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This article provides information about “How Human Development Approach differs from Growth Approach to Development?”:
The post-colonial developing world since the early 1970s has experienced a phenomenal shift in the development strategy. For example, immediately after independence, India adopted a developmental strategy of “growth with stability” with the basic thrust on industrialisation, agricultural modernisation expansion of infrastructure, education and mass communication.
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However, in the backdrop of the declining access of a vast number of people to the means of livelihood security, literacy/education, healthcare facilities, housing and other basic necessities of life, the philosophy of “social justice” was integrated in the development discourse in the 1970s. It is important that the focus of development has been shifted for the disadvantaged section of society. Again, since the early 1990s, especially in the wake of globalisation, the strategy of “empowerment with development” has been adopted to integrate the marginalised sections into the mainstream.
The developmental processes have experienced a phenomenal shift especially in the wake of the collapse of the socialist model of economy, the fast spread of neo-liberalised globalisation, introduction of new structural adjustment programmes, formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and enactment of GATT and GATS agreements. The neo-liberal developmentism has provided a new dimension to the notion of development with the philosophy of one world, one market and one ideology.
The World Development Report, 1997 emphasised the need for an effective role of the State for social and economic development but in a new form. According to it, the State is central to economic and social development, not as a direct provider of growth but as a partner, catalyst and facilitator.
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The world is changing, and with it our ideas about the state’s role in economic and social development. In view of the collapse of the command and control economies, fiscal crisis of the welfare states, explosion in humanitarian emergencies in several parts of the world, growing lack of confidence in governance by private investors, increase in corruption and poverty, various dramatic events especially the technological change in the world economy on the one hand, and the growing discontent of the people, manifestation of grassroots mobilisation and increasing pressure of the civil society on the other, a redefinition of the State’s responsibilities was suggested as a strategy for the solution of the some of these problems.
According to the World Bank, this will include strategic selection of the collective actions that States will try to promote, coupled with greater efforts to take the burden off the State, by involving citizens, and communities in the delivery of the collective goods. It observes that for human welfare to be advanced, the State’s capacity defined as the ability to undertake or promote collective actions efficiently must be increased.
The World Development Summit, 1995, talks about “people’s initiatives”, “people empowerment” and “strengthening capacities of the people”. Regarding the objectives of development, it specifically mentions “that empowering people, particularly women, to strengthen their capacities is the main objective of development and its principal resource. Empowerment requires the full participation of people in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of decisions determining the functioning and well-being of societies.”
To ensure the full participation of the people, it is pointed out that the state should provide “a stable legal framework” in accordance with the “Constitution, laws and procedures consistent with international laws and obligations” which promotes, among other things, the encouragement of “partnership with free and representative organisations of civil society, strengthening of the abilities and opportunities of civil society and local communities to develop their own organisations, resources and activities”.
It is apparent that within the given perspectives of the “stable-legal framework”, “strategic selection of collective action” by the State, possible “partnership of the State with civil society and state sponsored initiatives of the civil society to have their own organisations”, certain important dimensions have emerged. These encompass (a) all initiatives, for empowerment of the marginalised groups should, be in accordance with the prescribed rule of the land, (b) the State will selectively co-opt people’s initiatives as and when required and (c) the civil society organisations would play a significant role for empowerment of the marginalised. Besides proactive State intervention, civil societies are going to play an important role in the emerging development discourse with empowerment.