Renowned economist, educationist and former University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat — one of India’s foremost scholars on social exclusion and Ambedkarite thought — is in the city for the launch of three books celebrating his 75th birth year: ‘A Life of Ideas: Unveiling Three Scholarly Gems in Honour of Prof Sukhadeo Thorat’.
A member of the Independent Expert Working Group that examined the Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey, Prof. Thorat brings decades of insight into India’s development landscape. He sat down with TNIE’s B Kartheek for a candid conversation on India’s growth model, welfare policy, and the long-term vision outlined in ‘India Rising 2047’ and ‘Telangana Rising 2047’.
India is growing economically, ranking third in PPP and fifth in GDP. Is this prosperity reaching the poor?
In my view, the issue with India’s economic growth is that it has not been inclusive enough of the poor. Although national income is increasing, a large share of this income is going to the rich, while only a very small portion reaches the poor. As a result, the overall count of people living in poverty continues to be significant.
Malnutrition indicators including child mortality and anaemia among children and women remain high. Many poor households continue to live in inadequate housing, especially in slums, with SC and ST communities the worst affected. Growth needs to be pro-poor and inclusive, but insufficient attention has been given to ensuring its benefits reach the poor. It becomes pro-poor only when it generates adequate employment opportunities, which is not happening enough.
Do we need more welfare schemes even if they appear at odds with a growth-driven agenda?
Welfare schemes are necessary but cannot eliminate poverty on their own. They support people who cannot participate in growth, yet the key is that economic growth itself must be pro-poor. When industrial, agricultural or service-sector production rises, the poor should gain through wage work and entrepreneurial opportunities. Growth must include and uplift them, not bypass them.
Vision documents like ‘India Rising 2047’ and ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ outline future ambitions. Where do you see India and Telangana in 20 years?
I believe India and Telangana will continue to experience a relatively high growth rate in national and state income, as both have been maintaining high trend growth rates.
However, Telangana appears more aware of the need for pro-poor growth. Its policies and initiatives seem more focused on the poor and on socially deprived groups like Dalits and Adivasis. At the national level, I am not equally confident about the awareness about the pro-poor character of growth.
What makes you feel Telangana is more conscious of poverty in its growth strategy?
The policy approach is different. At the national level, the focus is primarily on growth-alone strategy but what we need is a “growth-plus” approach — growth that increases the incomes and employment of the poor.
This requires deliberate planning. There are no Five-Year Plans as such now. The ministries are determining development policies, and NITI Aayog remains the only advisory body.
Your works ‘Confronting Caste Exclusion’ and ‘Economic Casteism’ will be released on November 16. Have you studied social conditions in Telangana?
I have studied educational conditions in Telangana as part of my research, and the findings show that educational attainment among Scheduled Castes (SCs) remains relatively low compared with higher castes. This gap is even wider for those who are economically disadvantaged. In this context, enrolment refers to the proportion of SC students entering schools, colleges, and universities.
How can the education gap be addressed?
At the primary level, SC and higher-caste enrolment rates do not differ significantly. The gaps begin at the secondary and higher secondary stages and widen further at graduation and postgraduate levels.
This is largely due to high dropouts at these levels. Dropouts are partly due to poverty, low household income and low economic support from the government, including lack of academic support. The SC/ST students need additional academic support to overcome their deficiencies, as more SC students attend government schools with weaker educational foundations. Other steps are also needed. This includes strengthening an increasing amount of post-matric scholarship and enhancing the income limit and ensuring timely disbursal.
The state should provide hostels in every college so that poor students can continue their studies. It should recognise that private schools and colleges often charge high fees, making them inaccessible to meritorious Dalit students — therefore, full financial support should be provided to those admitted to private institutions.
Offering remedial coaching for students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds is also necessary.