An ice cream vendor walking past a paddy field in Rajgir, Bihar. | Photo credit: RV Moorth
What drives progress and development in the region? Does it result from equal rights granted by the state to citizens, ensuring dignity? Is it based on equal opportunities promoting economic growth? Is it rooted in ownership and a sense of security within the region? Or is it the amalgamation of all these things – social justice, ownership, equality, opportunity and infrastructure – that leads to progress? Can real development materialize when symbolic changes occur without the support of material changes?
These are some of the critical questions explored by Sandipan Baksi and Mrityunjay Pandey in their article ‘Limitations of Social Justice Politics in the Transformation of Rural Bihar’. Their analysis of Bihar reveals a stark contradiction. While the state is well known for its progressive political stance that embraces social justice, dignity and equality; it remains the lowest in the country in terms of socio-economic indicators. Bihar’s per capita income at current prices in 2024–25 was around ₹ 70,000, while for India it was around ₹ 2.05 lakh. Also in terms of Human Development Index (HDI), Bihar ranks lowest at 0.650 compared to India’s 0.685 (2023).
Published – 28 Apr 2026 08:30 IST
