Towards an inclusive India : role of parliament in social change

Despite sixty three years of independence and two divergent paradigms of economic growth, planned development and neo-liberal path of development, an all round progress of the country could not be achieved. While India has a huge middle class with purchasing power, whose strength exceeds European population, a big majority of the people live under deplorable conditions Arjun Sen Gupta Committee's report states that more than 70% of the people are living below poverty line. The social structure of the rural India has not changed much after independence .Can a country affords to have such a divergent path of development? Why is it that the benefits of development exclude such large sections of people? The country has shown tremendous progress in science and technology and is considered as a promising industrial and technological power. Along with China, India is rated as the two emerging economic powers from Asia .At the same time, the country lags far behind in Human Development Index with minimal achievements in education, healthcare, housing besides having inade quate infrastructure, shortage of drinking water, rural-urban divide, gender divide, and digital divide etc. Did Globalization increase the inequality and poverty levels of the country? What is the role of the Indian Parliament in arresting the negative trends and ushering an inclusive development trajectory? The book explores the possibility of India's growth with commitment to social justice.