What about deprived segments of the population and deprived geographical areas? Haven't they been bypassed?
Growth isn't the same as development.
This book isn't about Gujarat's growth alone. It is about development too. It isn't just about vibrant industry. It is also about the perceptible improvement in social sectors, especially noticeable after 2007. It is a story of education and health, water, electricity and roads. It is a story of how these benefits have trickled down and how deprived segments have been main-streamed. That Gujarat model, so to speak, has implications for other States too, since it is about governance, efficient public expenditure, decentralisation and participatory planning. The focus of this book, deliberately not written in an academic style, is to draw attention to that development template. While there can be disagreement about what the Gujarat model represents, and what it does not, and about what made the Gujarat model work, before any debate, there ought to be a statement of the facts. That's what this book sets out to do. |
