Social Sector Development and Economic Growth in India, 1990-1991 to 2017-2018

This paper studies the impact of the development of social sector on the long-run economic growth in the Indian states during 1990-1991 to 2017-2018. It is observed that different States in India are not only spending unequally on social sector activities, but also are giving unequal importance to different components constituting the social sector. This has widened a disparity in the level of social sector development which might have led to an inequality in the human resource development and consequential disproportionate economic growth across the Indian States. The findings of this study have predicted a convergence in the social sector development across the Indian States. In this perspective, the findings of long-run analysis support the existence of an equilibrium relationship between social sector development and economic growth in the country. In addition, public expenditure on the sub-sectors such as family welfare and medical and public health, housing and urban development, water supply and sanitation, and social security and welfare have been found to exert a positive impact on the economic growth of Indian states in the long-run. The findings are critical for the policy circle designing programmes and schemes for the development of social sector to ensure inclusive growth.