BOOK REVIEWS 81 2,500 members of the IAS stand out as the super elite...Most of the Class III staff are cljE^cal workers whose working language is English. Usually they have only a half knowledge of this language, so that their work is done mechanically, with only quasi-comprehension of its functional purpose . . . Class IV consists of more than a million menials—functionally redundant guards and chaprasis who carry tea and files and salute their officers. Most of their time is spent loitering in corridors. One calcula" ^ tion suggests that on average they are usefully employed for twelve minutes ^ a day . . . Every one with power or responsibility in the establishment is\j protected from harsh realities which are the daily lot of the mass of the I population." The failure of the Indian government to deliver the promised goods \ becomes more pronounced when set against the background of the; Chinese development. When India is limping with 3 per cent growth, recent statistics about China released by the United Nations reveal a, ten per cent growth in that country. This despite the set-backs in the early 60's and the dislocations caused by the Cultural Revolution. Further, this growth is actually reflected in the material and cultural life of the people in China. Much of Maddison's criticism of the Indian policies is valid, but historical perspective does not extend to the contemporary international context in which the Indian development takes place. Efficient administration, emphasis on agriculture and consumption, less heavy industry—these seem to be some of the suggestions of Maddison for an accelerated growth. He seems to think that bureaucracy is^the biggest stumbling block in the path of India's progress. "There ^GRno point in i writing blueprints for social change, unless the bureaucracy itself is re- J formed." Maddison does not tell us which social forces can do this for | what social objectives. Whatever may be this objective, it can never be a more efficient capitalism. MOHAN THAMPI