INDIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS:
Post economic reforms, the gross development product (GNP) improved from an average of about 5.7 per cent in the 1980s to an average of about 6.5 per cent in the Eighth and Ninth Plan periods, making India one of the ten fastest growing developing countries (1), where the dismantling of the industrial licensing system, free investments by foreign companies, lowering of import tariffs on capital goods all contributed (2).Encouraging progress was also made in other sectors. The percentage of the population in poverty continued to decline, even if not as much as was targeted. Population growth decelerated below 2 per cent for the first time in four decades. Literacy increased from 52 per cent in 1991 to 65 per cent in 2001 with improvement evident in all states.

Software services, entertainment and information technology-enabled services emerged as new sources of strength, creating confidence about India’s potential to be competitive in the world economy (3).

THE OTHER SIDE:
However, the picture is not all rosy and are clouded by other features which give cause for concern. The economy is currently in a decelerating phase and urgent steps are needed to arrest the deceleration and restore momentum. Although employment growth has almost kept pace with labour force growth, the incidence of unemployment on current daily status basis is relatively high, at above 7 per cent. More than half of the children between 1-5 years in rural areas are under-nourished, with girl children suffering even more severe malnutrition. The infant mortality rate has stagnated at 72 per 1000 for the last several years. As many as 60 per cent of rural households and 20 per cent urban households do not have power connection. Only 60 per cent of urban households have taps within their homes, and far fewer have latrines inside the house. The decline in the juvenile sex ratio over the last decade, visible in the data from Census 2001, is an indication that the Constitutional assurance of freedom and equality for women is still far from being fulfilled.