Rajasthan Development Report Planning Commission Government of India New Delhi

Abstract

Situated in the north-west of India, Rajasthan has immense development potential, which, unfortunately, has not been adequately leveraged and the state has remained an under-developed region. The state came into existence on November 1, 1956 by the reorganisation of 19 princely states and three chiefships, which varied in size, administrative efficiency and socio-economic development. The state now has 32 districts, 241 tehsils and 237 development blocks.1 It is known as India’s desert state since 61 per cent of its area, covering 11 districts inhabited by 40 per cent of the population, is either desert or semi-desert - the Thar - which has made the state vulnerable to droughts and famines.