Area-Based Development: Planning for Backward Area

Let us begin with a simple yet important question: What do we mean by a ‘backward area’?

In everyday language, a backward area might seem like a place that lags behind others in development—no factories, poor infrastructure, low incomes. But when we study this concept through the lens of regional planning, especially in India’s planning history, we realize that this idea has evolved over time.

Traditional Concept of Backwardness

In the 1950s to 70s, backwardness was largely understood in techno-economic terms.

• If an area had no industry, few roads, low electricity supply, or fewer industrial workers, it was labeled backward.
• Think of parameters like per capita income, industrial output, and transport facilities—all quantifiable and infrastructure-based.
• So, industrial backwardness = regional backwardness. That was the mindset.

But this approach was functionally rigid. Why?

Because it assumed that all development must be industrial. It did not capture the social or ecological complexities that make an area truly lagging.

Example: An area might have factories but still be socially backward due to caste exploitation or poor education levels.

The Challenge of Defining Backwardness

Even today, India doesn’t have a precise definition of what constitutes a backward area. This is a core problem in planning—because unless you know what is backward and why, you can’t plan its development.

Initially, the concern for regional disparity was expressed qualitatively—not through solid data but through observation and broad concern, especially in the First Phase of Indian Planning (till mid-1960s).

Institutional Efforts in the 1960s

To bring structure, the Planning Commission (PC) recommended industrial promotion in backward areas. But decisive steps came in 1968, when the National Development Council (NDC) intervened.

Two committees were formed:

✅ 1. Pande Committee

• Task: To develop criteria and identify industrially backward districts.
• Aim: Enable targeted incentives to encourage industries.

✅ 2. Wanchoo Committee

• Task: To recommend financial and fiscal incentives.
• Suggestions included:
  • Excise duty subsidies
  • Transport subsidies
  • Concessional finance
  • Easier imports of scarce raw materials

But again, the focus was still heavily industrial. So, backwardness = lack of industry continued to dominate the narrative.

Limitations of Techno-Economic Measures

Relying solely on industrial indicators ignores several other critical factors:

• Cultural aspects (e.g., tribal practices)
• Social inequalities (e.g., caste, gender)
• Historical neglect
• Administrative inefficiencies

Hence, measuring backwardness only in industrial terms is an incomplete approach—especially for a diverse country like India.

Backward Area Development in Contemporary Times

Today, the concept of backwardness has become multidimensional. It’s no longer just about machines and roads.

✅ What’s included now?

• Social backwardness
  • Poor education, unfavorable sex ratio, social exploitation
• Agricultural backwardness
  • Low productivity, rain-dependent farming
• Cultural and institutional barriers

Modern Strategies for Development: Beyond Industry

1. Agriculture-based development
   • Particularly useful in resource-rich rural areas
2. Non-crop based activities
   • Like livestock, forestry, or sericulture
3. Drought-resistant agriculture
   • Especially in peninsular interiors facing subsistence farming issues
4. Integrated development
   • Rather than standalone industrial policies, today’s backward area programs are part of broader umbrellas like:
     • Rural Development
     • Poverty Alleviation
     • Employment Generation
     • Agricultural Modernisation

✅ Key Message

Backwardness is no longer a one-dimensional industrial issue. It is multifaceted, and its treatment must be equally diverse.

Just like a doctor doesn’t prescribe the same medicine to every patient, planners today cannot use a “one-size-fits-all” industrial strategy for all backward regions. The approach must be area-specific, socially inclusive, and ecologically sensitive.