Book Description

"This is a very learned and well-written book." --Economic Development and Cultural Change "The Economy is remarkable for its wide sweep encompassing both micro and macro aspects, depth of scholarship covering not only economics but also other social sciences, command over economic theory, and grasp of empirical facts on the Indian economy at various levels. It owes its origin to C. T. Kurien's disenchantment, as a teacher, with mainstream economic theory, for understanding reality and as a guide for policy formulation. As a committed teacher and scholar, Kurien grapples with the meaningful approach to an economic theory relevant to understanding the Indian economy. . . . The book gains in value against the background of euphoria of the new economic policy among ruling circles. All those who are interested in understanding the Indian economy and in shaping its future for the benefit of the masses will find the reading of this book quite rewarding." --Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics While economics as a field of study has made tremendous advances in recent decades in terms of rigor and expository elegance, it has also tended to become increasingly isolated from the complexities of everyday reality. This volume shows that in order to understand any economy it is necessary to bring together, in as concrete a manner as possible, the underlying interconnections concerning the manner in which resources are owned and controlled, the ways they are combined with labor to produce goods and services, and the procedures of distributing goods and services among the populace. In Part I, Kurien discusses the functioning of all types of economies, both past and present. In the second part, he provides an analytical description of the working of the Indian economy in terms of its diverse basic units. Special attention is paid to the growing affluence of a small section in the economy and the continuing poverty of many millions. "A unique, rigorous, and lucid exposition of the theoretical discussion of Indian economy. . . . This book is of interest not only to economists but also to students and scholars from all disciplines." --Finance India "The first part of this very learned and well-written book consists of a conceptual discussion based on the three questions fundamental to any economy: Who owns what? Who does what? and Who gets what? . . . The second part is devoted to a history and analysis of the Indian economy. . . . Kurien paints an attractive picture of this 'post-capitalist,' more egalitarian alternative to capitalism. . . . It is a civilized and humane vision. It is important not to lose slight of it, for it gives a sense of direction, although its feasibility may be questioned, as Kurien himself realizes." --Paul Streeten, review in Economic Development and Cultural Change