118 SOCIAL SCIENTIST 17 S D Mehta, op. cit. 18 Ibid., and D Kumar, Resource Allocation in the Cotton Textile Industry, Institute of Economic Growth, 1965. 19 Official standard conversion ratios have been worked out in calculating textile requirements. Assuming ratios of 2:1 and 0.8:1 in the case of synthetics and cellulosics respectively the cotton cloth equivalent of man-made fibre fabrics works out to 2.1 metres. 20 J James, '^Products, Processes and Incomes: Cotton Clothing in India" World Development, February 1976. 21 Report ofthe High-powered -Team, op. cit. 22 Even if the proportionate distribution of yarn by counts was available for a year close to 1961, the difference in the percentage change as between the inferior and superior categories of cloth would persist but would not be as sharp. 23 For a lucid description of the working of the controlled cloth scheme, see a Note in Economic and Political Weekly, 14 September 1974. 24 See also, J James, op. cit. 25 Wholesale price index data are very unsatisfactory regarding unit prices of the different categories of cloth, cotton and non-cotton. Whatever information on price quotations at selected stations of a few types of the coarse, medium, fine and superfine categories of cloth were available, we have averaged to obtain average unit price of each category. The scanty data on silk and rayon and handloom cloth as given in the Bulletin could not be used for our purpose. 26 However it may be noted that though compared to the 1960s consumption has risen in the 70s, the value of per capita consumption at constant prices has been declining too. See private consumption expenditure, as estimated by Central Statstical Organisation, in their series on the National Product. 27 NSS, 17th Round, op. cit. 28 J James, op. cit. 29 Mill cloth consumption is overestimated to the extent of 794 million metres while the estimate for the decentralized sector is underestimated by almost 1570 million metres. so Shah and C H Shah, Resurvey of Malar Taluka, Vora & Co (P) Ltd, 1974. 31 As cited in J James, op. cit. 32 NSS reports on consumer expenditure are available upto 1968-79; for 1970-71 too^ rural sector consumption is available. However, most of these reports are not published. Expenditure in rupees is given for clothing as a whole and includes items like bedding and upholstery. 33 This is significant in view of the Government of India's strong effort to push up the share of non-cotton fabrics in the output mix, as evident from its recent policy pronouncements. 34 The quantity elasticity measures the proportionate change in quantity of cloth consumed (measured in metres) to a proportionate change in income (expenditure). The estimate here cross-checks with other such estimates in the literature. 35 The /value elasticity measures the proportionate change in expenditure on cloth (measured in rupees) to a proportionate change in income (expenditure). The estimate of total percentage increase in expenditure on clothing is obtained by relating the value elasticity coefficient to the annual change in per capita income during 1961-73. 36 K R Ranadive, "Distribution of Income, Concept of Justice and Right to Property" in Indian Economy, Performance and Prospects,] G Sandesara,(ed.) University of Bombay, 1974. 87 V V Divatia, "Inequalities in Assets Distribution of Rural Households", Reserve Bank Staff Occasional Papers, June 1976. o8 U Patnaik, "Contribution to the Output and Marketable Suplus of Agricultural