Class 11th Economy Short Notes - Unlocked
Class 11th Economy Short Notes - Unlocked
● Modern industry took root in India → Late 19th Century → Very low progress
○ Cotton textile mills → mostly Indian-owned → Maharashtra and Gujarat.
○ Jute mills → mainly foreign-controlled → Bengal.
○ Iron and Steel Industry → Early 20th century.
■ Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) established in 1907.
○ Sugar, cement, paper industries came up after the Second World War.
○ There was hardly any capital goods industry to help promote further
industrialisation in India.
■ Capital goods industry: Industries which can produce machine tools
which are used for producing articles for current consumption.
● Industrial Growth and GDP/GVA contribution remained small.
● Area of operation of the public sector was very limited → railways, power generation,
communications, ports, etc.
Foreign Trade: Structure, composition and volume was adversely affected by restrictive
policies of commodity production, trade and tariff.
● India became an exporter of primary products and importer of finished goods.
● Suez Canal → 1869 → intensified British control over India’s foreign trade.
○ Location: Isthmus of Suez, northeastern Egypt
■ North Port → Said (Mediterranean Sea)
■ South → Gulf of Suez (Red Sea)
○ Purpose:
■ Direct trade route between European/American ports and ports in South
Asia, East Africa, and Oceania.
■ Eliminates the need to navigate around Africa.
○ Significance:
■ Significantly reduced transportation costs.
■ Facilitated easier access to the Indian market.
● Most important characteristic → generation of a large export surplus.
○ This export surplus did not result in any flow of gold or silver into India.
○ Export surplus funded expenses of offices set up in Britain, expenses on war
fought by Britain and the import of invisible items → drain of Indian wealth.
Demographic Conditions
● First census → 1881 → revealed the unevenness in India’s population growth
● 1921 → India entered the second stage of demographic transition.
● Neither the total population of India nor the rate of population growth at this stage was
very high.
● Overall literacy level < 16% (female literacy level was around 7%)
● Water and air-borne diseases were rampant and took a huge toll on life.
● Infant mortality rate was quite alarming → about 218 per thousand.
● Life expectancy was also very low → 32 years
● Occupational Structure:
● Background
○ Development policies required the Government to overspend to tackle
unemployment, poverty, and population growth, which didn’t yield revenue.
○ Insufficient revenue was generated from internal sources like taxation.
○ PSU’s income was insufficient to cover the government's rising expenses.
○ Forex borrowed was spent on meeting consumption needs.
○ By the 1980s, expenditure far exceeded revenue, leading to unsustainability.
○ Prices of any essential goods rose sharply.
○ Imports grew at a very high rate without matching growth of exports
○ There was insufficient foreign exchange to pay interest on international debt.
● Support from World Bank and IMF: Received $7 billion as loan to manage the crisis.
○ India was required to liberalise and open its economy to avail loans.
○ India agreed to the conditionalities and announced the New Economic Policy.
Another name of World Bank → International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD)
IMF → International Monetary Fund
New Economic Policy (NEP), 1991: The policies aimed to foster a competitive economy
by removing barriers from entry and growth of firms.
● This set of policies can broadly be classified into two groups:
○ Stabilisation Measures: Short-term measures aimed to address balance of
payments issues by maintaining sufficient forex reserves and to control rising
inflation effectively.
○ Structural Reform Measures: Long-term measures, aimed at improving the
efficiency of the economy and increasing its international competitiveness by
removing the rigidities in various segments of the economy.
○ The government initiated a variety of policies which fall under three heads viz.,
liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.
Liberalisation:
● Measures introduced in 1980s → Industrial licensing, export import policy, technology
upgradation, fiscal policy and foreign investment.
● Reform policies initiated in 1991
○ Deregulation of Industrial Sector:
■ Industrial licensing required to start or close a firm or to determine
production was abolished for almost all product categories except
alcohol, cigarettes, hazardous chemicals, industrial explosives,
electronics, aerospace and drugs and pharmaceuticals.
■ Private sector was allowed in all areas except defence equipment,
atomic energy generation and railway transport.
■ Many goods produced by small scale industries were dereserved.
■ In many industries, market has been allowed to determine the prices.
Navratnas → Nine Jewels in the Imperial Court of King Vikramaditya who were
eminent persons of excellence in the fields of art, literature and knowledge.
Globalisation: Integration of the economy of the country with the world economy.
● It aims to create an integrated and interdependent world linked by networks and
activities beyond economic, social, and geographical boundaries.
● Outcome of the policies of liberalisation and privatisation.
● Outsourcing: Company hires regular service from external sources.
○ Has intensified, in recent times, due to growth of fast modes of communication,
particularly Information Technology (IT).
● World Trade Organisation (WTO) → founded in 1995 as the successor to GATT.
○ General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) → established in 1948 with
23 countries to administer all multilateral trade agreements by providing equal
market access to all countries.
○ Expected to establish a rule-based trading regime in which nations cannot
place arbitrary restrictions on trade.
○ Ensure production and trade of services, to ensure optimum utilisation of world
resources and to protect the environment
CHAPTER 4: POVERTY
Background
● In pre-independent India, Dadabhai Naoroji was the first to discuss the concept of a
Poverty Line.
○ The weighted average of consumption of the three segments gives the average
poverty line, which comes out to be three-fourth of the adult jail cost of living
● In 1962, the Planning Commission formed a Study Group to find number of poors.
● Task Force on Projections of Minimum Needs and Effective Consumption
Demand → Formed in 1979 to estimate poverty
Poverty: Inability to fulfil the minimum requirements of life.
OUR INITIATIVES
Mentorship Program
1. Year Long Mentorship Program Covering Both Prelims and Mains of UPSC
2025/2026
2. Sociology Mentorship Program
3. Ethics Mentorship Program
Some best MATERIAL for UPSC (You can order from the website www.neeleshair442.com)
1. The PYQ Analysis by Neelesh Sir (AIR 442 UPSC CSE 2021)
2. The best Short Notes (13 parts) – covering complete UPSC STATIC
3. The best Map Series
4. The Best Mnemonic Series covering the entire need of UPSC (COVERING COMPLETE
GS 1 Themes through the non-confusing and reasonable Mnemonics) – Check the
sample on telegram
5. HANDWRITTEN NOTES FOR GS 1 (MAINS)
Free Program
1. CSAT VIDEOS on YOUTUBE Channel – CIVIL SERVICES WITH NEELESH
2. Free Integrated Marathon on telegram channel – UPSC PRELIMS WITH NEELESH
3. Free Polity PYQ Document
4. Free Geography PYQ Document
5. Free Ethics Answer Writing
Some other running programs
1. Prelims Test Series
2. Mains Test Series
JOIN ME IN TELEGRAM – UPSC PRELIMS WITH NEELESH. For Free CSAT Videos – CIVIL SERVICES
WITH NEELESH
For best notes/mnemonics/PYQ Analysis – www.neeleshair442.com
Economy Short Notes - Neelesh Kumar Singh (AIR 442 UPSC CSE 2021)
Chronic poor: Those who are always poor and those who are usually poor
● Example: Casual workers.
Transient Poor: Those who are moving in and out of poverty and occasionally poor.
● Churning poor: Those who regularly move in and out of poverty
○ Example: small farmers and seasonal workers
● Occasionally poor: Those who are rich most of the time but may sometimes have a
patch of bad luck
Never Poor: These are categorised as non-poor people.
Poverty Line: Monetary value (per capita expenditure) of the minimum calorie intake that
was estimated at 2,400 calories for a rural person and 2,100 for a person in the urban area.
Sen Index → Developed by Amartya Sen (Nobel Laureate)
Head Count Ratio: When the number of poor is estimated as the proportion of people below
the poverty line
Official data on poverty → made available to the public by the Planning Commission.
● It is estimated on the basis of consumption expenditure data collected by the National
Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).
Causes of Poverty
● Social, economic and political ● Low capital formation
inequality ● Lack of infrastructure
● Social exclusion ● Lack of demand
● Unemployment ● Pressure of population
● Indebtedness ● Lack of social/welfare nets.
● Unequal distribution of wealth
Approaches to reduce Poverty
1. Growth oriented development: The effects of economic growth — rapid increase in
gross domestic product and per capita income — would spread to all sections of
society and trickle down to the poor sections also.
2. Specific poverty alleviation programmes: Expanding self employment programmes
and wage employment programmes are being considered as the major ways of
addressing poverty.
○ Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP): Aims at creating self
employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns.
■ The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is implementing it.
■ One can get financial assistance in the form of bank loans to set up
small industries.
○ Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY): The educated unemployed from
low income families in rural and urban areas can get financial help to set up
any kind of enterprise that generates employment.
Intangible: not sold in the market; only the services Tangible: can be easily sold in the market.
of the human capital are sold.
Not perfectly mobile between countries as movement Completely mobile between countries except
is restricted by nationality and culture for some artificial trade restrictions
Formation is to be done through conscious policy Formation can be built even through imports
formulations in consonance with the nature of the
society and economy and public or private
expenditure.
Depreciation takes place with ageing but can be Continuous leads to depreciation and change
reduced through continuous investment in education, of technology makes it obsolete.
health, etc. which also facilitates coping with change
in technology.
External benefit: Benefits not only the owner but also Private benefit: Benefits flow to those who
the society in general. pay the price for it.
CH 6: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Rural Development: Development of areas that are lagging behind in the overall
development of the village economy.
● Challenging areas which need fresh initiatives for development in rural India
○ Development of human resources
■ Literacy → female literacy, education and skill development
○ In 1995, a thrift and credit society was started as a small savings bank
for poor women with the objective to encourage savings and mobilised
Rs 1 crore as thrift savings.
○ Thrift and credit societies → largest informal banks in Asia in terms
of participation and savings mobilised.
Deposit mobilisation — lending to worthwhile borrowers and effective loan recovery.
Jan Dhan Yojana
● All the adults are encouraged to open bank accounts.
● Bank account holders can get Rs. 1-2 lakh accidental insurance coverage
● Overdraft facilities for Rs. 10,000 can be availed
● Wages and social security payments of the government are transferred to bank
accounts.
● No need to keep minimum bank balance
Agricultural Marketing: Process that involves the assembling, storage, processing,
transportation, packaging, grading and distribution of different agricultural commodities across
the country.
● Measures initiated to improve the marketing aspect
○ Regulation of markets to create orderly and transparent marketing conditions.
○ Provision of physical infrastructure facilities like roads, railways, warehouses,
godowns, cold storages and processing units.
○ Cooperative marketing, in realising fair prices for farmers’ products,
○ Policy instruments
■ Assurance of minimum support prices (MSP) for agricultural products
■ Maintenance of buffer stocks of wheat and rice by Food Corporation of
India
■ Distribution of food grains and sugar through PDS.
● Emerging Alternate Marketing Channels → If farmers directly sell their produce to
consumers, it increases their income.
○ Apni Mandi → Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan
○ Hadaspar Mandi → Pune
○ Rythu Bazars (vegetable and fruit markets) → Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana
○ Uzhavar Sandies → Tamil Nadu
○ National and multinational fast food chains are entering in contracts with
farmers to cultivate farm products of the desired quality by providing them
seeds,inputs and assured procurement of the produce at pre decided prices
Diversification: Includes two aspects
1. Diversification of crop production
2. Shift of workforce from agriculture to allied and non-agriculture sectors.
● Reduce the risk from agriculture sector
● Provide productive sustainable livelihood options to rural people.
● Self-employed: Workers who own and operate an enterprise to earn their livelihood.
● Casual wage labourers: Work casually and get a remuneration for the work done.
● Regular salaried employees: When a worker is engaged by someone or an
enterprise and paid his or her wages on a regular basis.
● Self-employment → major source of livelihood for both men and women → accounts
for more than 50 per cent of the workforce.
● Casual wage work → second major source for both men and women.
● Self employed and casual wage labourers → rural areas > urban areas
3 Sectors and 8 Industrial Divisions of Economy
● Primary sector
▪ Agriculture
▪ Mining and Quarrying
● Secondary Sector
▪ Manufacturing
▪ Construction
▪ Electricity, Gas and Water Supply
● Tertiary Sector
▪ Trade
▪ Transport and Storage
▪ Servicess
Jobless Growth: Increase in total output of an economy (GDP) without generating enough
employment opportunities.
Casualisation of workforce: Process of moving from self-employment and regular
salaried employment to casual wage work → noticed during 1972-94.
Formal Sector Establishment: All the public sector establishments and those private
sector establishments which employ 10 hired workers or more.
● The information relating to employment in formal sector is collected by Union Ministry
of Labour through employment exchanges located in different parts of the country.
● Only 9.7% of the total workforce is employed in the formal sector.
Unemployment
● National Statistical Office → Unemployment is a situation in which all those who,
owing to lack of work, are not working but either seek work through employment
exchanges, intermediaries, friends or relatives or by making applications to
prospective employers or express their willingness or availability for work under the
prevailing condition of work and remunerations.
● Economists → Unemployed person is one who is not able to get employment for even
one hour in half a day.
● Types of unemployment
○ Open unemployment
○ Disguised unemployment
○ Seasonal unemployment
CH8: INFRASTRUCTURE
Kerala → popularly known as ‘God’s own country’.
Infrastructure: Provides supporting services in the main areas of industrial and agricultural
production, domestic and foreign trade and commerce.
Morbidity: Proneness to fall ill.
Types of Infrastructure
1. Economic Infrastructure: Infrastructure associated with energy, transportation and
communication.
2. Social Infrastructure: Infrastructure related to education, health and housing.
Importance of Infrastructure
1. Raises on Productivity 4. Facilitates Outsourcing
2. Raises Size of the Market 5. Generates Linkages in Production
3. Raises Ability to Work
The State of Infrastructure in India
● India invests 3.3% percent of its GDP on infrastructure, which is far below that of China
and Indonesia.
● As income rises, infrastructure needs shift from basics like irrigation, transport, and
power in low-income countries to more service-oriented needs such as
telecommunications which dominate in high-income economies.
Energy → Life line of entire production activity.
● Sources of Energy:
○ Conventional sources of energy: These are the energy sources which are
popularly in use for a very long time. These are of two types:
■ Commercial sources: They are bought and sold → coal, petroleum and
electricity → Generally exhaustible (with the exception of hydropower).
■ Non-commercial sources: They are found in nature/forests → firewood
agricultural waste and dried dung → Generally renewable.
○ Non-conventional sources of energy: These are the energy which have been
discovered or explored in the recent past.
● Power/Electricity
○ The most visible form of energy, which is often identified with progress in
modern civilization.
○ The growth rate of demand for power is generally higher than the GDP growth
rate.
○ India’s energy policy encourages two energy sources— hydel and wind —as
they do not rely on fossil fuel and, hence, avoid carbon emissions.
○ Some Challenges in the Power Sector
■ India's installed capacity to generate electricity is not sufficient to feed
the annual economic growth. Even the installed capacity is
underutilised.
■ State Electricity Boards (SEBs) which distribute electricity incur loss
due to transmission and loss in distribution, wrong pricing of electricity
and other inefficiencies.
■ Private sector power generators are yet to play their role in a major way,
same is the case with foreign investors.
■ There is general public unrest due to high power tariffs and prolonged
power cuts in different parts of the country.
■ Thermal power plants which are the mainstay of India's power sector,
are facing shortage of raw material and coal supplies.
Health: It is a state of complete physical, mental & social well-being.
● State of Health Infrastructure
○ The Union Government evolves broad policies and plans through the Central
Council of Health and Family Welfare.
○ At the village level, a variety of hospitals known as Primary Health Centres
(PHCs) have been set up.
○ There are large number of hospitals run by voluntary agencies and the private
sector, equipped with professionals and para medical professionals trained in
medical, pharmacy and nursing colleges.
○ About 70% of the hospitals running in India belong to private sector. Nearly
60% of dispensaries are run by the same private sector.
○ Private sector has also been contributing significantly in medical education and
training, medical technologies and diagnostics, manufacture and sale of
pharmaceuticals, hospital construction and medical services.
● Health System in India → three tier system
● Women’s Health
○ More than 53% of women between the age group of 15 and 49 years suffer
from anaemia caused by iron deficiency.
○ It has contributed significantly to maternal deaths.
○ Abortions are major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in India
● Ozone layer prevents most harmful wavelengths of ultraviolet light from passing
through the Earth’s atmosphere.
● Montreal Protocol → Ban the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds, as well
as other ozone depleting chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethane (also
known as methyl chloroform), and bromine compounds known as halons.
Deccan Plateau → Black Soil → cultivation of cotton
Indo-Gangetic plains → One of the most fertile, intensively cultivated and densely
populated regions in the world.
Indian Iron ore reserves → 8% of the world’s total iron-ore reserves
Chipko Movement → Aimed at protecting forests in the Himalayas.
Appiko (Karnataka) → On 8 September 1983, when the felling of trees was started in Salkani
forest in Sirsi district, 160 men, women and children hugged the trees and forced the
woodcutters to leave.
Central Pollution Control Board → set up in 1974 → Address water and air pollution
● Identified 17 categories of industries as significantly polluting.
Threat to India’s Environment: 2 dimensions
1. Threat of poverty induced environmental degradation.
2. Threat of pollution from affluence and a rapidly growing industrial sector.
Sustainable Development: Development that meets the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs.
● Our Common Future → United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) → meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to
satisfy their aspirations for a better life.
● Edward Barbier → Development which is directly concerned with increasing the
material standard of living of the poor at the grass root level.
● Brundtland Commission → emphasises on protecting the future generation.
● Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) → In 2015, the UN formulated 17 goals
intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
Development Path
● All three countries began their development journeys at the same time. India and
Pakistan gained independence in 1947, and China established the People's Republic
of China in 1949.
● All three countries had begun to plan their development strategies similarly. India
unveiled its first Five Year Plan in 1951, Pakistan in 1956, and China in 1953.
● India and Pakistan pursued similar strategies, such as establishing a large public
sector and increasing government spending on social development.
● While India and Pakistan followed the ‘mixed economy' model, China followed the
‘command economy' model of economic growth.
● Before the 1980s, all three countries had comparable growth rates and per capita
incomes.
Development Strategies of China
● Giant Leap Forward, 1958: Campaign aimed at massively industrialising the country
by encouraging people to establish large-scale industries in their own backyards.
● Commune system: People collectively cultivated lands.
● Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976): Revolution started by Mao in
which students and professionals were sent to the countryside to work and learn.
● 1978 Reforms: To generate enough surplus to finance the modernization of the
Chinese economy on the mainland.
Development Strategies of India
● New trade reform has been implemented since 1991 and has accelerated India's
growth.
● To reduce poverty, several poverty alleviation programs have been implemented.
● Variety of measures to develop areas that are lagging behind in the overall
development of the village economy.
● Economic reforms have been initiated to generate employment in the country, to
provide gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
Development Strategies of Pakistan
● Pakistan has a mixed economy in which the public and private sectors coexist.
● In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a regulatory framework for import industrialization
was established. The policy combined tariff protection for consumer goods
manufacturing with direct import controls on competing imports.
● Green Revolution was implemented to increase food productivity and self-sufficiency,
and increased food grain output.
● In the 1970s, nationalisation of capital goods industries took place.
Demographic indicators
● Pakistan's population is very small, accounting for roughly one-tenth of that of China
and India.
● Though China is the largest nation and geographically occupies the largest area
among the three nations, its density is the lowest
● Population growth is highest in Pakistan followed by India and China.
● Sex ratio is low and biased against females in all three countries
● Fertility rate in China is low, but it is very high in Pakistan.
● China and Pakistan have more urban populations than India.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Sectors
● China has the world's second-largest GDP (PPP).
● In China, manufacturing accounts for the majority of GDP, whereas in India and
Pakistan, the service sector accounts for the majority of GDP.
● There has been a decline in Pakistan and China’s growth rates, whereas, India met
with moderate increase in growth rates.
● In all the three countries the service sector is emerging as a major player of
development.
● Growth of the agriculture sector, which employs the largest proportion of the
workforce in all the three countries, has declined.
Human Development Indicators
● China outperformed India and Pakistan in following areas of human development:
○ Per capita GDP
○ Proportion of the population living in poverty
○ Health indicators → mortality rates, access to sanitation, literacy, life
expectancy, and malnourishment.
● China and Pakistan are ahead of India in reducing the proportion of people below the
poverty line and also their performance in sanitation.
● All the three countries report providing improved drinking water sources for most of
its population
Liberty Indicators
OUR INITIATIVES
Mentorship Program
1. Year Long Mentorship Program Covering Both Prelims and Mains of UPSC
2025/2026
2. Sociology Mentorship Program
3. Ethics Mentorship Program
Some best MATERIAL for UPSC (You can order from the website www.neeleshair442.com)
1. The PYQ Analysis by Neelesh Sir (AIR 442 UPSC CSE 2021)
2. The best Short Notes (13 parts) – covering complete UPSC STATIC
3. The best Map Series
4. The Best Mnemonic Series covering the entire need of UPSC (COVERING COMPLETE
GS 1 Themes through the non-confusing and reasonable Mnemonics) – Check the
sample on telegram
5. HANDWRITTEN NOTES FOR GS 1 (MAINS)
Free Program
1. CSAT VIDEOS on YOUTUBE Channel – CIVIL SERVICES WITH NEELESH
2. Free Integrated Marathon on telegram channel – UPSC PRELIMS WITH NEELESH
3. Free Polity PYQ Document
4. Free Geography PYQ Document
5. Free Ethics Answer Writing
Some other running programs
1. Prelims Test Series
2. Mains Test Series
JOIN ME IN TELEGRAM – UPSC PRELIMS WITH NEELESH. For Free CSAT Videos – CIVIL SERVICES
WITH NEELESH
For best notes/mnemonics/PYQ Analysis – www.neeleshair442.com
The primary goal of India's Green Revolution was to overcome agricultural stagnation through increased food grain production using high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, especially for wheat and rice. In its first phase (mid-1960s to mid-1970s), it mainly benefited affluent states like Punjab. During the second phase (mid-1970s to mid-1980s), the area of influence expanded to more states, improving crop variety and enabling India's food grains self-sufficiency. To mitigate the risk of exacerbating disparities between small and large farmers, the government provided low-interest loans and subsidized fertilizers to small farmers. Additionally, government-established research institutes addressed pest-prone HYV crops' vulnerabilities .
The 1991 economic crisis dramatically affected India's fiscal policies. Faced with a severe foreign exchange shortage and inability to repay external borrowings, the government was compelled to initiate economic reforms. These reforms included tax reductions to increase compliance and curb evasion, but they failed to significantly boost tax revenues. Reduction in tariffs further limited revenue from customs duties, and tax incentives for attracting foreign investment reduced potential tax revenues. Consequently, these measures constrained public expenditure growth, especially in social sectors, impacting developmental and welfare activities .
The demographic conditions in late 19th and early 20th century India highlighted significant socio-economic challenges. The low literacy rate (<16%), with female literacy around 7%, and a high infant mortality rate (218 per thousand) hampered human capital development, influencing economic productivity and progress. Low life expectancy (32 years) and rampant diseases underscored inadequate healthcare. These factors reflected a society struggling under colonial rule, where infrastructural and health investments prioritized colonial gains over local development, leaving pervasive poverty and underdevelopment, issues later addressed through independent India's policies .
The decline in Pakistan and China's growth rates and India's moderate growth increase can be attributed to several structural and policy factors. In China, the rigorous state control over the economy and challenges such as industrial overcapacity and environmental issues contributed to the slowdown. Pakistan faces a high population growth rate and political instability, which hinders economic performance. Conversely, India's policies of liberalization, privatization, and globalization post-1991 contributed to its moderate growth increase by improving market efficiency and attracting foreign investment, although such reforms also faced structural challenges like infrastructure deficiencies and income inequality .
Colonial infrastructure developments, such as roads, railways, and telegraphs, were primarily designed to serve colonial interests. Roads and railways facilitated the extraction of raw materials from the countryside to ports for export while enabling the colonial army's mobility, rather than benefitting local economic development. The introduction of railways in 1850 profoundly shaped the Indian economy by fostering agricultural commercialization and breaking geographical and cultural barriers for long-distance travel. However, the commercialization adversely affected village economies' self-sufficiency. While India's export trade saw expansion, the benefits largely bypassed Indians, highlighting the infrastructure developments' exploitative nature .
The Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956 aimed to establish a socialist pattern of society by defining the roles of public and private sectors in India’s industrial sector. Its key features included classifying industries into three categories: exclusively state-owned industries, industries where the private sector could supplement the state sector efforts, and private sector industries with state control through a licensing system. The policy encouraged regional equality by making it easier to obtain licenses for industrial units in economically backward areas and offering tax and tariff concessions to such industries. This policy was intended to guide industrial development and promote a balanced industrial distribution .
During the early twentieth century, the demographic conditions in India were characterized by low population growth, with the total population not being significantly high as per the first census in 1881 and the demographic transition that began in 1921. Literacy levels were exceptionally low, with overall literacy under 16% and female literacy around 7%. This lack of education limited the workforce's ability to engage in more skilled economic activities, sustaining a reliance on agriculture, which employed the majority of the population. Additionally, rampant water and air-borne diseases and a high infant mortality rate of about 218 per thousand, coupled with a low life expectancy of 32 years, constrained human capital development and economic progress .
Following India's 1991 economic crisis, fiscal and trade policy reforms were pivotal in stabilizing and transforming the economy. Fiscal reforms focused on reducing the fiscal deficit through expenditure controls and broadening the tax base, despite facing challenges such as tax evasion and limited tariff revenue post-customs reductions. Trade policy reforms shifted from protectionism to liberalization, reducing import tariffs and quotas, which opened the economy to global markets and improved competitiveness. These measures helped stabilize the economy by addressing the balance of payments crisis, increasing foreign exchange reserves, and enabling sustainable growth, albeit with social sector expenditure constraints .
China, compared to India and Pakistan, demonstrates superior economic and human development indicators. China's GDP (PPP) is the second-largest globally, driven predominantly by manufacturing, whereas India and Pakistan have service sectors contributing significantly to their GDPs. China's superior human development indicators include higher per capita GDP, lower poverty levels, and better health (mortality rates) and education indicators (literacy and life expectancy). Meanwhile, Pakistan and China have outperformed India in reducing poverty and improving sanitation. However, all three countries face challenges in their service sector's structural transformation and share demographic traits such as low sex ratios biased against females and urbanization levels .
India's import substitution strategy significantly shaped its industrial development by aiming to reduce dependence on foreign imports through domestic production. Strategies included imposing tariffs to make imported goods more expensive and quotas to limit import quantities. This protection helped nascent industries develop competitive capabilities against established global products. However, industrial growth was achieved through protectionist policies rather than export promotions until the mid-1980s. Despite fostering diversification, the strategy's overemphasis on protection hindered industries' global competitiveness, delaying reform until economic liberalization in the 1990s .