This is the Hindi translation of our book, A Quantum Leap in the Wrong Direction?
The General Elections of 2014 saw a resounding victory for the BJP. Projecting Narendra Modi as a decisive leader, the BJP promised sweeping changes from the Congress-led UPA governments. Its election campaign was built on the planks of sabka vikas (development for all) and freedom from corruption, along with improved governance. So, did the NDA-II government deliver on its promise of development? Or, as Amartya Sen asserted, did India take a ‘quantum leap in the wrong direction’?
Saath se Vikas tak : Daave ya Chhalave? compares the promises made during the run-up to the 2014 elections and the outcomes over the past five years. Each chapter of this book assesses different policies like demonetisation and GST; policies in the sectors of employment, agriculture, banking, and foreign affairs; its initiatives in the areas of health, education, environment, on gender, and for the marginalised sections. It assesses the government’s successes in the area of governance and in addressing corruption.
Moving away from partisan debates that resort to propaganda and provide no answers, the authors rely on an assessment of available official data and other reputable information, and thereby let the facts speak for themselves. This book asks whether, in the past five years, Indian economy and polity has progressed, stagnated, or regressed.
There are 14 essays by 17 contributors who are affiliated with various distinguished institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Ambedkar University Delhi Centre for Policy Research, Delhi; Azim Premji University; Political Economy Research Institute, UMASS, Amherst; Institute of Development Studies Kolkata, The Hindu [Chennai]; The Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
There are 19 tables and 72 figures in the volume supporting the arguments and views included in this volume.
An elaborate list of abbreviations [in English and Hindi] is also given in the preliminary pages for reference.