The four major states of South India, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have led the country in technology and investment. The high literacy rate has produced skilled manpower and good health care for all. Tamil Nadu probably leads the region in investment and manufacturing while Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have become the hub for IT (Information Technology). Kerala has a high potential for tourism but lags in actual investment. Incidentally, Kerala has given India some very talented civil servants. Politically, South appears to be a little less corrupt compared to North and East India. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam and the current Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram are prime examples of that. South has produced the father of modern India, P V Narasimha Rao as well as N Chandrababu Naidu, the charismatic former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
India Today (September 22, 2008) has carried a report on the State of the States and contradicts my observation. According to Shankkar Aiyar the South is stalling. Besides making a statement that the investment is eluding in South, Aiyar does not provide a compelling argument. Law and order situation appears to be much better in South compared to any other region, specially North and East. Power situation is probably better in South than anywhere else. Infrastructure in general is better down South. Even the politicians appear to be a shade better. India Today’s economists, Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari acknowledge that Southern India is much better governed compared to North, which is considered the heart of India. Uttar Pradesh has provided most of the Prime Ministers to Independent India, whereas South has provided only two. On the other hand Southern Chief Ministers have converted the region into the ‘Welfare States’. South appears far more stable!
Filed under: Indian Politics Tagged: | Andhra Pradesh, Bibek Debroy, East India, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, Former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Former President APJ Abdul Kalam, India Today, Information Technology, IT, Karnataka, Kerala, Laveesh Bhandari, N Chandrababu Naidu, P V Narasimha Rao, Prime Ministers, September 22nd 2008, Shankkar Aiyar, South India, Southern Chief Ministers, Southern India, State of the States, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Welfare States
