@Ram_Guha He said it in 1966, referring to 1947-66 or so. Wikipedia gives recent figures, presumably for 2019-20 (S India first and India next): income per head $3200 vs $2191, poor people 15% vs 29%; urban people 36% vs 24%, households with electricity 99% vs 67%, literacy 83% vs 75%.
@pujamehra@alpanak007 So if you are not corrupt, and if someone says you are being investigated for taking Rs 1 lakh from Bhagulal Motawala to get his son admitted to Ohsowonderful School, you shouldn't mind at all.