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Democracy in its broader sense denotes not only a political concept but also way of life in the society in which each individual is believed to be entitled to equality as regards his participating freely in the structures and institutions of the society is concerned. Modern India is the world’s largest democracy, a sprawling, polyglot nation containing one-sixth of all humankind. The existence of such a complex and distinctive democratic regime qualities as one of the world’s bona fide political miracles. The present book offers fresh insights into Indian politics and, by focusing on the links between democracy and ethnic majori-tarianism, advances our understanding of democracy in the postcolonial world. This valuable book is a rich resource for anyone interested in India and the ways its leading political minds have grappled with the problems that have increasingly come to define the modern world.

Contents: Preface. 1. Democracy and development. 2. Bureaucracy and development: the Indian scenario. 3. Agrarian reform and rural development. 4. The stability of multi-party Democracy in India. 5. Power politics: from yesteryears to coming years. 6. National Dilemma: regionalization of politics and power. 7. Democratic practice and social inequality in India. 8. Caste, politics and votes in India. 9. The implications of political corruption for India’s economic development. 10. Corruption and growth. 11. Adequacy of legal and regulatory framework to combat corruption in India. 12. Right to information: an anti-corruption tool. 13. Identity and politics in India. 14. Rural development and poverty alleviation programmes : approach and strategy. Bibliography. Index.