THE HEALTHY INTEGRATION: MODERN ECONOMICS AND CHANAKYA’S ARTHASASHTRA

Abstract

Economic Evolution is a gradual process. It takes ages to develop and convert any country into meaningful and sustainable growth engines. The Indian Economy is no exception to this evolutionary process. In spite of the successful completion of the Five-Year Plans from 1951 to the Twelfth Five-year plan ( 2012-2017) , Indian Economy has still been reeling with challenges like Population Growth, Crumbling Infrastructure, Terrorism, Corruption, Inadequate Taxation and Unemployment. However, there is a shift in the economy post Liberalization. Since 1991, the economy has been transformed from a closely held inward looking economy to a driving force of global growth. Recently there has been a concentrated effort to reform the cobweb of taxes across the Indian Economy which is reflected in the Constitutional Amendment Bill for GST and its implementation, Demonetization of High Denomination Bank Notes, enactment of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, enactment of Aadhaar Bill for disbursement of financial subsidies and benefits. There has been an overall complex- security development matrix in India. The sudden economic upheavals intrigue one to think if there exists any root or connection of the various economic strategies and their origin in India, or they are simply borrowed from the western economic theories. Arthashastra, by Chanakya, being a very famous Indian treatise on politics, economics, military strategy, state function and social organization of ancient India, an attempt is made to relate the contemporary economic scenario with those mentioned in the Arthashastra. The paper shall try to reflect the connectivity of various functional roots from Kautilya to kalyug.