India’s Growth in Nehru Era
The formation of the planning commission in 1950 and the death in office of J.L Nehru in 1964 marks the Nehru era, which served as the base for growth that transformed a stagnant colonial enclave. Upon analysing data, we find formidable evidence not only of resurgent growth but also of a lasting transformation of a stagnant colonial enclave into an economy capable of sustained growth. However, in the public sphere, there is an unusual degree of interest in the Nehru era. Much of this is negative which is buoyed by the extraordinary current rates of growth of the Indian economy, so much so that Das and Srinivasan termed it as “wasted past”. Moreover, a positive charge for support comes from a more academic direction. The year of 1950 marks a watershed as far as economic growth is concerned. The post-colonial economic policy aimed to make a break from the immediate past. Looking at the relationship between public policy and economic growth in the Nehru era serves t...