Politics and Governance in Indian States

Understanding India's politics and governance requires an examination of how politics and governance occur in the regional States, which constitute the federal units of India.

This book addresses the issues of federalism, power-sharing and constitutional reforms, and their effects on governance in Indian States. Located within the growing literature on new State politics in India, this volume presents a critical, in-depth analysis of politics in Bihar, West Bengal and Tripura — these States being units of analysis for more general implications.

What common obstacles have impeded development in each State, and what factors have favored recent, rapid development in some States but not others? The issues of caste conflicts, ethnic conflicts and other collective identity issues will be examined in this book — a pioneer volume with detailed, empirically-based research on the implications of State-centric politics in India.
Contents:Introduction: Politics and Governance in Indian StatesOrder, Governance and Legitimacy: Method, Model and DataFederalism as an Institutional Response to Diversity: Power-sharing and Constitutional Reforms in IndiaConstitutional Reform and Accommodation of Identity in India since 1950Marxist Rule and Democratic Governance in West BengalSub-State-level Power-Sharing in West Bengal: The Creation of Gorkhaland and Empowerment of PanchayatsBihar: Stalemated Class Conflict and the Crisis of GovernanceBringing Governance Back in Again: State Partition, Emergence of Jharkhand and the Naxalite ChallengeEthnic Conflict and Governance in TripuraConstitutional Reforms and Power-sharing: Political Accommodation of Tribal Identity in TripuraRegional Governance in a Changed Context: India after 1991Conclusion: Governing India's Regions
Readership: Undergraduate and graduate students and lecturers/professors focusing on South Asian politics, governance in India and general policy studies.
Keywords:Indian Politics;Governance in India;Federalism;State Politics in India;Bihar;West Bengal;Tripura;Left in Tripura and West Bengal;Naxalites;Politics and Reforms in IndiaReview:Key Features:New analysis of politics in Indian States in terms of governance, constitutional reforms and accommodation of identityFirst full-length, up-to-date study of politics in these states in the days of India's reformsUse of original, mostly primary sources in the study