| dc.description.abstract | Trends in regional disparity in numerous social and human development indicators, other than
state income, are examined with a statistical significance test. No support was found for the
impression about increasing disparity after 1980. In a very few indicators, the disparity showed
an increase, whereas in a large number of indicators, it either remained the same or declined over
the last two decades. The efforts of the state governments in the social sectors were perhaps a
major reason for the outcome. Except education, in all the other social sub-sectors, the interstate
disparity in government efforts declined markedly during the 1990s as compared to the
1980s. In education, it remained the same. The explicit objective of reducing regional disparity in
social and human development in Central planning may not be specially required in view of the
findings of this article. The states could be empowered by augmenting their revenue resources
and allowing them access to public borrowings directly so that they can handle their priority
areas and local felt needs. | |
