ABSTRACT
As is well acknowledged, the notion of social justice is indeed multi-dimensional and ever-evolving. It is quite clear from the literature on ‘development with justice’ that a number of very important causal correlates need to be taken seriously for any worthwhile journey in this respect. In general, India’s record with respect to several critical indicators of socio-economic outcomes, which may be considered important markers of ‘development-with-justice’, has remained average to poor, with considerable diversity across states and regions. Some of these markers are access to tangible assets, such as land, good-quality social infrastructure, particularly education and health, and appropriate macroeconomic policies with explicit emphasis on the inclusion of economically and socially marginalised groups. This chapter discusses some of the important correlates and challenges that have marked Bihar’s developmental trajectory and its quest for ‘development-with-justice’. Section one of the chapter discusses, very briefly, some conceptual issues pertaining to social justice, especially with respect to the current juncture. The second section provides a brief snapshot of a set of important socio-economic outcomes for Bihar in comparison with the All-India averages, which are among the significant markers of development and connect, in important ways, to social justice. The chapter closes with a couple of concluding remarks.
