Concept of Regional Development
Concept of Regional Development
an happiness. Still others give stress on meeting the basic needs of the
people. The only thing on which every one agrees is that development
is necessary; and every one wants, although in his own image and
planning has also been defined as "any action by the state whose
purpose is to raise the rate of economic growth above that which would
being done by the state; it has the dual purpose of economic growth
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region and aspect of life. The achievemeni of a state of development
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Geographical perspective and Harriss's (1982), Rural Development:
perspective from which further research can take its course. Mabogunje
has identified four main ways in which the term 'development" has
that for a long time following the Second World War development was
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of reducing the poverty level among the masses or, as it was more
broad issues: the fact that development is human issue, its requirements
issue, its requirements of the full mobilization of society and the idea
65
spatial organization. The reorganization arises as a result of the fact
viewing the nature of work done on 'development' itself. For too long
with economic growth. Few studies attempt to grasp the more complex
countries. The use of the word 'development' tends to imply that there
nations astride the north Atlantic ocean, and a set of less developed, or
w Inch introduces the idea that the poorer countries of the world are
66
poor in some way because of the existence of rich ones and thus
the degree of social change. With much recent research having been
tensions within the kingdom and must remain a source for concern.
67
geographical awareness in 'development'. Harriss and Harris'^ (1979)
have, nevertheless, noted that there is a "dearth of studies exploring
the connections between development and the imperatives of
management of the biosphere".
living of the masses of the people and to provide all human beings
terms but also structural changes in the society and its economy as
desired speed. The direction and rates of change will depend upon the
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well as current benefits occurring from the changing socio-economic
the levels of the living of the people and general conditions of human
is not only a change but a change for better, just as plant develops into
a tree and a child into an adult and there is no reversal of the position
69
measured to know differences in the levels of development. This
national territory with the result that all the weakness of central planning
have been introduced at the regional level keeping in view the lack of
70
in India since the beginning of the planning era. This idea has been
that these process are strengthened in areas lagging behind. This will
71
development potentialities of each region, suggests strategies for
sectoral problems and area studies. Thus if handled properly, it has the
development.
Parameters of Development
Natural environment, technology and institutions are the three
people in the respective regions. Technology is the tool with which the
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the intermediary technology creates income disparities with a social
group and across the regions. The institutions have been created by
73
between the variations that would seen to be associated with the volume
and the individual are the relative levels of per capita income as it is
However recently it has been argued that per capita income or any
social health. They touch only tangentially most of the essential elements
analysis.
74
Measurement of Regional Development in India
Recently there have been many studies of regional development
m India and its parts. These are analysis of spatial variations resource
endowment and of sharp contrasts in levels of development in different
parts of the country. An attempt has been made to review some of
these studies.
and prepare and overall plan for development of states in a 10-15 years
treated in isolation.
There are several other studies which have been conducted for
specific purposes in which the emphasis is on the area and its problem
75
the city with neighbouring areas.
three levels: macro, meso and micro. Since then considerable work
has been done and much thought has been given to 'plaiming region'
(1962) and Bhat (1962) laid the groundwork for further studies. In
terms. The guiding principle in this scheme was that major region should
76
topography, geological formations, soils, rainfall, agricultural landuse,
State-\
77
fin Univsi
of a composite index of selected variables which permit several stages
some of the important variables like per capita income and production
what different method Mitra^" (1965) has grouped 324 districts of India
variables and these were grouped into six convenient blocks. The
himself pointed out in his introductory remarks that, the lack of more
Economic Research has arrived at district level per capita income and
relate the income pattern with land use structure and occupational
78
started in the National Atlas Organization. The Planning Commission
Nath^^ (1970) on the basis of state and district level data worked
has been made for both states and districts, but analysis of growth
rates has been made only for states. The level of economic development
of states has been measured in two ways: (i) on the basis of per capita
has been made with the help of data on growth rates of population,
agricultural output, per capita value added in industry, and per capita
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Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab are underdeveloped in one or most of
the fields like literacy, workforce participation rates, per capita power
Pradesh are quite developed in one or more fields like literacy, density
evolved and implemented; (ii) the other important result is that the
regions if some other indicator relating to the same field is used for
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Karnataka there is not only wide diversity in natural endowments but
development. All backward regions are not the same, rather they have
REFERENCES
1. Brookfield, H., Interdependent Development Methuen, London,
1975.
81
6. Hodder, B.W., Economic Development in the Tropics, Methuen,
London, 1968.
8. ibid, P.M.
10. Lipton, M., Why poor people Stay Poor: Urban Bias in World
19. Harris, J.J. and Harris, B., Development Studies, Prog. Hum.
Geog., 3, P 576.
82
22. Idem, Regional Concepts and Planning Regions with Special
Delhi, 1963.
83
32. Nath, v.. Levels of Economic Development and Rates of
195.
84