Regional disparity refers to the significant imbalance in economic and social development across different geographical regions. It represents the widening inter-state and intra-state gap in terms of per capita income, industrialization, and basic infrastructure.
Reasons Behind Regional Disparity in India
Colonial “Presidency” bias (Bombay, Bengal, Madras).
Geographical Constraints- Landlocked nature of Bihar.
Uneven distribution of resources
Green Revolution Bias- focus limited to Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP.
Infrastructural Gaps- North East India
Varying literacy rates and skill levels (e.g., Kerala vs. Bihar).
Political instability in some states deterred long-term investment.
Difference Between Regional Disparity and Diversity
Seriousness of Regional Disparity in India
Political disparity
80 MPs from UP vs 29 from Kerala and only 2 from Sikkim
MP from Bihar represents twice as much people as that of TN
Economic Disparity
The per capita income of Goa or Sikkim is nearly 5-7 times higher than that of Bihar
Nearly 60% of India’s FDI is concentrated in just three states- Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
Infrastructure deficit in poorer regions like North-East, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
Health Outcomes- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Kerala (approx. 6) is comparable to developed nations, while in Madhya Pradesh, it is above 40.
Internal Migration- over 9 million+ workers migrate annually from the “BIMARU” belt to the South and West. They face
Poor quality of living. Eg- dharavi slums
Exclusion from welfare schemes
Violence and discrimination. Eg- son of soil movement in Maharashtra
Internal Security- The “Red Corridor” overlaps with regions of high relative deprivation and resource exploitation.
Urbanization Imbalance- States like Tamil Nadu are over 50% urbanized, while Bihar remains over 85% rural – disparate access to modern services.
Service sector which contribute 55% of GDP is concentrated in metros like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, excluding tier 2 and their 3 cities
Steps Taken
Aspirational Districts Programme
Income Distance Criterion (45% weightage) under Finance commission devolution
North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme
PM Gram Sadak Yojana
Addressing disparities requires cooperative federalism, targeted infrastructure, and human capital investment.