India’s Trajectory Amid Global Changes
Over the last two decades, global economic changes due to globalization have had both short and long-term effects on countries, including India.   

Nations are striving to strengthen their economies, forming alliances like SAARC, EU, ASEAN, G-8, G-20, and BRICS. Understanding neighbors’ developmental processes is crucial, especially for developing countries facing competition within the limited economic space of the developing world, with a keen focus on Comparative Economic Development. 

India’s developmental strategies differed  with its neighbors, Pakistan and China, which will be compared in this article, with a specific focus on Comparative Economic Development. Despite abundant natural resources, India differs politically as the world’s largest democracy with a secular constitution. Contrasted are Pakistan’s militarist structure and China’s command economy, moving slowly toward democracy and liberal economic restructuring, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 

 Analyzing Developmental Trajectories of India, Pakistan, and China Since the Late 1940s

• Inaugural Similarities: Emphasizing the Significance of Comparative Economic Development. 
  • The three nations—India, Pakistan, and China—share similarities in their developmental strategies, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 
  • In a speech at that time, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “These new and revolutionary changes in China and India, even though they differ in content, symbolize the new spirit of Asia and new vitality which is finding expression in the countries in Asia.”
• Commencement in the Late 1940s: They all began their developmental paths around the same time, with India and Pakistan gaining independence in 1947 and China establishing the People’s Republic in 1949, setting the stage for a Comparative Economic Development analysis.
• Commonality in Developmental Strategies: Initially, they followed similar planning approaches with Five Year Plans, and today, Pakistan is on its 12th Five Year Development Plan (2018–23), while China is on its 14th (2021–25), inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 
  • India and Pakistan had similar strategies, emphasizing a large public sector and increased public expenditure on social development, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 
• Comparative Economic Development Growth and Global Standing:
  • Till the 1980s, all these 3 nations had comparable growth rates and per capita incomes. 
  • However, their global standing today is at a different level, mainly as a result of the differential economic path followed by these nations, underscoring the pivotal role of Comparative Economic Development in shaping their current international positions.

Let’s first delve into the historical paths of China and Pakistan, with a specific emphasis on Comparative Economic Development:

China: Journey from Establishment to Rapid Growth

• State Control in Post-Establishment China: After the People’s Republic was established, China brought critical sectors, enterprises, and lands under government control, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region.
• The Great Leap Forward (GLF):(1958): It aimed at massive industrialization, but it faced challenges like severe drought and conflicts with Russia, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 
• The Cultural Revolution (1966–76): It was initiated under which students and professionals were sent to learn from the countryside, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 

Wagah Border is not only a tourist place but also used for trade between India and Pakistan

• Economic Reforms in Post-1978 China: 
  • In 1978, reforms started, initially in agriculture, foreign trade, and investment, later extending to the industrial sector. 
  • Private and collective enterprises were allowed, and state-owned enterprises faced competition, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region. 
• Economic Incentives and Foreign Investment: Dual pricing and special economic zones attracted foreign investors, contributing to China’s current rapid industrial growth, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region.

Pakistan’s Economic Landscape

• Mixed Economy: Similar to India, Pakistan adopted a mixed economy model with public and private sectors. 
• Import Substitution: In the late 1950s and 1960s, it introduced a regulated policy framework for import substitution-based industrialization, inviting a closer examination of Comparative Economic Development in the region.
• The Green Revolution,  a transformative agricultural period, had substantial implications for Comparative Economic Development: It led to mechanization, increased public investment, and changed the agrarian structure. 
• Transition in Economic Policy: 
  • In the 1970s, capital goods industries were nationalized, 
  • but in the late 1970s and 1980s, there was a shift towards denationalization and encouraging the private sector. 
•  Economic Reinforcement  in Pakistan: Financial support from Western nations and remittances from emigrants along with 1980s reforms created a conducive climate for new investments , showcasing a key aspect of Comparative Economic Development in the country’s economic landscape.

Comparison of India, China, and Pakistan, Exploring the Intersection with Comparative Economic Development

Let’s break down the comparison of demographic indicators for India, China, and Pakistan with a Focus on Comparative Economic Development: 

Population Distribution

• India and China collectively account for one-third of the global population.
• Pakistan’s population is significantly smaller, approximately one-tenth of China or India.

Geographical Factors

• China, despite being the largest nation geographically, has the lowest population density among the three, its intricate relationship with Comparative Economic Development.

Demographic Indicators 2017 – 18

Population Growth

• Pakistan exhibits the highest population growth, followed by India and then China.
• China’s lower population growth is attributed to the one-child norm introduced in the late 1970s, resulting in demographic implications.

Sex Ratio

• The sex ratio is low and biased against females in all three countries.
• Scholars attribute this to prevailing son preference.
• Recent measures in all three countries aim to address and improve the skewed sex ratio.

Fertility Dynamics and Comparative Economic Development:

• China has a low fertility rate, influenced by the one-child norm.
• Pakistan, in contrast, has a very high fertility rate within the Context of Comparative Economic Development
  Urbanization

• China has a high level of urbanization.
• India has 34% of its population living in urban areas.

Population Aging

• China, due to the one-child norm, faces a future scenario with more elderly people relative to young people.

As a response, China has relaxed its one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children.

Conclusion
The comparative analysis of demographic indicators for India, China, and Pakistan unveils distinctive patterns influencing their economic trajectories, emphasizing the interconnected nature of demographics and Comparative Economic Development.
In essence, a holistic understanding of demographic indicators and their intersection with Comparative Economic Development is essential for policymakers and analysts alike.

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