Bidyut Chakrabarty

This textbook is a comprehensive, student-friendly guide to public policy in India. It highlights the critical aspects of public policy-making and its implementation by contextualizing it in the Indian historical and modern-day perspective. Public Policy in India: • Provides lucid explanations of theoretical aspects of public policy and its practice in the Indian context; • Captures the complexities in making, implementing and evaluating public policy; • Studies the dialectical interconnection that public policy has with the socio-economic and political environment; • Highlights the influence of culture on public policy; and • Analyses public policy as an outcome of a very complex contextual dialogue involving various kinds of actors. Accessibly written, this book covers a range of university syllabi and will be essential reading for students and researchers of political science and public administration. It will also be indispensable for civil service examinations, including the UPSC.

This textbook is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Public Administration, Political Science and UPSC aspirants. Lucid, accessible and student-friendly Public Administration in India:Familiarizes students with the theory, practice and evolution of Indian administration through contextual analysisAdopts a multi-disciplinary approach in discussing the traditional and emerging issues of the Indian administrationFocuses on the processes of administration with reference to their constitutional provisions as well as socio-economic and political contexts; andHighlights new issues and challenges in the field of public administration in India through critical analysis of its growth and development since IndependenceThis book will be key reading for the candidates appearing for various civil service examinations as well as for students and researchers of political science and public administration.

This textbook is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Public Administration, Political Science and UPSC aspirants. Lucid, accessible and student-friendly Public Administration in India:Familiarizes students with the theory, practice and evolution of Indian administration through contextual analysisAdopts a multi-disciplinary approach in discussing the traditional and emerging issues of the Indian administrationFocuses on the processes of administration with reference to their constitutional provisions as well as socio-economic and political contexts; andHighlights new issues and challenges in the field of public administration in India through critical analysis of its growth and development since IndependenceThis book will be key reading for the candidates appearing for various civil service examinations as well as for students and researchers of political science and public administration.

«Bidyut Chakrabarty’s Nationalizing India constitutes exactly what the subtitle states: ‘a creative blending of derivative and indigenous traditions.’ In this context, two central themes are developed: first, that Indian nationalist thinkers redefined the entire concept of nationalism in a unique and ingenious manner, unprecedented in the long intellectual history of the idea. They built a united front against a common adversary by eliciting the fundamental civilizational amity forged in unison for gaining India’s emancipation. Second, as an outstanding and prolific scholar in this field, professor Chakrabarty explores relatively unknown innovative nationalist figures to demonstrate that the advent of nationalist thought was a collective endeavor of myriad figures, a unity in diversity. This is another brilliant study by Chakrabarty that merits inclusion among the finest works on nationalism.» (Dennis Dalton, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University, USA) Dwelling on how nationalization was conceptualized by major Indian nationalist thinkers, this book breaks a new ground in contemporary studies on nationalism. In contrast with the Western notion of nationalism, this book provides an appropriate model of nationalizing India with reference to the creative writings of Rabindranath Tagore, Aurobindo Ghose, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani and Nazrul Islam. This book is a powerful intervention in the available scholarship which shows that nationalization needs to be comprehended differently in the context of India since underlying a collective India is a civilizational bond unique to Afro-Asian countries.

This book presents a comprehensive portrait of how Indians conceived of the idea of India. It highlights the diverse traditions and intellectual threads that contributed to the making of vibrant democracy. The book:• Examines the different ideas of India through 14 eminent Indian thinkers: Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Dayanand Saraswati, VD Savarkar, Savitribai Phule, Pandita Ramabai, Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani and MA Jinnah;• Highlights how ancient and modern intellectual discourses coalesced with the aspirations of ordinary Indians under the yoke of colonialism;• Challenges colonial constructs and linear approaches to studying India. Accessibly written, this book is essential reading for students and researchers of Indian political thought, modern history, political science, and South Asian studies.

This book presents a comprehensive portrait of how Indians conceived of the idea of India. It highlights the diverse traditions and intellectual threads that contributed to the making of vibrant democracy. The book:• Examines the different ideas of India through 14 eminent Indian thinkers: Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Dayanand Saraswati, VD Savarkar, Savitribai Phule, Pandita Ramabai, Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani and MA Jinnah;• Highlights how ancient and modern intellectual discourses coalesced with the aspirations of ordinary Indians under the yoke of colonialism;• Challenges colonial constructs and linear approaches to studying India. Accessibly written, this book is essential reading for students and researchers of Indian political thought, modern history, political science, and South Asian studies.

This biographical account situates the unfolding of the life of an educator in varied socio-economic contexts. It is not just a narrative of how an individual evolves but also analyses how a particular mindset develops by being dialectically entwined with the milieu in which one passes different stages of their life. At one level, it is a historical narrative since it deals with a particular period of human history critical to the growth of a specific individual. At another, it provides ethnographic inputs to those who want to understand the peculiarities of the twentieth century. It offers first-hand accounts of the nature of transformative politics which evolved at the behest of Naxalites in India; it also has obvious twists and turns as the individual is exposed to a world beyond India. So, the narrative is individualistic, and it has elements of influences acquired through exposure to an alien socio-cultural milieu. Apart from its analytical importance, this memoir provides a very realistic assessment of India’s education system through the lens of an educator and an academician.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) represented an ideational universe in which universal humanism was one of the most significant pillars. In conventional terms, Tagore is conceived as a poet which is, in reality, a partial description of the role he discharged in favour of his distinct politico-ideological priorities. He was a visionary who always privileged humanity above all. 'That Treasured Port': Rabindranath Tagore's Ideational Challenges demonstrates how a perusal of his enormous oeuvre reveals that while expressing his preference for a poetic voice, he also articulated his particular mode of thinking which was attuned not only to the contemporary context but much beyond. His views were thus transcendental since he dealt with issues which are useful to safeguard humanity, regardless of class, colour and creed. What deserves attention is his ability to understand the prevailing socio-economic and politico-cultural reality from the point of a distinct perception which was based on both-Western as well as indigenous discourses. Tagore evolved his conceptual parameters not merely on the basis of India's intellectual wisdom but also on the basis of the ideas he derived from the Enlightenment values; this reinforces the argument that the bard was open to multiple politico-ideological influences which, he found, were pivotal to the process of conceptualizing a collective well-being. One must not however forget that Tagore was not alone in his pursuit; it was complemented by his equally sensitive colleagues such as Gandhi, Ambedkar, among others.

By focusing on the socio-political ideas of the nationalist Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950), the book is an analytical dissection of his ideational vision which is still a relatively under-studied area of nationalist thoughts. During the perod, 1893-1910, Ghosh radically altered the texture of Indian nationalism by dwelling on how nationalism flourished in different parts of India, particularly, Japan, Italy and Ireland. conceptually different from the prevalent form of nationalist voice, it was he who clearly charted out a new course for anti-British campaign that fully unfolded with the appearance of Gandhi (1869-1948) on the Indian political scene. So, Aurobindo's politico-ideological vision ushered in a new era in the nationalist battle for India's political emancipation. Not only is the book therefore an intervention in the nationalist thought, but also devised new conceptual parameters for comprehending the radicalization of politico-ideological voices while simultaneously mobilizing those who were ready to make supreme sacrifices for the cause.

This book explores Tagore’s socio-political ideas through his novels, short stories, and essays. It looks at Tagore beyond his literary achievements and examines his notions of friendship, religion, nationalism, civilization, and knowledge. It highlights his uniquely textured and innovatively argued views on critical aspects of humanity in the tumultuous phase of Indian nationalist campaign that also witnessed a kaleidoscope of myriad ideological voices, besides the hegemonic mainstream nationalist campaign, led by Gandhi. It captures the bard’s creative ideational priorities and his attempts to radically transform the prevalent socio-economic and politico-cultural environment. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of history, politics, literature, and South Asian studies.

This book is an unconventional articulation of the political thinking in India in a refreshingly creative manner in more than one way. Empirically, the book becomes innovative by providing an analytically more grasping contextual interpretation of Indian political thought that evolved during the nationalist struggle against colonialism. Insightfully, it attempts to unearth the hitherto unexplored yet vital subaltern strands of political thinking in India as manifested through the mode of numerous significant socio-economic movements operating side by side and sometimes as part of the mainstream nationalist movement. This book articulates the main currents of Indian political thought by locating the text and themes of the thinkers within the socio-economic and politico-cultural contexts in which such ideas were conceptualised and articulated. The book also tries to analytically grasp the influences of the various British constitutional devices that appeared as the responses of the colonial government to redress the genuine socio-economic grievances of the various sections of Indian society. The book breaks new ground in not only articulating the main currents of Indian political thought in an analytically more sound approach of context-driven discussion but also provokes new research in the field by charting a new course in grasping and articulating the political thought in India. This volume will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the fields of political science, political sociology, political economy and post-colonial contemporary Indian politics in particular. It will also be an invaluable and interesting reading for those interested in South Asian studies.

This volume examines the distinct structural characteristics of Indian politics and unearths significant sociopolitical and economic processes which are critical to the political articulation of governance in the country. It reflects on the foundational values of Indian polity, the emergence of the nation post-colonialism, the structural fluidity of federalism in India, and the changing nature of the planning process in the country. The book also studies the electoral processes, social movements, party system, local and state governance. Apart from analyzing corruption and public grievance systems, the volume also probes into significant issues in Indian politics. This book will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the field of political science, public administration, political sociology, political economy and post-colonial contemporary Indian politics in particular. It will also be an invaluable and interesting reading for those interested in South Asian studies.

This book offers an in-depth study of right-wing politics in India by analysing the shifting ideologies of Hindu nationalism and its evolution in the late nineteenth century through to twenty-first century. The authors provide a thorough overview of the chronological evolution of Hindu nationalist organizational outfits to reveal how Hindu nationalist ideology has adapted in ways that have not always corresponded with the orthodox Hindu nationalist position. An examination of the overriding preference for Hindu nationalism demonstrates how it has flourished and continues to remain relevant in contemporary India despite being marginalized at the dawn of India’s independence. The book demonstrates that Hindu nationalism is a context-driven ideological device which is sensitive to the ideas and priorities that gradually gain salience. It also explores Hindu nationalism as a vote-catching device, especially from the late twentieth century onwards. Providing a nuanced analysis of Hindu nationalism in India as a constantly evolving phenomenon, this book will be of interest to researchers on Asian political theory, nationalism, religious politics and South Asian and Indian politics.

Rabindranath Tagore, an icon of humanism and universalism who always privileged India’s argumentative traditions, remains a source of inspiration for humanity. However, Tagore’s social and political ideas appear to have received inadequate attention presumably because of the hegemonic influence of derivative Western ideas and thoughts. This is where Tagore stands out, not only as a poet but also a visionary who charted a course of action in tune with human betterment, cutting across all kinds of man-made barriers and customary restrictive social, economic and political practices. Socio-political Thought of Rabindranath Tagore presents a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the socio-political, socio-economic and ideological preference of Tagore, with emphasis on nationalistic, inclusive and gender development ideas. It shows that Tagore’s socio-political ideas continue to remain relevant not merely as a package for intellectual rejuvenation but also as a meaningful device for socio-economic transformation for the world.

An analysis of selective aspects of India’s constitutional identity, this book provides an analytical account of the changing and changed texture of India’s constitutional identity bearing in mind the historical context in which it is articulated. The book conceptualizes the gradual evolution of an idea by tracing the history of India’s constitutionalism with reference to its conceptual roots, historical antecedents and the landmark judicial pronouncements in which the concern for its retention and protection is always privileged. The author examines specific constitutional designs that the 1950 Constitution of India put in place and argues that constitutional identity, despite being drawn on specific constitutional provisions, is also changeable in view of the rapidly transforming socio-economic milieu. He demonstrates that there are numerous instances where India’s constitutional identity has undergone a metamorphosis in circumstances where newer politico-ideological values and norms are privileged. A valuable addition to the literature on constitutionalism and constitutional practices in general and their manifestation in India's democratic experiences, in particular, this book will be of interest to academics in the fields of Government, Political Science, Law and Jurisprudence, Constitutional and Legal History and Asian Studies.

Politics, Ideology and Nationalism: Jinnah, Savarkar and Ambedkar versus Gandhi is a new argument based on familiar historical evidences. It discusses three leaders—Savarkar, Ambedkar and Jinnah—in their opposition to Gandhiboth in terms of ideology as well as social and political discourse. Although there are biographical works and other notable publications on them, none of these attempt to engage in contrasting their ideology and practices on a common platform. This book examines Gandhi and Savarkar–Ambedkar–Jinnah’s commonality of opposition and their differing ideas of modernity. All three of them saw Gandhi as the biggest hurdle to the projects that they conceived. The book explores how these differences went beyond politics and shaped the contours of Indian politics during the 1930s and 1940s, and continue to affect it even today.