Contemporary India: Economy, Society, PoliticsNeera Chandhoke, Praveen Priyadarshi 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. |
Contents
Basic Features of the Indian Economy in 1947 | 3 |
The Evolution of Development Strategy Since Independence | 16 |
Some Important Constituents of Economic Policy | 33 |
Regional Disparities Poverty and Food Insecurity | 49 |
Health and Education | 70 |
IT and Social Change | 86 |
The Changing Social Structure in Contemporary India | 107 |
The Explosion of the Middle Class | 121 |
An Evaluation | 226 |
Social and Economic Dimensions | 247 |
The Changing Nature of the Party System | 260 |
The Nature of Coalition Politics | 277 |
Why Is Secularism Important for India? | 288 |
Contemporary Debates on Nationalism | 306 |
Dimensions of Indian Federalism | 324 |
Democratic Decentralization and Panchayati Raj | 344 |
Adult Franchise and Education | 139 |
Social Movements and the Mass Media | 156 |
Social Mobility and Changes in Occupational Structure | 169 |
Challenges and Opportunities | 184 |
The Nature and Functioning of Democracy | 215 |
The Changing Nature of Public Administration | 358 |
India in the Global Strategic Environment | 372 |
Glossary | 389 |
About the Editors and the Contributors | 400 |
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Contemporary India: Economy, Society, Politics Neera Chandhoke,Praveen Priyadarshi Limited preview - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
agriculture Amartya Sen areas backward castes basic British capital cent centre changes citizens civil coalition colonial Congress Constitution contemporary India context Court culture Dalit decentralization democratic dominant elections electoral emergence equality federal Gandhi gender global Government of India Green Revolution groups Hindu nationalism Hindutva Ibid identity ideological important income increased Independence Indian democracy Indian National Congress Indian nationalism industry inequality institutions investment issues Janata judiciary land lower castes M. N. Srinivas major ment middle class mobilization Muslim Nehru nuclear Oxford University Press panchayats parliamentary parliamentary system participation party system Plan political parties population poverty line Pradesh Pratap Bhanu Mehta principle programmes public administration reforms regional religion religious role rural Sabha sections sector secularism social movements society socio-economic strategy structure struggle tion tribal University of Delhi upper castes village women Zoya Hasan