Indian Socialism : retrospect and prospect.

Dr Rao briefly reviews the evolution of socialist thinking in India and the attempts to bring about a socialist pattern in Indian society through economic planning and appropriate governmental policies and pro grammes.

Beginning with an account of the classic examples of socialist thought and action which influenced Indian thinking on the subject, the author analyses both capitalist and communist alternatives combining deve lopment, justice and individual freedom. In an eminently readable manner, Dr Rao surveys the Indian political scene from inde pendence and offers cogent reasons why India missed the socialist bus.

Democratic socialism being an article of faith with the author, he turns his attention to the prospects of reviving the socialist expe riment in the context of a mixed economy in India and concludes on an optimistic note.

At a time when political thinking is in a state of confusion and no political party knows what to do in the matter, though all want some kind of a socialist society without sacrificing individual freedom, Dr Rao's book should serve as a timely contribution that may open up an objective debate on the subject and lead to a possible national con sensus on the normative structure that should be given to Indian society and the steps that should be taken in all spheres of Indian activity for establishing such a struc ture.