Tamil Nadu Through A Data Prism

Do you know that Tamil Nadu's economy was second from the bottom in the 1950s? Today, Tamil Nadu is second from the top and some of its achievements are compared to that of Scandinavian countries. This is a phenomenal transformation story.

- Suresh Sambandam

Tamil Nadu is able to achieve this massive transformation only because it did not take a very narrow view of growth confined to "economy" alone. Tamil Nadu pursued growth in two key dimensions A) Economic Growth B) Social Growth. More importantly Tamil Nadu balanced these two axes without becoming overly capitalistic or overly socialistic. When in doubt, the state always chose the programs that were more human centric.

The state consistently uplifts its citizens by ensuring quality education, health, and economic growth. Tamil Nadu also has the legacy of promoting social justice and equality by implementing new initiatives and progressive projects to achieve socio-economic development. The beauty of Tamil Nadu's development lies in its inclusivity of marginalised people, irrespective of caste, religion, and gender. More importantly Tamil Nadu excessively and obsessedly implements programs for women upliftment.

This article uses metries from Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to showcase Tamil Nadu's growth model.

POVERTY

Tamil Nadu took various steps to reduce poverty steadily. As a result of this, Tamil Nadu is now one of the richest states in India. The Multidimensional Poverty Index of NITI Aayog's 2023 report showed that Tamil Nadu has a poverty rate of 4.9%, which is more than five times better than India's national average of 25%.

ZERO HUNGER

India, despite being the largest food-producing country, faces severe food insecurities. According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2023, India is in the alarming rank of 111 out of 125 countries. When it comes to examining the Indian states in terms of combating hunger, Tamil Nadu performed well compared to other big states. The State Hunger Index (SHI)³-2023 report showed that Tamil Nadu is on a moderate scale with a score of 19.73.

HEALTH