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Contemporary India : economy, society, politics
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Chandhoke, Neera, author.
- Series:
- Always learning
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- India--Social conditions--21st century.
- India.
- India--Economic policy--21st century.
- India--Economic conditions--21st century.
- India--Politics and government--21st century.
- India--Description and travel.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (1 v.) : ill.
- Edition:
- 1st edition
- Place of Publication:
- [Place of publication not identified] Longman 2009
- Language Note:
- English
- System Details:
- text file
- Summary:
- Contemporary India: Economy, Society, Politics 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.
- Contents:
- Cover
- Contents
- Introduction: Democracy in Contemporary India
- Part I: Economy
- Chapter 1: Basic Features of the Indian Economy in 1947
- India Before Independence
- Economic Growth During British Raj
- National Income: Movement and Composition
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Foreign Trade
- The Development Debate
- Conclusion
- Suggested Readings
- Questions
- Chapter 2: The Evolution of Development Strategy Since Independence
- Development Planning
- Nature and Objectives of Planning
- The Nehru-Mahalanobis Development Strategy
- Agrarian Reconstruction
- Role of the State
- Assessment
- The Green Revolution
- Shifts from Early Development Strategy
- Crisis of the State
- Economic Reforms
- Redefining the Role of the State
- Relevance of Planning
- Chapter 3: Some Important Constituents of Economic Policy
- Macroeconomic Crisis
- External-Sector Reforms
- Fiscal Policy
- Fiscal Scenario in the 1980s
- The Financial Sector
- Infrastructure Reforms
- Chapter 4: Regional Disparities, Poverty and Food Insecurity
- The Notion of 'Absolute Poverty' and Making of the 'Poverty Line'
- Officially Speaking, Who is Poor?
- The Puzzle of the 'Head Count'
- Poverty Beyond the 'Poverty Line'
- Poverty as Capability Deprivation and Lack of Social Opportunity
- Poverty, Hunger and Food Insecurity
- Poverty and Unemployment
- State Planning and the Fight Against Poverty
- Public Distribution System
- Employment Guarantee Schemes
- Economic Growth, Inequality of Opportunity and Regional Disparity
- Exclusion and Social Conflict
- Questions.
- Chapter 5: Human Development: Health and Education
- Introduction
- Health
- Education
- Chapter 6: Science and Technology Policy: IT and Social Change
- A Historical Background
- Science and Technology: The Post-Independence Period
- Agricultural Research
- Meteorological Services
- Atomic Energy
- The Indian Space Programme10
- Information Technology and its implications
- Background
- Information Technology: The Growth Story
- Telephone Sector
- The Internet
- E-Commerce: Applying IT to Trade and Commerce
- E-Governance: Applying IT to Governance
- Information Technology and the Law
- Information Technology, Development and Democracy
- Part II: Society
- Chapter 7: The Changing Social Structure in Contemporary India
- Caste in the Colonial Period
- What is an Indian Social Structure?
- Defining the Nature and Function of Caste
- Caste and Class
- Caste and Violence
- Caste in the Present Context
- Caste and Gender
- Chapter 8: The Explosion of the 'Middle Class'
- The 'Middle' in The Middle Class
- The 'Class' of The 'Middle Class'8
- The Emergence of the Indian Middle Class
- Implications of an Upper Caste Becoming Middle Class
- Political Dominance of the Middle Class
- Changes in Urban Life with the Formation of the Middle Class
- Expansion of the Middle Class
- Emergence of the Rural Middle Class
- Emergence of the Dalit Middle Class
- The Middle Class and Democracy
- The New Industrial class
- Implications of a Culture of Consumption: Middle-Class Apathy and Activism
- Chapter 9: Catalysts of Social Change: Adult Franchise and Education
- Introduction.
- Racial Relations of Gendered Families: Women's Suffrage in 20th Century Europe and Americla
- Theories of Education in the Context of Democratic Social Changes
- India: Citizenship and Education
- Chapter 10: Social Movements and the Mass Media
- The Media in India
- The Chipko Movement
- The Mass Media and Social Movements
- Women's Movements
- The Narmada Bachao Andolan
- Chapter 11: Social Mobility and Changes in Occupational Structure
- Understanding Social Mobility and Occupational Structures
- Social Stratification, Caste, and India
- Construction of Class as a Means for The distribution of Power
- Deciphering the Interlinkage between Caste and Class
- Caste and Class: 19th-21st Century
- De-ritualization of Caste, the Pull of Middle Classes, and the Weakening Link
- Changing Class Fluidity in Contemporary India
- Globalization, Social Mobility and the 'India-In-Transition'
- Chapter 12: Social Movements: Challenges and Opportunities
- Context
- New Social Forces and New Social Movements
- The Rise of New Social Forces
- The OBC Movement
- The Adivasi Movement
- Representation and Social Justice
- Part III: Politics
- Chapter 13: The Nature and Functioning of Democracy
- Understanding Democracy
- Origins of Democracy in Independent India
- Towards Consolidating Indian Democracy8
- Democratic Deepening in India
- Critiques of Indian Democracy
- Chapter 14: The Parliamentary System: An Evaluation
- Introducing the Parliamentary System: A Theoretical Overview
- Why India Adopted the Parliamentary System
- The Working of Parliamentary System in India.
- Legislature-Executive Relations
- Legislature-Judiciary Relations
- The Executive-Judiciary Relations
- Federal Issues in Executive-Judiciary Relationship
- The Appointment of Judges
- The Judiciary as an Actor in Politics
- Governance
- Problems and Prospects
- Chapter 15: Democracy: Social and Economic Dimensions
- Historical Background
- Structural Social Change, Class-based Mobilization
- Retreat from Structural Socio-economic Change, Diminished Mobilization
- Poverty as a Slogan for Political Mobilization
- 'Structural Adjustments' and Ethnic Mobilization
- Globalization and the Fragmented Nature of Political Mobilization
- Chapter 16: The Changing Nature of the Party System
- Political Party as Vehicle of Political Representation
- Definition and Typology
- Legacy of the Indian Party System
- Indian National Congress: 20 Origin and Growth
- The Changing Nature of Party Politics: Important National Parties and The Rise of New Forces
- Bharatiya Janata Party
- The Communist Party of India
- Regional Political Parties
- Problems and Crises in Parties and Party System in India
- Chapter 17: The Nature of Coalition Politics
- The Decline of the Congress System
- The Process of Regionalization
- Politics of Coalition(Post-1989): A Critical Overview
- National Front/United Front Coalition Experiment
- BJP and National Democratic Alliance
- Coalition Led by Centrist Congress (UPA)
- Chapter 18: Why Is Secularism Important for India? Neera Chandhoke
- The Meaning of Secularism
- The Case of India
- Revisiting History
- Minority Rights
- Secularism in India
- The Crisis of Secularism
- Secularism and Democracy.
- Conclusion
- Chapter 19: Contemporary Debates on Nationalism
- The Question: Who is an Indian?
- Historical Background: Colonialism and Theemergence of Indian Nationalism
- Nationalism, History, and Culture
- Nation and Religious Communities: Communal and Secular Versions of Nationalism in India
- Hindu Nationalism
- Secular Nationalism
- Indian Nationalism: Critical Perspectives
- Suggested ReadingsI
- Chapter 20: Dimensions of Indian Federalism
- Understanding Federalism: What and Why?
- Indian Federalism: Histological Background
- The Constitutional Structure of the Indian Federation
- Political and Fiscal Dimensions (I): Why a Strong Centre?
- Political and Fiscal Dimensions (II): Indian Federalism in the New Contexts of Coalition Politics, Economic Reforms and Globalization
- Political and Fiscal Dimensions (III): An Assessment of Working of Federalismin India
- Chapter 21: Democratic Decentralization and Panchayati Raj
- Theoretical Perspective
- Historical Development
- Basic Features of the 73rd Amendment
- Initiatives Taken and Gapsto Be Addressed: The Post-1993 Period
- Chapter 22: The Changing Nature of Public Administration
- The Evolution of Public Administration as a Discipline
- Chancing Characteristics of Public Administration in India
- Chapter 23: India in the Global Strategic Environment
- India: Hard Power Resources and Immediate Security Concerns
- Nuclear India
- India's Missile Programme
- India's Conventional Defence and Border Management
- Defence Modernization and Defence Diplomacy
- Post-Cold War Directional Changes in Indian Foreign Policy.
- India and the United States: Moving Towardsa Natural Partnership.
- Notes:
- Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
- Includes bibliographical references.
- Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.
- ISBN:
- 9789332500747
- 9332500746
- OCLC:
- 1024275612
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