Why the South outshines the North

It’s been obvious for quite some time now. The southern part of India seems more ‘prosperous’ than the northern part. Inhabitants of southern cities like Bengaluru face up to an increase in population density of 47% in just 10 years. This is equally true of other southern states and cities.

So, why are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu surpassing the rest of India?

What are the indicators of prosperity? Conventionally, a ‘prosperous’ state has a high per capita income and also a high Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), a benchmark of a state’s progress and an indicator of performance, demonstrating how much workers and businesses are better off.

Going by the Wikipedia lists of GSDP of the top 10 Indian states, four of five are from the south viz, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The per capita income marker, associated with positive outcomes, indicates better health, more education and a higher standard of living. A listing of the top 10 states by per capita income shows that Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu make the cut. These two yardsticks are markers of economic prosperity indicating a healthier, wealthier and more secure life for its citizens (Maharashtra and Gujarat from the west are performers on the prosperity indices but several other parameters are examined here as well).

Analysing Indian states by ‘crime rate’ shows that only two southern states — Tamil Nadu and Kerala — figure on a list of ‘top ten’ that gives the total count of registered cognisable crimes under the Indian Penal Code and the special and local laws. Possibly, a low crime rate in these states adds to the allure of stability and livability.

This wasn’t true at the time of independence. As far as development and economic prosperity are concerned, southern states were not always the leaders that they presently are. The reasons for their performance aren’t obvious though each state followed its own path and obviously did something correct.

Tamil Nadu’s midday meal scheme stands out as a programme designed to better the nutritional standing of schoolchildren. Feeding students a free lunch at government schools in Tamil Nadu resulted in a rise in admissions. The state today boasts huge high school enrollment gains — a major advance in education.

In neighbouring Kerala, there were major advances in health when compared to other states. The state is far ahead in infant mortality, maternal mortality and also in longevity due to its good infrastructure of primary healthcare sprinkled with several private hospitals and a very good government public healthcare delivery system.

Similarly, Karnataka has become known for the growth of Bengaluru as a global technology hub, accounting for a major portion of the total IT exports from India. Known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and also the ‘startup capital of India’, the city is home to 44% of all Indian unicorn startup companies as of 2020.

Considering the Census 2011 figures about the growth in India’s population, all five south Indian states figure on a list with the lowest growth rate: TN is the best performer with just 6.03% compared to Bihar’s 12.16% — India’s highest. Coming to infant mortality rates, an indicator that can’t be easily fudged, the 2019 Census shows Kerala as the best performer with 6 deaths per 1,000 births, compared to Madhya Pradesh’s 46 deaths — the worst in India. Other southern states are closer to Kerala.

Conventional wisdom indicates that a person from the southern states will have a larger chance of survival given the low infant mortality rate, will have better access to childhood nutrition considering the various midday meal schemes, will find hospitals and doctors more easily in case of sickness, will go to school and college, given the strides in health and education, and subsequently find work in the IT industry, leading a healthier, wealthier a more comfortable and secure life.

The gap between rich and poor states is widening. So, what about the consequences? Already, the prosperity and lower population rate in southern states are leading to a southerner paying more taxes on a per-capita basis akin to punishment for performance. For government services and welfare schemes, a northerner expects the same benefits as a southerner, only the citizen from the less populous south gets taxed more on a per-capita basis.

This problem has no easy solution, but it’s high time we started giving it the attention it deserves.

(The writer is former ED and Member, Board of Directors, BEML)