Author Description

This is the second of a four-volume survey and explorations in political science conducted by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. Once regarded as an exception to the dominant conceptions of the theory and practice of democracy, India over the past two decades, has come to be seen as a successful democracy, offering important lessons to countries with diversities and problems of economic development. Consequently, there has been a greater interest in understanding the ways in which democracy functions in India. Essays presented here explore the literature on the various dimensions of the Indian democratic experience. They focus on certain key features of the Indian democracy such as the Constitution and its institutions, the party system, civil society initiatives, elections, and federalism, among other aspects. The volume as a whole also reviews major ideas, perspectives, issues, and controversies surrounding India's democracy. Besides evaluating the state of research on India's democracy and providing a bibliographic guide, this volume identifies the lacunae in the field and explores lines of future enquiry.