The Political Economy of Underdevelopment and Poverty in Nepal

This book argues that mainstream economics cannot explain Nepal's underdevelopment and poverty, and that the state's collusion with politicians and bureaucracy has led to crony capitalism. It presents a critical and radical analysis of factors that have kept Nepal in a state of underdevelopment, including growth performance, government attempts at poverty alleviation, foreign aid, and the nature of the state. The book is intended for students, academics, researchers, and intellectuals in Nepal, as well as politicians and officials of the National Planning Commission, the central bank, and other banks and financial institutions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 05 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book argues that mainstream economics cannot explain the underdevelopment and poverty of Nepal. It suggests that factors such as the collusion of interest among politicians and the resulting bureaucracy, as well as crony capitalism, have contributed to Nepal's underdevelopment. The book presents a critical and radical analysis of the factors that have kept Nepal in a state of underdevelopment and poverty, despite six decades of planning, seven decades of dependence on foreign aid, and numerous political regime changes.

To support this argument, the book delves into an exploration of growth performance in Nepal, government attempts at poverty alleviation, foreign aid, and the nature of the state. It also examines the Maoists' 10-year rebellion and its effects on the economy. Each chapter presents the existing picture and examines the possible reasons for the failure in achieving the desired results. A comparative analysis of Nepal's position with respect to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries is also presented.

The audience for the book will be students, academics, and researchers, as well as within Nepal itself, intellectuals, politicians, and officials of the National Planning Commission, the central bank, and other banks and financial institutions.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032417981