Dear Professors and Research Scholars,
CALL FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
for a book entitled
“Economic Impact of State Reorganisation in India”
By
Dr.P.Arunachalam
Professor and Head
Department of Applied Economics,
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-22.
Last date: December 31, 2013
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight States and seven Union Territories. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India’s states and territories organising them along linguistic lines. Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India in 1947. The Act came into effect at the same time as the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, which (among other things) restructured the constitutional framework for India's existing states.
The present government’s decision to divide Andhra Pradesh to carve out a new state has evoked a mixed response across the country. If formed, Telangana will be India’s 29th state. While those opposing the move have taken to streets venting their anger, others have raised demand for smaller states in their areas too. Clearly, on one hand, the Telangana-proposal has ignited demand for separate statehoods of other groups. At the same time, many regional leaders are against their states being divided into smaller states. The only leader, who has voiced support for formation of smaller states, is former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. However, except Uttar Pradesh (UP), which during the Mayawati-led BSP government proposed to create four states, as Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal, Pashchimanchal and Avadh Pradesh, dividing the country’s most populous province, no state government has given any recommendation for carving out a new state. At present, demonstrations in favour of smaller states have gained momentum in several areas. These include Bodoland from Assam, Gorkhaland from West Bengal, Vidharbha from Maharashtra and Saurashtra from Gujarat, among several others. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee has strongly rejected demand for division of West Bengal to carve out Gorkhaland. Similarly, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has ruled out prospects of J&K being divided for creation of Jammu as a separate state and union territory status for Laddakh. Agitations in northeastern India for separate states have assumed serious proportions. Several tribal groups have reinforced their demand for Bodoland in western Assam and state of Karbi Anglong, at present an autonomous district in Assam. The Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) has demanded a separate tribal state for 33 percent population of tribals in Tripura. It is feared that tension sparked by these agitations can assume dangerous proportions for northeastern India. It may be recalled that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government justified the creation of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in 2000 by pointing to their economic development. There was also a demand raised for dividing Tamil Nadu into two. Indian ‘model’ of federalism has several marked differences from the classical federal models one finds in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable difference has been the unilateral power of the union parliament to reorganize the political structure of the country by forming new states and to alter the areas, boundaries or names of existing sates. Despite having the constitutional power, overwhelming concern for nationbuilding and economic reconstruction based on the development planning model, initially dissuaded the national leadership from conceding to demands for the creation of smaller regional states. Even states formed based on language, an accepted basis of the formation of independent nation-states in 19th century Europe. Only after India witnessed popular unrest, were linguistic states created in the late fifties and sixties, and this process remained incomplete. The longstanding demands for the smaller states like Vidarbha, Saurashtra, Telangana, and Jharkhand remained in limbo. In this book an attempt would be made to bring out the arguments for and against reorganisation of states in India from an economic point of view. It is only an academic work deals with the reality of the current situation and the would be impact of reorganisation of states in the near future.
Contents: History behind reorganisation, ideology behind small states, need for small states, advantages and disadvantages of small states, its social impact, its political impact, its impact on income, employment, investment and agriculture, comparison of the performance of small and large sates, constitution and reorganisation, problems of languishing minorities, rural urban disparities, concentration of wealth and infrastructural facilities in capital cities, major movements for separate states, any other items related to reorganisation of states in India and suggestions.
About Arunachalam
Dr. P.Arunachalam is the Professor and Head, Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi-22, Kerala State, India. He has twenty four years of Teaching and Research Experiences. He took his UG Degree from St.Xaviers College, Palayamkottai, PG Degree from Loyola College, Madras, a world-renowned college in Southern India, affiliated to Madras University and M.Phil and Ph.D Degrees from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala State. Pondicherry University, a Central University, Awarded him Doctoral Fellowship in the year 1988. He joined as Lecturer, Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology in the year 1989, become Reader in the year 1997 and Professor in the year 2005. He was Awarded Post Doctoral Training Fellowship by the NUFFIC (Netherlands Council for Co-Operation in Higher Education, Government of Netherlands) for Six Times under SEPTRA-MHO-Programme between the Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Development Research Institute (IVO), Tilburg University, the Netherlands during the period 1999 to 2004. Part of his Research Training Programme, he visited France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, England, Switzerland, Srilanka, Singapore, USA and most of the Gulf countries. He is specialized in Quantitative Techniques and International Economics. He is teaching Business Statistics at Master of Business Economics (M.B.E) level and Quantitative Techniques at M.Phil level. He was a member of the Academic Council, CUSAT from April 2004 to April 2007. He is a visiting Faculty Member of Many Universities and academic colleges in South India. He is a Member of several Academic and Professional Bodies at National and International Levels. He has done a Minor Project on “India’s Spices Exports to the Netherlands” under UGC Un-Assigned grant and jointly done a major project on “Global Based Commodity Chain: with Special Reference to Cardamom” funded by NUFFIC through Development Research Institute, Tilburg University, the Netherlands, with Dr.WimPelupessey, Senior Economist, IVO, Tilburg University, the Netherlands. He did his Ph.D work on “India’s Engineering Goods Exports: Growth, Concentration and Diversification. He has to his credit more than 125 Research Articles in various reputed journals and magazines and textbooks. Participated as a resource person and also presented research papers in more than 170 National and International Conferences, Workshops, Symposiums and Seminars. He has produced 8 Ph.Ds and guided 30 M.Phil scholars and 12 more students are doing Ph.D under his supervision. Now he is doing a major research work on “Digital Economy of India: Privacy and Security”. Earlier he had been selected for the Professor Post in the Department of Economics, Bharathiyar University, and Coimbatore. He is a recognized Ph.D research supervisor to Mahatma Ghandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala and Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Member academic audit, P.S.G Krishnammal Women’s College, Coimbatore. He has authored two books and edited 15 books. They are (1) “Special Economic Zones in India: Principles, Problems and Prospects” and another one is entitled, (2) “The Economic Impact of Identity Theft in India”. He has edited 15 books. (3) “Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Concerns of Special Economic Zones in India: An International Experience”. (4) “Inclusive Growth in India”. (5) “Global Financial Crisis: Its Impact on Indian Economy”. (6) “Special Economic Zones in India: China’s way of Development”. (7) “International Marketing and Trade Policy” (8) Financial Business Intelligence and Management. (9) Inclusive Growth in Economic Development, (10) Micro Credit and Rural Poor Empowerment Vol - I (11) Micro Credit and Rural Poor Empowerment and Vol - II, (12). Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and Poverty in India, (13) India - ASEAN Free Trade Agreement Challenges and Opportunities, (14) Economic Impact of Political Empowerment of women in India, (15) Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Indian Economy, Global Research Publications, New Delhi, (16) Retail Business in India. (17). Micro-Finance Management, Serials Publications, New Delhi. (18) Arunachalam,P. (2011), Indian Economy and Trade, (19) Arunachalam,P.(2011), Indian Economy and Human Resource Development, (20) Arunachalam,P.(2011), Economic Management with special Reference to Indian Economy, (21) Arunachalam and Rajarajan (2012) Digital Economy of India: Security and Privacy Serials Publications, New Delhi ISBN: 978-81-8387-534-9
He is the Guest Editor of the “Journal Indian Development Review”, Serials Publications, New Delhi. He is editor of two International Journals 1. The International Journal on “International Marketing and Trade Policy” of Serials, New Delhi and 2.International Journal of Financial Business Intelligence and Management of Serials, New Delhi.
He is University Grants Commission NET Panel Member from 2004 onwards. He is also a SET Panel Member, Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore. Board of Studies Member, Department of Economics, St.Xaviers College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu. Member of Reformers Advisory Board, Reformers Business School, Indore (MP) The Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Department of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith University, Australia has nominated him as one of the referees to make comments on SEZ research work papers. Member Editorial Advisory Board for the journal 'SNS Journal of Finance 'SNS Business School, SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore. Member, Board of Studies for M.A Coastal Resource Economics and Management, M.S. University, Tirunelveli.Member, Editorial Board, MVJ Management Review, Bangalore.Member of a Reviewer Committee, International Research Journal of Management and Business Studies.Member of a Reviewer Committee, Member, Greenology of Dr. Keoy Kay Hooi, Alan,UCSI University, Malaysia. He is one of the associate editors of journal “SPEAR”, Pope’s College, Sawyerpuram- 682 251, He is a life member of Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. He is a Member as Partner in Rajarajan’s Digital Identity Management, City University, London, United Kingdom. Member, Editorial Board, Asian Research Consortium.
Dr.P.Arunachalam,
