BIMARU States
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BIMARU ( Hindustani: , , ''Bīmārū'') is an
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
, coined by demographer Ashish Bose in mid-1980s, formed from the first letters of names of some states, namely
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
, and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. The acronym has also been used as a
pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...
for the people originating from these states. BIMARU states are low on HDI and
food security Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy Human food, food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Simila ...
. The present-day states of
Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
,
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
and
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
were part of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, when the BIMARU acronym was coined. All of these are in the
Hindi Belt The Hindi Belt, also known as the Hindi Heartland or the Hindi speaking states, is a linguistic region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India where various Northern, Central, Eastern and Western Indo-Arya ...
, which also has relatively richer non-BIMARU states, such as
Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
,
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
,
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
, and
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
.
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
, once labelled a BIMARU state, has seen tremendous growth, especially in its agricultural sector, and has quadrupled its GDP between 2011 and 2024.
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
, after it was split from Uttar Pradesh and made a separate state, has made tremendous progress.
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
and
Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
fall in the middle category of Human Development Index.
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
and
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
lag in several indices. During 2008–2011, some of BIMARU states had higher growth rate and some of their natives argued that the BIMARU concept was outdated. However, these states have a low economic base, and thus despite higher rate of growth, they remain much poorer than other states. The concept has re-emerged due to the faltering growth rates of the states. BIMARU states are usually net negative providers of food security, i.e. they consume more food than they produce. Hence, these states are major consumers of India's PDS for food redistribution. The much smaller but richer states of Haryana and Punjab are massive providers of food security to India as they provide 60-80% of wheat and 28-44% of rice of India's total PDS.How Punjab and Haryana may de-risk Indian economy
27 June 2023.


Etymology

In the mid-1980s, economic analyst Ashish Bose coined an acronym BIMARU, in a paper submitted to then Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...
. Several studies, including those by the UN, showed that the performance of the BIMARU states affected the GDP growth rate of India. "Bimar" (बीमार, بیمار) in Hindustani means "sick" so "BIMARU" refers to the poor economic conditions of these states.


Improvements & former BIMARU states

Uttarakhand is now a relatively-developed state and is no longer in the BIMARU category because of its economic growth, education, healthcare and more when compared with the other states formed. Uttarakhand is the only state for which all the districts are in the category of top 25% HDI districts.
Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, d ...
, the winter capital of Uttarakhand, is known for its good quality education and also hosts the top schools in the country. It is also known as the school capital of India. The state also hosts top schools of the country in its other cities as well with a number of higher education institutes, notable being Garhwal University,
Kumaon University Kumaun University is a state university headquartered in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. In 2017, it hosted the first Kautik Student Film Festival. Campuses The academic wing of the University is spread over in two campuses (Dev Singh Bisht ...
, an IIT at
Roorkee Roorkee (Rūṛkī; ) is a city and Municipal Corporations in India, municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is from Haridwar, the district headquarters. It is spread over a flat terrain under the ...
and an NIT at
Srinagar, Uttarakhand Srinagar is a city and municipal corporation in Pauri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 33 km from Pauri town, the administrative headquarters of Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand, India. Geogr ...
.


Recent developments

In recent times, some of the states have experienced high growth rates, but they still lag behind the more developed states.
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
was second in the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
GDP development ranking's with a record of 225%.
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
's GDP grew by 80% from 2006 to 2007, which was higher than in the two prior years, which was one of the highest recorded by the Government of India for that period. They have laid greater emphasis on education and learning by appointing more teachers and opening a software park.
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
contribute significantly to the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
,
Central Industrial Security Force The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. CISF's primary mission is to provide security to large institutions, be it state or privately-owned. It was set up unde ...
,
Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pak War of 196 ...
,
National Security Guard The National Security Guard (NSG) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is the primary counter-terrorism force of the Government of India. It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue ...
,
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
and many
paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
forces because of their large young populations. Recently, these states are working for their improvement by developing infrastructure, IT parks and becoming more inviting to businesspeople for investment.


Population growth

The BIMARU states have some of the highest fertility rates in India. In 2010, the
total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that are born to a woman over her lifetime, if they were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through their lifetime, and they were t ...
was 3.9 for Bihar, 3.5 for Uttar Pradesh, 3.2 for Madhya Pradesh and 3.1 for Rajasthan, compared to 2.5 for India as a whole. That has led to higher population growth in these states than rest of India.


Literacy rates

The literacy rates in the BIMARU states, according to the 2011 census are Bihar (63.8%), Rajasthan (67.1%), Jharkhand (67.6%), Madhya Pradesh (70.6%) and Uttar Pradesh (71.7%). The national average is 74.04%. Those states trail the national average in the current literacy rate they are registering very healthy growth rates in literacy and comfortably outpace states like Andhra Pradesh (67.7%) and
Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
(71%), which have comparable literacy levels except for Rajasthan. A recent survey by the
National University of Educational Planning and Administration National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration is a research focused university located in New Delhi, India. The institute was set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now known as Ministry of Education), Government ...
(UNEPA) has determined that only 21% of all primary school teachers in
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
and 12.8% in UP are Matriculates or lower. Renowned educationists have asked for a complete overhaul of the educational system, particularly at the primary level.


Health care

The life expectancy in the BIMARU states is lower than other Indian states and is lower than the average life expectancy of India as a whole. That implies that they bring down the overall average.


Economic growth

Corruption remains one of the key factors reflecting poverty levels throughout the world, and these states generally fare worse in the corruption indexes that are published. It is one of the enigmas that in spite of the large representation in the Indian Parliament, the states cannot get adequate resources for their development. Another factor determining the BIMARU states' economic situation is the lack of investment in irrigation and flood control. In spite of the highest incidence of floods in the region, the investment to manage this has been rather meager. Even though the socialist era in India was known for large infrastructure projects, the most modern irrigation system of Bihar is the British-built
Son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
Command Canal System, which was opened for use in the 1890s. That is in sharp contrast to projects like Bhakra Nangal Dam in Punjab. Yet another factor is the lack of perspective in the planning exercise. For example, even though large portions of the national highway schemes like the Golden Quadrilateral and the East-West Corridor pass through the so-called BIMARU states, their alignment would not serve the population of those states. Also, there is no provision even for by-passes to serve towns such as Ranchi, Patna, Dhanbad, Gaya or Jamshedpur. Since 2000, there has also been a change in the geographic composition of the states, with Bihar being divided into Bihar and
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
, Madhya Pradesh being divided into Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
and Uttar Pradesh being divided into Uttar Pradesh and
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
.


See also

*
Indo-Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain spanning across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses North India, northern and East India, easte ...
* Standard of living in India *
List of Indian states and union territories by GDP These are lists of Indian states and union territories by their nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP). GSDP is the sum of all value added by industries within each state or union territory and serves as a counterpart to the national g ...
*
List of Indian states and union territories by Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, which i ...
*
Ministry of Rural Development (India) The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the task of accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on special rural grants for health and education, piped filtered dr ...
* Rural Development Foundation, India *
Economy of India The economy of India is a Developing country, developing mixed economy with a notable public sector in strategic sectors. * * * * It is the world's fourth-largest economy by gross domestic product, nominal GDP and the third-largest by purch ...
*
Green Revolution in India The Green Revolution in India was a period that began in the delhi and bhoj converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanized farm tools, irrigation facil ...


References


External links

*
Jeffrey D. Sachs Jeffrey David Sachs ( ; born November 5, 1954) is an American economist and public policy analyst who is a University Professor (Columbia), professor at Columbia University, where he was formerly director of The Earth Institute. He worked on t ...
, Nirupam Bajpai, and Ananthi Ramiah. "Understanding Regional Economic Growth in India". CID Working Paper No. 88, March 2002. Center for International Development at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
,
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...



The Hindu

The Children of Ganga

Deurbanisation of Bihar

Centrally planned Inequality
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bimaru Economy of India by state or union territory