India, June 1 -- By Alok Chandra,

Former Chief Administrative Officer, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta

The true meaning of development in any state lies in the prosperity visible on the faces of its farmers, and this is possible only when villages, farms and farmers are placed at the centre of the development framework. When state policies are farmer-centric, they strengthen the very soul of the nation. This is because farming is not merely a process of production, but the foundation for the continuity of life, culture and civilization. Viewed from this perspective, the steps taken for farmers in Uttar Pradesh over the last 9 years are not merely the resolve of a government, but the foundational vision for the holistic developm...