It is election season in Bihar. While the Opposition often speaks about the lack of development and industrialisation in the State, in its campaigns, the National Democratic Alliance, which is in power, argues that a change of government will bring back the ‘Jungle Raj’ of the earlier decade.

What makes Bihar one of India’s most underdeveloped States? Is landlockedness a reason for its underdevelopment, as some argue? Here we discuss the question.

Guests: R. Nagaraj, Economist and retired professor from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai; Manindra Nath Thakur, Professor , Centre for Political Studies, JNU, Delhi

Edited and produced by Jude Weston

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