After years of subjugation by the British colonial rulers, India attained the status of Independent State on 15 August 1947, a day to be reckoned with pride by all Indians. Struggling for her Independence, facing the trauma of partition, and finally establishing a sovereign democratic status for itself, the journey has undoubtedly been a roller coaster ride for India. This book comprehensively outlines the evolution of the Indian Politics, discussing all the constraints, challenges and shortcomings faced by Indian Polity till date. The book shows how State–Society interface, with special emphasis on civil society activities, can play an integral role in shaping the political fate of the country. In addition, this book not only presents the institutional aspects of Indian politics by underlying in details, the provisions of the Constitution, but also brings out the real working of the institutional framework in an ever-changing social and political environment. Organized into 23 chapters, the book discusses, in detail, the Constitutional development, The Preamble, The Fundamental Rights, The Directive Principles of State Policy, The Executive, The Legislature and The Judiciary at national and state levels followed by their critical appraisals as well as the Centre–State relations with its continuing tensions. To give a clear and panoramic view of Indian Political Scenario, the book also focuses on local self-governments, national and regional parties in India, challenges to Indian political system and new social movements. FOURTH EDITION HALLMARK • Thorough updates with contemporary events in the Indian political scenario till date. • Coverage of General elections to constitute the 18th Lok Sabha. • Political Developments of recent times. Intended as a textbook for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of Political Science and Law, this book is also useful for the aspirants for Civil Service and other competitive examinations like NET and SLET. KEY FEATURES • Provides a wide coverage of conventional topics pertaining to the Constitution of India, relating them to the working of the Indian polity in the real world. • Tackles issues related to new social movements in India encompassing environmental movements, women's movements, human rights movements and anti-corruption movements. • Highlights the continuing challenges to the Indian Political System from different social and cultural factors, like religion, language, caste, tribe, regionalism and also corruption and criminalization of politics. • Deals with current developments in administrative policies. TARGET AUDIENCE • UG/PG Students of Political Science and Law • Aspirants of Civil Services / NET / SLET exams

The idea of finding a 'third way' in politics has been widely discussed over recent months - not only in the UK, but in the US, Continental Europe and Latin America. But what is the third way? Supporters of the notion haven't been able to agree, and critics deny the possibility altogether. Anthony Giddens shows that developing a third way is not only a possibility but a necessity in modern politics.

Designed as a standard text for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Political Science and also for the aspirants of Civil Services Examinations, the third edition of the book provides a thoroughly updated account of Indian politics, taking into consideration the Indian constitutional foundations and functioning of the various democratic institutions. It gives a holistic view of the political system of India that includes the State, Government (both central and state governments), the market, and the civil society, including infrastructures like the party systems in the nation and the states that are partly in the civil society and partly in the state. NEW TO THIS EDITION • All new developments in the working of the institutions of the various organs of the governments at the Union, State, and local levels in their internal as well as interactional settings. • Perspective of governance that demands attention to relationships among the governments, the civil society, and the market which have acquired a new salience since the parameter-altering economic reforms in 1991 but have suffered some reverses since 2008, a phenomenon known as slowbalization or deglobalization. • New phase in Indian politics with Narendra Modi government at the centre since 2014. TARGET AUDIENCE • B.A. (Political Science) • M.A. (Political Science) • Aspirants of Civil Services Examinations

This volume examines the distinct structural characteristics of Indian politics and unearths significant sociopolitical and economic processes which are critical to the political articulation of governance in the country. It reflects on the foundational values of Indian polity, the emergence of the nation post-colonialism, the structural fluidity of federalism in India, and the changing nature of the planning process in the country. The book also studies the electoral processes, social movements, party system, local and state governance. Apart from analyzing corruption and public grievance systems, the volume also probes into significant issues in Indian politics. This book will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the field of political science, public administration, political sociology, political economy and post-colonial contemporary Indian politics in particular. It will also be an invaluable and interesting reading for those interested in South Asian studies.

The first thorough study of the co-existence of crime and democratic processes in Indian politics In India, the world's largest democracy, the symbiotic relationship between crime and politics raises complex questions. For instance, how can free and fair democratic processes exist alongside rampant criminality? Why do political parties recruit candidates with reputations for wrongdoing? Why are one-third of state and national legislators elected--and often re-elected--in spite of criminal charges pending against them? In this eye-opening study, political scientist Milan Vaishnav mines a rich array of sources, including fieldwork on political campaigns and interviews with candidates, party workers, and voters, large surveys, and an original database on politicians' backgrounds to offer the first comprehensive study of an issue that has implications for the study of democracy both within and beyond India's borders.

Empirical puzzles get students thinking like political scientists.

Revised and updated Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award From one of the most important economic thinkers of our time, a brilliant and far-seeing analysis of the current populist backlash against globalization. Raghuram Rajan, distinguished University of Chicago professor, former IMF chief economist, head of India's central bank, and author of the 2010 FT-Goldman-Sachs Book of the Year Fault Lines, has an unparalleled vantage point onto the social and economic consequences of globalization and their ultimate effect on our politics. In The Third Pillar he offers up a magnificent big-picture framework for understanding how these three forces--the state, markets, and our communities--interact, why things begin to break down, and how we can find our way back to a more secure and stable plane. The "third pillar" of the title is the community we live in. Economists all too often understand their field as the relationship between markets and the state, and they leave squishy social issues for other people. That's not just myopic, Rajan argues; it's dangerous. All economics is actually socioeconomics - all markets are embedded in a web of human relations, values and norms. As he shows, throughout history, technological phase shifts have ripped the market out of those old webs and led to violent backlashes, and to what we now call populism. Eventually, a new equilibrium is reached, but it can be ugly and messy, especially if done wrong. Right now, we're doing it wrong. As markets scale up, the state scales up with it, concentrating economic and political power in flourishing central hubs and leaving the periphery to decompose, figuratively and even literally. Instead, Rajan offers a way to rethink the relationship between the market and civil society and argues for a return to strengthening and empowering local communities as an antidote to growing despair and unrest. Rajan is not a doctrinaire conservative, so his ultimate argument that decision-making has to be devolved to the grass roots or our democracy will continue to wither, is sure to be provocative. But even setting aside its solutions, The Third Pillar is a masterpiece of explication, a book that will be a classic of its kind for its offering of a wise, authoritative and humane explanation of the forces that have wrought such a sea change in our lives.

Examines global terrorist networks and discusses the long-term future of terrorism.

Indian party politics, commonly viewed as chaotic, clientelistic, and corrupt, is nevertheless a model for deepening democracy and accommodating diversity. Historically, though, observers have argued that Indian politics is non-ideological in nature. In contrast, Pradeep Chhibber and Rahul Verma contend that the Western European paradigm of "ideology" is not applicable to many contemporary multiethnic countries. In these more diverse states, the most important ideological debates center on statism-the extent to which the state should dominate and regulate society-and recognition-whether and how the state should accommodate various marginalized groups and protect minority rights from majorities. Using survey data from the Indian National Election Studies and evidence from the Constituent Assembly debates, they show how education, the media, and religious practice transmit the competing ideas that lie at the heart of ideological debates in India.