Senior economist Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi’s latest book, ‘The Poverty of economic thinking,’ was released at St. Joseph's College, his alma mater, on Thursday.
College secretary Rev. Fr. Antony Pappuraj released the book of the alumnus who had served as Principal Advisor to the Director General of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in the presence of G. Iruthayaraj, Head, Department of Economics, and S.M. Suriya Kumar, retired Professor of Urumu Dhanalakshmi College and former president of Association of Economists of Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Jebamalai said poverty could be alleviated not by wealth creation or by charity, but only through right policies.
Citing the transformation of automobile industry in India and other instances around the world, he explained that liberation of resources, learning and linking and leveraging were needed to facilitate growth. He emphasised three ‘Cs’ - Connect, Comply and Compete - to achieve economic progress.
Comparing India and China, he said India must learn from China in sustained development of the economy. Appreciating the economic policy of the present government, he noted that ‘Modinomics’ allowed for flexibility and altered implementation measures while retaining focus of the policy.‘Reforming the reforms’ was the need of the hour, he said. Mr. Jebamalai, who had also authored ‘India’s time,’ ‘Myths and realities of East Asian model of development,’ ‘Demand analysis,’ and co-authored ‘Rethinking development realities - intervene to industrialise,’ dwelt on numerous concepts such as economic efficiency, ecological compliance, green justice, green industries and jobs, import intensity of exports, apt and inapt policies, collaborative manufacturing, adaptive technology, carbon efficiency, renewable energy, technological marvel, and advantages of latecomers in development process.
S.M. Suriya Kumar, who reviewed Mr. Jebamalai's new book, said the latter’s research studies, UN technical reports, books and journal articles lent credence to his power of analysis of issues and options with practical insight and foresight for fostering economically efficient, ecologically friendly and socially desirable pattern of industrial development. The book release coincided with inauguration of Economics Association. S.P. Robert, president of the association, spoke.
