ABSTRACT
India ranked third among the fastest-growing economies in the world over the period 1990–2004 (Ahmed, 2007). The avowed objective of Indian planners is to sustain the current growth rate of 8 per cent per annum and increase it to 10 per cent by the beginning of the next decade (Government of India, 2006). Although high growth rates have been generally applauded, concerns about the distribution of the benefits have emerged on many fronts. It is now widely acknowledged that economic growth has not been inclusive and has bypassed sections of society. Higher rates of growth have not translated into reductions in unemployment or in faster rates in the reduction of poverty. 1
