"Law, poverty anddevelopment (rural development through agrarian reforms)"

The book contains the text of Sir Chimanial Setalvad Endowment lectures delivered by the author in the University of Mumbai. It puts in juxtaposition the ancient Indian land system as modified by the Mughal rulers against the one imposed by the British to show how that was alien and hence the case for its abolition. The abolition of intermediary tenures had to contend with the constitutional protection to right to property even in favour of those who were not the real owners of the estate in agricultural land. It was indeed ironical that a provision in the Government of India Act, 1935 meant to protect the interest of the landed gentry was elevated to the status of Right to Property under the Indian Constitution.

The book refers to the vicissitudes through which night to property has undergone until its eventual deletion from the Constitution. The various amendments inserting Articles 31A, 318 and 31C as also the Ninth Schedule and the enormous body of case law thereon have been analysed in detail. The new agrarian structure that has emerged in the last fifty years, the legislation enacted to bring it about, the litigation generated by such legislation to bring about social and economic changes in the rural sector have been discussed in their proper perspective. The book fulfils the long felt need for an authoritative legal text for the newly introduced course on law, poverty and development. The aim of the author has been to show how far the programme of agrarian reform has contributed in realising the goal of poverty alleviation and economic and social development of rural society.