Economists over the years have been grappling with different models of economic development for reducing poverty, focusing on one over the other. Tamil Nadu, one of India’s states, which is larger than several countries in both geographic and population aspects, has been making significant strides in reducing poverty throughout the state.
In this blog, I would like to highlight the outstanding success achieved in several areas when compared to two other economically well-off Indian states, Maharashtra and Gujarat. I would like to present various indicators of measurement comparing these three states.
| Indicators/State | Maharashtra | Tamil Nadu | Gujarat |
| GDP (Rs) | 25.35 | 14.96 | 8.39 |
| GDP/Capita | 1.3 Lakhs | 1.3 Lakhs | 1.2 Lakhs |
| Multidimensionally poor | 5.48% | 1.43% | 9.03% |
| Social Progress Index | 57.88 | 65.34 | 56.65 |
| Tax revenues (Rs) | 4518 Billion | 3149 Billion | 1796 Billion |
| HDI Rank | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| Road Density (km/km2) | 13.57 | 37.15 | 16.66 |
| Crime rate | 8.8% | 6% | 49% |
| Urbanisation | 45.2% | 48.5% | 42.5% |
| Sex Ratio | 946 | 995 | 918 |
| Tourist arrivals | 121 Million | 348 Million | 42 Million |
| No. of factories | 28K | 36 K | 22 K |
| Electrification | 92% | 98% | 99% |
| Population | 126 Million | 84 Million | 70 Million |
| Geographic area | 307,713 | 130,058 | 196,024 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| IMR per 100 live births | 16 | 16 | 23 |
| Literacy rate | 84.8% | 82.9% | 82.4% |
| Gross Enrolment Ratio | 35.3% | 47% | 24% |
| Average Family Size | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
In this blog, I am presenting only the key indicators for comparison. A table like this is likely to be cited more often to claim that Tamil Nadu is leading in poverty reduction. There are arguments for and against the poverty situation in Tamil Nadu.
I would like readers to share their comments on how they consider this important change taking place in India.
Certainly, I will address this theme in greater detail, as it is part of my understanding of reducing poverty in India.
I was delighted with the quick response I received from several readers of my last blog. I will be sharing much more on our experiences in reducing poverty in India.
As you will get used to seeing the links to my book on reducing poverty, they are given below.
The global paperback version –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1791540597
The global paperback version –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1791540597
The paperback Indian version
https://notionpress.com/read/businessmen-for-the-poor-1330766
Rajaratnam Abel
Rajaratnam Abel 