Has democracy in India fulfilled the aspirations of its people? Have institutions delivered? Have public policies succeeded in making substantial differences to living standards? Is the country secure on its external borders? Would the country become an economic powerhouse? And can India be a leading power in the years ahead?
All these and many more questions loom large as India completes seven decades of independence. Major challenges persist on the economic front and in providing adequate and quality healthcare, education, food, sanitation and drinking water. Regulatory preoccupations persist as policymakers continue to search for optimal solutions. The task is made harder by a socio-political environment shaped by various complexities. These include an expanding young workforce, a demanding citizenry, intense social media campaigns and a difficult neighbourhood.
Seven Decades of Independent India, edited by Vinod Rai and Amitendu Palit, reflects on the India of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, by gathering rare and candid insights from some of the most distinguished experts, practitioners and scholars on India. These include D. Subbarao, ex-governor of RBI; Rajiv Kumar, vice-chairman of NITI Aayog; S.Y. Quraishi, former chief election commissioner; Shivshankar Menon, former national security adviser; Ashok Gulati, professor ICRIER and former chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; Sumit Ganguly, professor of political science, Indiana University; A.K. Shiva Kumar, director, International Centre for Human Development; Poonam Muttreja, executive director, Population Foundation of India; Tan Tai Yong, president and professor (humanities) Yale-NUS College, Singapore; Dipankar Gupta, sociologist and former professor, JNU; Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India and many others.

Contents

Preface

Policy, Governance and Institutions : Mapping India after Seven Decades of Freedom Vinod Rai and Amtendu Palit

1.Indias External Security Challenges -- Shivshankar Menon

2.India in a Globalized World : Maximizing Benefits and Minimizing Costs -- Duvvuri subbarao

3.Indias Elections and Electoral Reforms at Seventy -- S.Y.Quraishi

4.Indias Meedia 1947 to 2017 -- Robin Jeffrey

5.India - ASEAN Relations at Seventy -- Tan Tai Yong

6.Normalizing the Unique : Explaining the Persistence of Caste -- Dipankar Gupta

7.Towards Sustainable, Productive and Profitable Agriculture -- Ashok Gulati and Gayathri Mohan

8.The Rise and Fall of Indian Planning -- Pronab Sen

9.Will India Ever Be a Great Power ? -- Sumit Ganguly

10.Non-Governmental Organizations in India: Contribution, Challenges and Future Prospects -- Poonam Muttreja

11.Land : Finite, Fragmented, Fragile, Fraught Sanjoy Chakravorty

12.Healthcare in India : Looking back, looking ahead -- A K Shiva Kumar

13.Jobs in India -- Amitendu Palit

14.Challenges Facing Higher Education in India -- Sumita Dawra
15.Few Hits, Many Misses : Indias Mixed Record in the International Sporting Arena Since 1947 -- Ronojoy Sen

16.Civil Service Reforms in India -- S Narayan

17.Clean or Not-Clean : Indias Energy Dilemma --Subhomoy Bhattacharjee

18.Democracy's Angry Crowds : Civil Society and Legitmacy in India

19.India As an Asian Power -- Dhruva Jaishankar

20.Indian Media at Seventy : Five Big Challenges -- Nalin Mehta

21.New India Needs a New Model for Skill Development -- Pawan Agarwal

22.Corporate Governance in India : A Giant Leap in the last Five Years -- U K Sinha

23.Tax Policy Design and Development : The Indian Story -- Piaki Chakraborty