It is quite evident that both policy makers and researchers have recognized the importance of balanced regional development for bringing better fruits of development to the doorsteps of the community at large. Problems of regional disparities in India can be attributed at the outset to our colonial past. However, even in the planned development era, one can witness unbalanced regional development in the present day context as well. As India is a federation, it is likely to experience certain drawbacks of a federal system. Any federation is likely to experience both vertical as well as horizontal imbalance as far as the flow of resources to the federating units is concerned. The present volume examines regional imbalances in India. The papers also highlight the causes and come out with possible way forward for reducing regional imbalances. CONTENTS 1 Regional Disparity in India: An Analysis of Special and Non-Special Category States / Akshay Dhume and Lalitagauri Kulkarni 2 Does Decentralisation Promote Balanced Regional Development?: Evidence from Karnataka / M. Devendra Babu, D. Rajasekhar and R. Manjula 3 Regional Imbalances in Karnataka Revisited: Reflections on Financing for a Balanced Regional Development / Vinod B. Annigeri and S.V. Hanagodimath 4 Sustainable Human Development: At Taluka Level in Karnataka / Ashwath Naik and S.T. Bagalkoti 5 Inter-District Regional Income Disparity in Karnataka: Emerging Issues / Shankaranand G. and R.R. Biradar 6 Regional Inequalities: Are these Asymptotic? / R.S. Deshpande and Shiddalingaswami V. Hanagodimath 7 Inter-Taluka Disparities in Development: The Case of Davanagere District / N. Sivanna 8 Rural Non-Agricultural Employment in Karnataka: An Analysis of Regional Variation and Contributing Factors / R.R. Biradar 9 Disparity in Rural Sanitation in Karnataka: Status and Challenges / Arunkumar R. Kulkarni and Narayan Billava ABOUT THE AUTHOR / EDITOR Vinod B. Annigeri is Professor and Director, Centre for Multi-discilinary Development Research (CMDR), Dharwad, Karnataka. His core areas of interest include Economics of Education and Health. He has served as consultant for many national and international organizations. He has worked on research studies funded by Ford Foundation, IDRC Canada, DFID, USAID etc. He has to his credit some of the most pioneering studies relating to Health Accounts at the micro level. He played a key role in the formation of Indian Health Economics and Policy Association (IHEPA) where he served as Founder Joint Secretary for six years. He has many publications in reputed journals and has authored several books. S.V. Hanagodimath is Assistant Professor, CMDR, Dharwad. He has had the experience of working at research institutions like ISEC, Bengaluru and GIDR, Ahmedabad. He also taught Economics at Nehru College, Hubballi and LORVEN College, Bengaluru. His research interests include Regional Imbalances, Poverty, Economic Growth & Development and Public Finance. Arunkumar R. Kulkarni is Assistant Professor, CMDR, Dharwad. He has been working on the issues of water supply and sanitation, common property resources (CPRs), agriculture and rural development, health, education, etc. since last 15 years. He has published number of papers in reputed national and international journals and in edited books. R.S. Deshpande is currently Director and Advisor, Centre for Development Studies, PES University, Bangalore. He is also Honorary Visiting Professor, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. He was formerly Rajiv Gandhi National Fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and Director, ISEC. He has authored 17 books and more that 140 research papers published in national and international journals.