Economic development and employment in Sikkim

About this book

Within the realm of development economics the book is an attempt to search for a right interrelationship amongst community, market and the State for promoting economic growth and to allow the trickle down effect of growth to reach the grass root level. The development process followed in post State hood period shows that serious attempts were made in Sikkim to create new avenues for livelihood outside agriculture without disturbing the rural fabric of the region. The economy is growing at a satisfactory rate, higher than the all India average growth rate. Per capita income stands higher than the all India average. The so called structural change has apparently become prominent. Does it then imply that Sikkim’s economy is moving in Kuznets’ way? Has the reliance on agriculture been reduced substantially? Institutional reforms in terms of agrarian reform have not been initiated in Sikkim. Can we then conclude that high economic growth can be achieved without bringing institutional changes? Has high economic growth led to a strong and resilient manufacturing sector or services? An honest and an unbiased effort has been made to answer these questions so that Sikkim can become a ‘model state’ in North East and in India in the days to come.