The latest Policy Watch issue explores the theme “Growth with Employment”, challenging the conventional “growth at any cost” model. It offers five diverse articles that promote sustainable, inclusive, and employment-generating development.
The opening article by Arun Maira, former Planning Commission member, critiques India’s recent growth pattern for harming the environment and creating minimal decent employment. He advocates for a Gandhian shift toward local, sustainable development, using rural India as a policy innovation hub. Maira urges policymakers to move from colonial economic models toward Poorna Swaraj based on ethical and ecological reforms.
The second article, by Himakiran Anugula, discusses the natural farming movement in Tamil Nadu, inspired by Dr. Nammalvar. It shows how agro-ecological alternatives to the Green Revolution can lead to resilient, community-led rural economies. Himakiran emphasizes native knowledge, decentralized governance, and rural entrepreneurship, resonating with Maira’s vision.
The third piece presents eight “Triple-E” (Environment, Ecology, Employment) start-ups, supported by the Social Innovation Lab at Pune International Centre. These businesses—from sanitary pad recycling to pine needle handicrafts—demonstrate how local entrepreneurship can align with ecological sustainability and job creation.
In the fourth article, Neichute Doulo, a noted social entrepreneur from Nagaland, critiques the government job-dependent economy that disrupted traditional village life. He advocates for shifting aspirations toward entrepreneurship, showcasing the success story of Dili Khekho and D/CAFÉ in Kohima, supported by Doulo’s own organization, Entrepreneur Associates.
Together, these articles envision a new economic model rooted in employment, equity, ecology, and local empowerment.
Policy Watch: Growth with Employment – September 2024
Send download link to:
