Is landlockedness the reason for Bihar’s underdevelopment?

I t is election season in Bihar. While the Opposition often speaks about the lack of development and industrialisation in the State, in its campaigns, the National Democratic Alliance, which is in power, argues that a change of government will bring back the ‘Jungle Raj’ of the earlier decade. What makes Bihar one of India’s most underdeveloped States? Is landlockedness a reason for its underdevelopment, as some argue? R. Nagaraj and Manindra Nath Thakur discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Saptaparno Ghosh . Edited excerpts:

It is often argued that Bihar is disadvantaged because it is a landlocked State. Punjab and Telangana are landlocked as well, and they are doing relatively well. So how is being landlocked a constraint for Bihar?

R. Nagaraj : If you look at th