Explain ‘growth with equity’ as a planning objective.

Both growth and equity are dual objectives of Indian planning. While growth refers to the increase in national income over a long period of time, equity refers to an equitable distribution of this income so that the benefits of higher economic growth can be passed on to all sections of the population to bring about social justice. Growth is desirable but growth in itself does not guarantee the welfare of society. Growth is assessed by the market value of goods and services produced in the economy (GDP) and it does not guarantee an equitable distribution of income. In other words, the major share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) might be owned by a small proportion of the population, which may result in the exploitation of weaker sections of society. Hence, growth with equity is a rational and desirable objective of planning. This objective ensures that the benefits of high growth are shared by all the people equally and hence, inequality of income is reduced along with growth in income. read less