Contemporary India: Economy, Society, Politics

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Edited by Neera Chandhoke and Praveen Priyadarshi, Contemporary India addresses issues facing the nation-state and civil society from diverse perspectives: those of political science, sociology, economics and history. The book is thematically divided into three parts—Economy, Society, and Politics—and includes discussions on topics as wide-ranging as poverty, regional disparities, policies, social change and social movements, the elements of democracy, dynamics of the party system, secularism, federalism, decentralization, and so on. The common thread of democracy, which strings together different aspects of contemporary India, serves as the framework of understanding here and underlies discussions in all the chapters. The book includes 23 original, well-researched and up-to-date chapters by authors who teach different courses in the social sciences. Without compromising on the complexity of their arguments, the authors have used a lucid, conversational style that will attract even readers who have no previous knowledge of the topics. The contributors have also provided a glossary, questions and further readings lists with students' examination needs in mind. Table Of Contents Part I: Economy Basic Features of the Indian Economy in 1947 Samir Kumar Singh The Evolution of Development Strategy Since Independence Ambuja Kumar Tripathy Some Important Constituents of Economic Policy Samir Kumar Singh Regional Disparities, Poverty and Food Insecurity Satyajit Puhan Human Development: Health and Education Neera Chandhoke Science and Technology Policy: IT and Social Change Neha Khanna Part II: Society The Changing Social Structure in Contemporary India N. R. Levin The Explosion of the ‘Middle Class’ Sujit Mahapatra Catalysts of Social Change: Adult Franchise and Education Ravi Nandan Singh Social Movements and the Mass Media Bindu Menon Social Mobility and Changes in Occupational Structure Wasudha Bhatt Social Movements: Challenges and Opportunities Silky Tyagi Part III: Politics The Nature and Functioning of Democracy Swaha Das and Hari Nair The Parliamentary System: An Evaluation Kumar Rahul Democracy: Social and Economic Dimensions Praveen Priyadarshi The Changing Nature of the Party System Pushpa Kumari The Nature of Coalition Politics Sanjeev Kumar Why Is Secularism Important for India? Neera Chandhoke Contemporary Debates on Nationalism Mohinder Singh Dimensions of Indian Federalism Rajesh Kumar Democratic Decentralization and Panchayati Raj Moitree Bhattacharya (Mukhopadhyay) The Changing Nature of Public Administration Suranjita Ray India in the Global Strategic Environment Satyajit Mohanty