Development has been portrayed through the lens of various paradigms. The shift from the classical 'environmental determinism' paradigm to the neo-classical paradigm, and then the Marxist paradigm, has been quite conspicuous. The shifting emphasis has been on the utilization of land and labor, so as to optimize the spatial returns in terms of development. Development has been varyingly depicted as 'economic growth, ' 'modernization, ' 'distributive justice, ' and 'socio-economic transformation.' This collection of articles deals with myriad issues related to spatial dimensions of development and human resources. The papers address a broad spectrum of issues in sustainable development and the challenges for the 21st century, with regard to developmental and environmental issues on the one hand and specific case studies pertaining to diverse Indian regions on the other. Studies by international scholars of specific Indian scenarios, as well as those by Indian scholars of issues on a continental scales, are also includ