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Review Papers | Architecture & Planning | India | Volume 14 Issue 3, March 2025 | Popularity: 5.2 / 10
Gandhian Economic Model of Development and Its Relevance in 21st Century: A Review
Ashish Kelkar
Abstract: There is hardly any aspect of human life which is untouched by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, who was considered the father of India. Like all his thoughts, Gandhi holds spiritual orientation in his economic conception as well. His economic conception advocates decentralisation, small-scale and cottage industries, economic equality, criticism of capitalism and excess of mechanisation. Gandhi criticised the Western mode of lifestyle based on materialism. Gandhi wanted to reduce the dependency of villages on cities and make them self-reliant and self-sufficient. He pointed out that everyone should earn his/her share of bread after rendering required labour only. His criticism of heavy industrialisation and capitalist economy is driven by the objective to ensure prudent utilisation of natural resources and to avoid the accumulation of wealth/property in the hands of a few. Like the conception of Swaraj, his economic conception also advocates for the upliftment of people at the grassroots level, like communism. Also, in no way did Gandhi wish to snatch away the property of the rich but distribute wealth voluntarily in his concept of trusteeship. In this review paper, various principles of the Gandhian model of economic development, such as critique of heavy mechanisation, trusteeship, decentralisation of the economy, Sarvodaya, Swadeshi, education, environmentalism and rural regeneration, and its relevance in the 21st century are explored.
Keywords: Mahatma Gandhi, Cottage Industries, Trusteeship, Decentralisation of Economy, Sarvodaya, Swadeshi, Education, Environmentalism, Rural Regeneration
Edition: Volume 14 Issue 3, March 2025
Pages: 1352 - 1355
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.21275/SR25325143659
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