INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENTWITH REFERENCE TO MYSORE’S ECONOMY (INDIA)(1972)

                              INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENTWITH
                 REFERENCE TO MYSORE’S ECONOMY (INDIA)(1972)
Foreword by G.Devendrappa.                                K.Puttaswamaiah

The Indian Planning Commission, since the era of Planning, has been Formulating proposals for comprehensive development through higher social investment to meet the problem of imbalances between regions and between the sections of the people. The regional, economic and social imbalances which were inherent in the socioeconomic structure of India had thus come to surface by early 1970’s.

Dr.K.Puttaswamaiah who was in 1970's staying in the United Nations Asian Institute for Economic Development and Planning, among other things attempted to study with the help of detailed data relating to Karnataka State, (India), to identify a set of indicators to measure the backward and forward areas in Karnataka. He has applied the indicators so developed and has demarcated the forward and backward areas as existed then. This study not only helped in demarcating the backward areas, but also provided guidence in the allocation of funds for development of those backward areas.

The purpose of this study was mainly to evolve a set of rational and meaningful indicators of development and to measure the level of economic development in Mysore State (now Karnataka) vis-a-vis other States in India with the help of those indicators.

According to Dr.Puttaswamaiah, percapita income alone will no longer be a valid or a satisfactory criterion of economic development. He is of the opinion that realistic assessment of the socio-economic level of living of an area would be possible with the help of a combination of indicators which he had developed and discussed in this study.

Indian Planning Commission, and at the suggestion of shri.B.Shivaraman, the then Member, Indian Planning Commission, the States in India have also used this study for demarcating the backward and forward areas and in the allocation of funds by the Planning Commission and the States to those areas, to ensure balanced regional development in the country.

The concept of regional planning has come into prominence in the wake of complaints regarding regional imbalances in the matter of development and the consequent demand for uniform and balanced development of all the regions in the country as a whole. In this context need for formulation of rational indicators of development with a view to identifying the areas of backwardness and the level of development of the different regions becomes urgent and imperative.

In this study entitled " Indicators of Development with reference to Mysore's Economy ", Dr. K. Puttaswamaiah, M.A., D.Com., Ph.D., Deputy Director of Evaluation has attempted to evolve a set of rational and meaningful indicators of development and to measure up the level of economic development in Mysore State vis-a-vis other States in India with the help of these indicators. An attempt has also been made to present a districtwise analysis of economic development in
the State.

According to Dr. K. Puttaswamaiah, per-capita income alone will no longer be a valid or satisfactory criterion of economic development. He is of the opinion that a realistic assessment of the socio-economic level of living of an area would be possible with the help of a combination of indicators which he has discussed in this study.

I do hope that the book would be useful to the Planners in Mysore and also to the general public interested in the subject. I am happy to write this foreword for the book which is timely when the Planning Commission itself has recognised the need for identifying pockets or areas of backwardness with a view to achieving a balanced economic development of the country as a whole.

                                                                        G. DEVENDRAPPA,
                                                                         Minister of State
Aug. 1972.                                             for Planning and Information.

The Planning Commission is formulating proposals for comprehensive development through higher social investments to meet the problem of imbalances between regions and between sections of the people. The regional, economic and social imbalances which were inherent in the socio-economic structure of the country has thus come to the surface now. The State Governments are also concerned in identifying backward pockets in their States for initiating accelerated developmental programmes. During the IV Five Year Plan, the need for prompt corrective steps to ensure a certain degree of uniformity in the rate of progress in different regions is being emphasised both by the Planning Commission and all State Governments with the object of removing regional imbalances in development and to attempt at a more balanced development and equitable levels of living. This study which was done during my stay in U.N. Asian Institute for Economic Development and Planning attempts to identify the levels of development in Mysore State vis-a-vis the other States in the country as also backward areas within the State. The State of Economy analysed in this study with the help of various indicators of development would perhaps help to look ahead and judge the investment requirements of the economy and to decide the desirable directions of developmental efforts in the long-run.

Dr. D. V. Ramana, Development Economist in U.N. Asian Institute has kindly gone through the study and has offered his valuable comments. I am indeed very grateful to him in this regard.

A portion of this study was published in Southern Economist. I wish to thank Shri K.N. Subrahmanya, Editor, Southern Economist, for having published this and for having permitted me to reprint that portion in this book.

Shri G. Devendrappa, M.A., LL.B. Hon'ble Minister of State for Planning and Information has kindly gone through the study and favoured me in writing the Foreword for the book. He has encouraged me by his kind permission for the publication of this book by the Evaluation Directorate. I am very grateful to the Minister for all these. I also wish to express my grateful thanks to the Department and in particular to Sri M. Shankaranarayanan, Joint Secretary (Planning) and Ex-Officio Director of Evaluation and Manpower in this connection.

The publication of this book so neatly and in so short a time v/as possible with the kind co-operation of Shri B.P. Mallaraj Urs, Director of Printing, Stationery and Publications and his officers and I wish to place on record my grateful thanks to them. This study was prepared while I was a Fellow of the General Course, 1971, of the U.N. Asian Institute for Economic Development and Planning, Bangkok. However, the views expressed in the Report are my own and they do not necessarily represent the views of the Asian Institute. Mr. M. Kakitsubo, Director and Dr. Patnaik, Deputy Director have been good enough to accord permission for publication of this study.

                                                                                       K. PUTTASWAMAIAH,
                                                                               Deputy Director of Evaluation,
Aug., 1972,                                                                 (Government of Mysore).

Indicators of Development
EXTRACTS FROM BOOK REVIEWS
This small book makes a big attempt. A very difficult and controversial subject like the criteria of development has been competently handled in a scientific manner. With abundance of experience in undertaking such projects, the author makes this study with an open mind .... This book seems to be timely as a helpful guide to the planners in coming to grips with the problems of criteria for economic development on a regional basis .... The book contains valuable economic data pertain ing to the development of various States of the Union of India. without being a voluminous compendium. It deserves due consideration from the Central Planning Commission and the Government of India while forming policies for regional development in the country.
                                                                                         —Southern Economist.
The author has attempted to evolve a set of rational and meaningful indicators of development and to measure up the level of economic development in Mysore State visa-  vis other States in India with the help of these indicators .. . Per capita income alone will no longer be a valid or satisfactory criterion of economic development.... The book will be useful to the Planners in Mysore and also to others interested in the subject. 
                                                                            —Management in Government.
Dr. K. Puttaswamaiah has done well to emphasise the unreality of Statistics .... to support whatever point of view he likes to establish .... By far the most outstanding contribution of this book is the attention it draws to the application of the regional concept even within a State.
                                                                                             —Book Beam