Although Indian economy has grown steadily over the last two decades, its growth has been

uneven when comparing different social groups, economic groups, geogra phic regions, and rural and urban areas.[10] Between 1999 and 2008, the annualiz ed growth rates for Gujarat (8.8%), Haryana (8.7%), or Delhi (7.4%) were much hi gher than for Bihar (5.1%), Uttar Pradesh (4.4%), or Madhya Pradesh (3.5%).[11] Poverty rates in rural Orissa (43%) and rural Bihar (41%) are higher than in the world's poorest countries such as Malawi. India has a higher rate of malnutrition among children under the age of three (4 6% in year 2007) than any other country in the world. Despite significant economic progress, 1/4 of the nation's population earns less than the government-specified poverty threshold of $0.40/day. Official figures estimate that 27.5%[14] of Indians lived below the national poverty line in 2004 -2005.[15] A 2007 report by the state-run National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) found that 25% of Indians, or 236 million people , lived on less than 20 rupees per day with most working in "informal labour sec tor with no job or social security, living in abject poverty."[16] -------As of 31 December 2005, there were an estimated 835,000 broadband lines in India .[23] Low tele-density is the major hurdle for slow pickup in broadband services . Over 76% of the broadband lines were via DSL and the rest via cable modems. A 2007 study by the Asian Development Bank showed that in 20 cities the average duration of water supply was only 4.3 hours per day. No city had a continuous wa ter supply. The longest duration of supply was 12 hours per day in Chandigarh, a nd the lowest was 0.3 hours per day in Rajkot.[24] Some 400 million Indians do n ot have access to a proper toilet.[25]----------One of the critical problems facing India's economy is the sharp and growing reg ional variations among India's different states and territories in terms of per capita income, poverty, availability of infrastructure and socio-economic develo pment. For instance, the difference in growth rate between the forward and backw ard states was 0.3% (5.2% & 4.9%) during 1980 81 to 1990 91, but had grown to 3.3% ( 6.3% & 3.0%) during 1990 91 to 1997 98.[26] The five-year plans have attempted to reduce regional disparities by encouraging industrial development in the interior regions, but industries still tend to co ncentrate around urban areas and port cities. Even the industrial townships in t he interiors, Bhilai for instance, resulted in very little development in the su rrounding areas Part of the reason being that manufacturing and services and not agriculture are the engines of growth. The more advanced states are better placed to benefit fr om them, with infrastructure like well developed ports, urbanisation and an educ ated and skilled workforce which attract manufacturing and service sectors. The union and state governments of backward regions are trying to reduce the dispari ties by offering tax holidays, cheap land, etc., and focusing more on sectors li ke tourism, which although being geographically and historically determined, can become a source of growth and is faster to develop than other sectors