‘States can play key role in economic growth’

PATNA: Experts at a webinar organised jointly by the International Growth Centre of London School of Economics and Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) on Friday said an effective state with strong and inclusive institutions was a primary requisite for sustaining economic growth.

The participants observed that to have inclusive growth, states need to be strengthened so that they are both accountable for delivering inclusive public services and in designing and implementing effective services and policies as necessary. Understanding why states are less effective is a critical first step, but finding solutions to strengthen states’ capabilities is also essential to generate higher rates of inclusive growth, they said.

In the first session of the webinar, Drew Cameron (Yale) said there is a growing demand in Bihar to have access to municipal water systems, but the state is still not able to reach every household. Emily Pakhtigian (Penn State) observed that women and men demonstrate different sanitation preferences. “Eomen are more willing to have preference on sanitation,” Pakhtigian said.

Uma Sarmistha (Florida) highlighted the positive aspect of door-to-door garbage collection and said around 50% people are willing to contribute for change in Patna. She suggested that a long-lasting sustainability can be achieved through awareness programmes at the individual, household and ward levels.

In the second session, Ashmita Gupta (ADRI) highlighted the low female labour force participation in India. Clément Imbert (Warwick) pointed out that the rate of participation by women in the formal labour force is very low. “In the post- Covid 19 period (first wave), women dropped out of the workforce taking up more domestic work, while men took up informal work,” Gupta said.

Deepshikha Batheja shared evidence from Bihar that it is not costly for firms to hire women, especially in male-dominated workplaces with adverse gender norms.

Neelanjan Sircar (Ashoka University, Delhi) said it is important to reduce costs of transportation. “Investment in safe, cheap, efficient transport for female workers would improve the female labour force participation,” Sircar said.

Harjot Kaur Bamhrah of Women Development Corporation, Bihar said the state lags behind in women’s literacy rate, where only 61% of women have ever attended a school. “Digital literacy should be prioritized for women,” she said.

ADRI member secretary P P Ghosh gave a vote of thanks.