75 Years of Independence

Indian and Pakistan gained their independence from the British on the 14th/15th August 1947. To mark the 75th anniversary of this event CAGE Research Director Bishnupriya Gupta and CAGE Associate Rinchan Mirza share their cutting edge research into how independence changed the economic and social development of India and Pakistan.

The impact of colonial history on economic development in India

CAGE Research Director Bishnupriya Gupta charts the economic development of India from colonial rule to independence. She shows how Indian agriculture stalled during British rule owing to inadequate investment.

Since independence, new policies for Industrialisation and a green revolution have increased productivity in agriculture and industry.

Over the last two decades India’s growth has been led by services. But this concentration of human capital in the service sector has its origins in colonial policy.

Gupta, B. (2019). Falling behind and catching up: India’s transition from a colonial economy. Economic History Review, 72(3): 803-827

Ideas for India Podcast: The Role of history in shaping India’s economic development, with Bishnupriya Gupta and Lakshmi Iyer

GrowthChat Podcast: India’s Transition from a Colonial Economy, with Bishnupriya Gupta

The economic impact of Partition on Pakistan

The partition of British India caused one of the largest displacements of people in history – creating an estimated 17.9 million refugees.

CAGE Associate Rinchan Mirza considers the long-term effects of Partition in Pakistan, using a key measure of economic development: literacy.

Mirza, R. A. (2022), The Long-Term Effect of Refugee Resettlement: Evidence from Pakistan through Partition, Job market paper.