Who introduced and popularised the term 'Hindu rate of growth' to describe the slow pace of economic growth in India during the decades before economic liberalisation?

Introduction / Context:
The expression Hindu rate of growth became a famous phrase in discussions of India and its economic performance in the decades after independence. It referred to a long period when gross domestic product grew very slowly despite development plans and policy efforts. This question checks whether the learner knows which economist actually coined and popularised this influential term, which is widely used in economic history, public policy debates, and general knowledge exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The phrase Hindu rate of growth was used for a long period of low economic growth in India.
• The context is pre liberalisation decades before the economic reforms of the early 1990s.
• The options list several well known Indian economists and policy experts.
• Only one of these personalities originally introduced and popularised this phrase.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, the learner must recall economic history facts rather than do any calculation. The approach is to connect the phrase Hindu rate of growth with the economist who studied Indias growth record in the 1950s to 1970s and criticised its slow pace. This was done by Raj Krishna, an Indian economist and professor who used the expression in his writings and lectures. Recognising the correct person is a matter of factual recall and association with this term in standard textbooks and articles on Indian planning and growth performance.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the phrase relates to India and its slow economic growth before reforms.Step 2: Recall which economists are closely associated with phrases or critiques of that period.Step 3: Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati are famous for broader debates on welfare, reforms, and trade, but not for coining this specific term.Step 4: V. K. R. V. Rao and Montek Singh Ahluwalia contributed to planning and policy but are not credited with this expression.Step 5: Raj Krishna is known in economic history as the economist who introduced and repeatedly used the phrase Hindu rate of growth for Indias low growth trajectory.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to remember how the phrase is discussed in standard macroeconomics or Indian economy books. Most such sources clearly mention that economist Raj Krishna coined the term in the context of annual growth of around 3 to 3.5 percent. Another mental check is that the other names in the options are linked with different concepts, committees, or later reform debates rather than this specific phrase. Therefore cross checking from multiple reliable learning sources confirms that Raj Krishna is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Amartya Sen is a Nobel Prize winning economist known for welfare economics and capability approach, but he did not introduce this phrase.Option B: Jagdish Bhagwati is associated with trade theory and advocacy of liberalisation, not with coining Hindu rate of growth.Option D: V. K. R. V. Rao contributed to planning and national income estimation but is not credited with this term.Option E: Montek Singh Ahluwalia played a major role in later reform era planning but did not originate this expression.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often assume that a very globally famous economist like Amartya Sen must have coined all popular phrases related to India and growth. Another mistake is to confuse policy architects of the reform era with critics of the earlier slow growth period. Some also guess based only on name familiarity without connecting the person to the historical time frame when the term first appeared. Avoid these traps by linking each phrase or concept to its correct historical context and specialist economist.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Raj Krishna.