Acceleration of Agricultural Development for Inclusive Economic Growth

Issues and Policy Options

Abstract

This paper examines how the government has been successful in realizing the objective of inclusive growth? As evidence of outcomes it examines the data on GDP, production, productivity and distribution from the various issues of economic survey, Government of India and from different internet sites. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the growth of Indian economy since independence. The second part explains the attainments of agricultural sector and its contribution to growth. While third part identifiesthe policyissues so that high agriculture growth could be maintained and sustained with ecological balance in short as well as long run. The analysis reveals that Indian economy has registered 7.9 percent annual growth rate for the decade ending 2012-13, while agricultural sector has maintained a growth rate of just above three percent during this period. This coupled with high dependence of population on agriculture resulted in widening of rural-urban income disparity. Thus, post -1991 reforms is a process of inequality growth and not inclusive growth. To accelerate the agricultural development and reduction in regional disparities’ a big push is required to revive thenon-green revolution as well as so called green revolution states.The output growth of agricultural sector would be definitely reduce poverty to a great extent than growth in any sector by providing employment.