Theory, Policy, Practice: Development and Discontents in India

This book explores the meanings and perceptions of development and the dialectics of theory, policy and practice. It looks at how theory translates into policy, and the disconnections in its design and implementation in the Indian context.

The book focuses on the influence of capitalist globalisation, democratisation, decentralisation and neoliberal economic reforms on the development discourse in India and how these have challenged the traditional role of the ‘state’, the meaning of citizenship, and public participation. Through an analysis of case studies from various parts of the country, it bridges the gap between policy prescriptions and practices and unpacks the institutional, political and policy-led compulsions and incompatibilities which most often remain unreported. It also discusses the intersections between policymaking and the politics of class, caste and gender, and emphasises the role bureaucracy plays in institutional governance.

The volume includes articles from professionals ranging from academics, practitioners and activists. It will be of interest to scholars and researchers of public policy, development studies, South Asian politics, and economics as well as policy makers and practitioners in government and civil society.

Suman Nath received his PhD jointly under faculties from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and the University of Calcutta in Anthropology. He teaches anthropology as Assistant Professor at Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Government College, Kolkata, India. Since 2007, he has been researching on issues of politics of resource allocation, which includes a stint as Research Associate at Public Policy and Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, India. His books include a monograph, titled People-Party-Policy Interplay in India (2020) and a co-authored volume on Sexuality, Identity and Health (2014). He has published in international journals on issues of politics, corruption and governance. He was awarded to participate in different research programmes organised by the UNDP, Planning Commission and SaciWATERs. Apart from his academic publications, Suman runs a couple of internationally recognised blogs and writes popular articles in Little Magazines and Bengali dailies. His forthcoming research monograph Democracy and Social Cleavage in India is scheduled to be published next year.

Debraj Bhattacharya is with the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India. An alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, he is working in the development sector of India since 2000. He has published on a wide range of issues of the past and the present. He has published on a wide range of themes and topics - modernity, urban crime, rural development, migration, local government, Marx, and Marxist West Bengal. His books include a monograph Exploring Marxist Bengal (2016) and a couple of edited volumes entitled Of Matters Modern (2008), and Karl Marx: 19th Century Memories and Reflections (2018).