Governing an Indian State: Karnataka in Focus

by Ravindra, A

ISBN: 9789389605389
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Imprint : Associated Publishing Company
Year : 2020
Price : Rs. 6995.00
Biblio : 2019,.xii+179,.fig,.tbls,.25cm

Author Profile

Dr. A. Ravindra is currently Chairperson, Board of Governors,Institute for Social and Economic Change,Bangalore. He also heads the Centre for Sustainable Development,a non-profit organisation working on sustainability issues and skill development. He joined the Indian Administrative Service(IAS) in 1965 and served in various assignments before retiring as Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Karnataka by the end of 2002. He holds a Ph.D in Development Studies and has specialised in the urban sector. He has made significant contributions to public policy and governance reforms. Prominent among them are rationalisation of property tax system through the Self-Assessment Scheme,pioneering the Municipal Bonds scheme for resource mobilisation and initiating a civic awareness movement through the platform of Swabhimana in Bangalore. After retirement, Ravindra has served as Deputy Chairman,Karnataka State Planning Board,Advisor to the Chief Minister of Karnataka and Visiting Faculty at IIM, Bangalore. He has authored a number of books and papers. His publications include Urban Land Policy,Metropolitan Bangalore: A Management Perspective and Dance of Democracy.

About The Book

‘Government’, it is said is a rough heavy bulk of machinery that we must get to work as best we can. …. It goes by rude force and the weight of needs, greedy interests and stubborn prejudices. In his “Governing an Indian State” Dr. Ravindra, a senior and seasoned bureaucrat brings his vast experience and wisdom to bear upon some of the areas of “greedy interests and stubborn prejudices” and examines the fading relevance of the traditional bureaucracy to the ever expanding demands of a feudal order grimly struggling to be reborn into a modern egalitarian society. In Chapters 6, 7 and 8 Dr. Ravindra suggests measures to change this image for a vibrant modern tool to manage the great forces of social and economic transformation. The book amply rewards readers interested in a clear understanding of the problems and of the remedial resources both human and technological.

Table of Contents

Foreword v Acknowledgements ix Preface xi List of Illustrations xv 1. The Making of States 1 2. Governance: Concept and Framework 13 3. Elections: Pride and Price of Indian Democracy 25 4. Dynamics of State Politics 33 5. The Administrative Apparatus 53 6. Policy Perspectives 71 7. The Development Paradox 99 8. Challenges of Governance: Conflicts, Contradictions and Compromises 127 9. Moving Forward: Towards a New Governance System 147 Appendix 171 Bibliography 177