For all the limitations of gross domestic product (GDP) growth - and the urgent need to improve various aspects of quality of life in India - pointed out by Subir Roy in his column "High growth is no panacea" (Value for Money, December 17) it is necessary to mention three points. (a) GDP growth rate remains a handy and useful measure of financial achievement; (b) GDP growth in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries cannot but slow down further and bring down the world average to well below the 3.3 per cent forecast for 2015 over the next few years - as a result of which India must necessarily focus more on its potentially huge internal market (as already pointed out eloquently by Raghuram Rajan) and that (c) India's per capita emissions are so low compared to the OECD countries and even China that there can be no question of India accepting any emission cap in the next 20 years or so.
Alok Sarkar Kolkata
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