C. H. Hanumantha Rao and Hans Linnemann (eds). Economic Reforms and Poverty Alleviation in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1996. 271 pages. Hardbound, Indian Rs 350.00; paperback, Indian Rs 195.00.

The book under review is an edited collection of eight paperspresented at a seminar on “Structural Adjustment and Poverty in India:Policy and Research Issues”, and is Volume 17 in the Indo-Dutch studieson Development Alternatives. The book evaluates the impact of economicreforms on poverty alleviation in India. In the “Introduction”, theeditors describe the main theme of the book and propose some policymeasures for poverty alleviation in the light of the findings of thepapers included in the book. The paper, “Structural Adjustment inIndia—What about Poverty Alleviation?”, by Pieter A. van Stuijvenberg,evaluates the impact of India’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) onthe poor and suggests some policy corrections to mitigate the adverseeffects of this adjustment on the poor. He observes an improvement inthe balance-of-payments position and foreign exchange reserves without asimultaneous fall in gross domestic product under the SAP. His majorconcerns are the large size and composition of fiscal deficits(dominated by revenue deficits). The large size of fiscal deficits,according to van Stuijvenberg, drive up real interest rates and endangerinvestment-led growth. He observes that social indicators of the socialsafety net, employment, and rural development programmes have notimproved much due to expenditure cuts on rural infrastructuralinvestments. He suggests a reduction in the size and composition of thepublic sector, elimination of all explicit and implicit subsidies, anddiscouraging rent-seeking behaviour for a successful implementation ofeconomic reforms.