3 Review(s)

This is an empirical inquiry into the regional and structural aspects of industrialisation and economic development with specific reference to the economy of Karnataka. Greater accent is given to the study of the inter-temporal trends in regional disparities; the divergence- convergence trends are examined with reference to per capita examined with reference to per capita NDDP, spread of industries and industrial, employment and sectoral shares of income and labour force. The study also focuses attention on the changes that have been taking place in the sectoral shares of income and employment in the State and District economies of Karnataka. The structural aspect also includes the discussion of the changing relative importance of the consumer goods and capital goods industries, and agro based and non agro based industries. The inquiry throws adequate light on the structure and growth of large- scale and small-scale industrial units in the state. The author rightly points out that industrialisation brings with it a wide range of social and political problems, not merely economic changes. However, care has been taken to isolate the economic consequences of industrialisation. Among other things, the author brings out the conflict between the development paths pointed out by efficiency and by equity the former favouring concentration and the latter favouring dispersion. The empirical findings and the policy implications derived there form would be of much use to the planners in the State of Karnataka, and also to tall those who are concerned with regional planning and development in other parts of the country. About the Author Dr. B. Seshadri (b. 1938) is Post-Graduate both in Economics and English Literature from the Karnatak University, Dharwad , with a doctoral in Industrial Economics from the Karnatak University. He has been a Reader in Economics for over two decades. Dr. Seshadri is well-known for his incisive reviews in the Southern Economist on the latest research publications in Economics. He has also been grappling with the socio-economic and politico-cultural aspects of the society through Vichar Vahini, a Free Thinkers Forum of which he is the Founder Director.