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Routledge Handbook of Indian Politics

Edited by Atul Kohli, Prerna Singh

To Be Published December 31st 2012 by Routledge – 480 pages

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Description

India’s growing economic and socio-political importance on the global stage has triggered an increased interest in that country. Scholars, policy analysts, students and the curious layperson alike are keen to gain a basic understanding of the ways in which the world’s largest democracy functions. As a result, there is at present an unprecedented need for a ready reference that provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to the central themes of Indian politics and this Handbook fills this niche. Chapters are structured along the themes of state, society, and the politics that links the two in the context of post-Independence India. In the section entitled ‘The State’ a spectrum of India’s leaders; institutions, such as political parties and federalism; economic growth and social development; and politics in different states are examined. The section on ‘Society’ analyzes identity politics; the relationship between religion and society; and various aspects of civil society. The final section – ‘International Perspectives’ – analyzes India’s foreign relations as well as a selection of national security issues. The contributions are written by experts in their respective field, and consequently, the Handbook offers an invigorating initiation into the seemingly daunting and complex terrain of Indian politics. It is targeted primarily towards academics, policy analysts, researchers and graduates as well as undergraduate students.

Contents

Introduction Atul Kohli and Prerna Singh 1. State 1.1. Historical Legacy 1.1.1 The Colonial Inheritance 1.2 Leaders 1.2.1 Gandhi 1.2.2 The Nehruvian Legacy 1.2.3 The Iron Man: Patel and the Integration of India 1.2.3 Indira’s India 1.2.4 India’s Minority Leaders 1.2.5 The Poet Prime Minister 1.3 Political Institutions Political Parties 1.3.1 The Congress System and its Decline 1.3.2 The Rise of the BJP 1.3.3 The Emerging Influence of Regional and Caste-Based Parties/ Emergence of Coalition Politics 1.3.4 Elections and Electoral Behavior 1.3.5 Judiciary 1.3.6 The Bureaucracy 1.3.7 Panchayati Raj Institutions Federalism1.3.8 Nature and Construction of India’s Federal Structure 1.3.9 Centre-State Relations (Including Challenges to the Centre - Kashmir, Punjab, North East) 1.4 Economic and Social Development 1.4.1 India’ Economic Development 1.4.2 Business and Politics 1.4.3 The Politics of Redistribution 1.4.4 Corruption 1.4.5 The Politics of Public Goods Provision 1.4.6 Unemployment, Labour Regulations and Trade Unions 1.4.7 Outsourcing 1.5 A View from the States 1.5.1 Uttar Pradesh 1.5.2 Kerala 1.5.3 Tamil Nadu 1.5.4 West Bengal 1.5.5 Bihar 2. Society 2.1 Identity Politics 2.1.1 Language Politics: tbc 2.1.2 Caste Politics 2.1.3 Class Politics 2.1.4 Reservations 2.1.5 Hindu-Muslim Conflict and Civic Life 2.1.6 Hindu-Muslim Conflict and Party Competition 2.2. Religion and Society 2.2.1 Religion and Politics 2.2.2 Muslims in Indian Politics 2.3. Civil Society Social Movements and Agrarian Struggles 2.3.1 Dalit Movements in India 2.3.2 Agrarian Struggles Gender Politics 2.3.2 Women’s Movements Environmental Movements 2.3.3 The Chipko Movement 2.3.4 The Narmada Bachao Andolan Other Aspects 2.3.5 Human Rights Issues 2.3.6 Role of NGOs in Politics 2.3.7 Migration and the Indian Diaspora (Including India’s Politics towards the Diaspora and the Role of the Diaspora) 3. International Perspective 3.1 India and the World 3.2 India in Asia 3.3 Indo-US Relations 3.4 India-European Relations 3.5 India-Russia Relations National Security Issues 3.6 India’s Relations with Pakistan 3.7 India and the Bomb 3.8 Security and Terrorism

Author Bio

Atul Kohli is Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His principal research interests are in the areas of comparative political economy with a focus on the developing countries.

Prerna Singh is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Harvard University. Her research interests are comparative politics, development, South Asia, political theory and international relations.

Name: Routledge Handbook of Indian Politics (Hardback) – Routledge 
Description: Edited by Atul Kohli, Prerna Singh. India’s growing economic and socio-political importance on the global stage has triggered an increased interest in that country. Scholars, policy analysts, students and the curious layperson alike are keen to gain a basic understanding of the...
Categories: General Reference, South Asian Studies, Asian Politics, India (studies of), Asian Studies, International Politics, Asian Politics, South Asian Politics