Foundations of Inida's political economy : towards an agenda for the 1990s / edited by Subroto Roy and William James

India has entered the fifth decade of her history as a unitary democratic republic. The successes and failures over the past forty years are relative to the promise that had been held out by India's struggle for independence over the previous 100 years. Hence, at the beginning of the nineties there is need for open and frank discussion of where the country is with respect to that promise and its feasibility, and the extent to which both need to be redefined in the light of existing circumstances. This volume is a major contribution to this discussion of India's agenda for the next 15 or 20 years.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the original essays comprising this volume define India's possible goals in different aspects of its social, political and economic life. Among the topics covered are the state of Indian politics; language and religion; the balance of power between the central and state governments; economic policy and foreign trade relations; the aims of Indian planning; public finance and government spending; and policies relating to food. agriculture and industrialization.

In sum, the contributors address several of the most significant long-term issues confronting India's polity and economy. The discussions are refreshingly original and freely cross the narrow boundaries of economics, politics and history. Amply documented and persuasively argued, the essays present a cogent picture of India's agenda for the nineties and delineate the effects on the country of political and economic decisions taken in the present climate.

Designed specifically to stimulate debate on long-term issues of political and economic significance for India, this book will command the attention of political sch entists, economists, sociologists, planners and bureaucrats.