Political Economy ofDevelopment in India

This subject is not offered in 2016.

170 Hours

Exposure to economic development issues

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject is aimed at understanding the process of economic development by first critically reviewing major theories/perspectives/paradigms of economic development and second by deeply engaging with the Indian development experience over the last six decades. This approach allows us to appreciate why India chose the development strategy and subsequent policies at the time of its founding, what were the ideological, historical, and institutional roots of such strategies, how they differed from other countries in Latin America and East Asia, and how and why India has adjusted its economic policies and ideological moorings to contemporary globalization. Development, despite its shared goal of social transformation by way of reforms in policies and institutions, suggests that there is no single path of attaining it. The development outcomes, as the Indian case illustrates, are products of history, institutions, and the ongoing evolution of the structures of the world economy.

On completion of this subject, students should:

• be able to critically assess wide-ranging theoretical perspectives on economic development

• be knowledgeable about how economic development is practiced in diverse national institutional contexts and thus the multiple paths to development and policy choices

• have a deep understanding and appreciation of India undergoing major economic and social transformation

• be able to apply the concepts and policy experiences to other developing countries

• be able to undertake critical independent research

• A 2000 word essay, to compare India’s development strategy/policy choice with another country of choice, (40%) due during the intensive teaching period.
• A second essay of 3000 words, devoted to a thematic issue on Indian development, (60%), due in the examination period.

Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

• Cypher, James M. and Dietz, James L. 2014, The Process of Economic Development, London: Routledge. (4th Edition, forthcoming)
• Kapila, Uma (ed) 2010. India's Economic Development Since 1947, 2009-10, Delhi: Academic Foundation.
• Dreze, Jean And Amartya Sen 2013. An Uncertain Glory: India and Its Contradictions, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Critically analyze theory and empirical details;

• Express ideas and arguments effectively both in written and oral forms;

• Develop research skills.