Examining the roadblocks to Bihar’s development trajectory

What drives progress and development in a region? Does it stem from the equal rights granted by the state to citizens, ensuring dignity? Does it arise from equal opportunities fostering economic growth? Is it rooted in ownership and a sense of security within the region? Or is it an amalgamation of all these — social justice, ownership, equality, opportunities, and infrastructure — that leads to progress? Can true development materialise when symbolic changes occur without the backing of material changes?

These are some of the critical questions examined by Sandipan Baksi and Mrityunjay Pandey in their article “Limitations of the Politics of Social Justice in Transforming Rural Bihar”. Their analysis of Bihar reveals a stark contradiction. While the State is well known for its progressive political stance that covers social justice, dignity, and equality; in terms of socio-economic indicators, it remains ranked the lowest in the country. Bihar’s per capita income at current prices for 2024–25 was around ₹70,000, while for India it was approximately ₹2.05 lakh. In terms of the Human Development Index (HDI) as well, Bihar ranked the lowest, at 0.650 compared to India’s 0.685 (2023).