Though the country witnessed high growth in the past two decades, the problems of slackening pace in poverty reduction and employment creation, widening regional disparities, ever increasing rural-urban divide and agrarian distress manifested in the form of suicides of farmers are disturbing to say the least. These developments in contemporary India have once again led to the realization of the need for 'inclusive growth' being articulated by policy makers, intelligentsia and the civil society. In this context, the Center for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad organized an international conference on the 'Perspectives on Equitable Development' as a part of its Silver Jubilee celebrations. This book is a collection of the research papers presented in the conference by eminent scholars across the country and focus on different aspects of equitable development. These are presented in six interrelated themes: macroeconomic performance and policies; employment, food security and poverty; physical and social infrastructure; agriculture and rural industrialization; foreign direct investment in manufacturing and services; and socio-political issues in the reform process.
