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Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance
Seventy-five years after Independence, India has much to be proud of. We are both the world’s biggest democracy and fastest-growing large economy. Yet, we face profound challenges that hinder both individual well-being and aggregate growth, including education and skills, health and nutrition, public safety, justice, social protection, and jobs.
This seminal book systematically analyses India’s governance challenges, especially in delivering essential public services, and highlights how these are limiting India’s development. Drawing on a wealth of research and practical insights, it provides actionable, evidence-based strategies, emphasizing state-level reforms as critical for India’s advancement.
Accelerating India’s Development is addressed to all Indians—leaders, officials, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, citizens, and civil society—and provides an urgent call to action. It argues that building an effective state is the great unfinished task of Indian democracy, because quality public services are key to translating the political equality of ‘One Person, One Vote’ into greater equality of opportunity for all Indians.
Every chapter showcases the author’s dedication to bridging the gap between scholarly research, public understanding, and actionable governance. This book is a testament to cautious optimism and the belief that with the right public systems in place, India’s next twenty-five years can be a period of unprecedented growth and societal enrichment.
This seminal book systematically analyses India’s governance challenges, especially in delivering essential public services, and highlights how these are limiting India’s development. Drawing on a wealth of research and practical insights, it provides actionable, evidence-based strategies, emphasizing state-level reforms as critical for India’s advancement.
Accelerating India’s Development is addressed to all Indians—leaders, officials, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, citizens, and civil society—and provides an urgent call to action. It argues that building an effective state is the great unfinished task of Indian democracy, because quality public services are key to translating the political equality of ‘One Person, One Vote’ into greater equality of opportunity for all Indians.
Every chapter showcases the author’s dedication to bridging the gap between scholarly research, public understanding, and actionable governance. This book is a testament to cautious optimism and the belief that with the right public systems in place, India’s next twenty-five years can be a period of unprecedented growth and societal enrichment.
978 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2024
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April 18, 2024
Governments in India are behemoths that most Indians interact with but very few truly understand. Critiques of state capacity in India (with a few notable exceptions like TV Somanathan and Gulzar Natarajan's State Capacity in India) are often centred around either inefficiencies generated by state led implementation of programs or the inability of the Indian state to do enough for our impoverished millions. What differentiates Muralidharan's tome from other such critiques is the recognition that reality is much more complicated. India has off late seen a proliferation of books on policy and political economy by 'wonks' of various hues. Many such works are guilty of superficial research and banal stereotyping of the dysfunctional Indian state. There is very little understanding of factors that prohibit optimum performance by governments in India.
Spread over 18 chapters the book deals with issues relating to many important sectors. The chapters can be divided into two broad baskets, first the ones that deal with specific sectors like health, education, public finance, police and courts. Second, chapters that deal with broad based governance reforms aimed at improving state capacity like bureaucracy, political leadership, decentralisation, reimagining institutions and interactions between the state and society. The book has some excellent prescriptions like practicum based management of personnel, moving towards a three worker model in Anganwadis and focusing on community health vis-a-vis curative care. To me the most important message from the book is the need for greater decentralisation. The amount of control State and Union governments in India exert on policy implementation is unheard of not only in advanced democracies like Europe & US but also in supposedly centralised countries like China.
Muralidharan's understanding of Government functioning is deep and his understanding of macro issues that negatively impact government performance is incisive. He does not look at problems with biases that many scholars and commentators often betray. Instead he tries to develop solutions through deep diagnoses of problems followed by carefully narrowing down what is doable in the Indian context. As a public servant myself it is heartening to see someone of Dr. Muralidharan's influence help start a public debate on issues that people within the government have long wanted.
While some of the ideas like Ranked Choice Voting discussed in the book might seem radical, majority of the policy suggestions are eminently implementable. Dr Muralidharan keenly observes that more of state action does not necessarily mean more red tape. The Indian state has been and is capable of being a tremendous force for good. Among all the points that he tries to drive home the most crucial to me is that we don't necessarily have to increase expenditure in any particular sector to achieve improved performance, we need to improve the efficiency and quality of every rupee spent to achieve desired success.
The Book aims at reaching out to a wide range of possible readers and is therefore written in an extremely easy to read style unlike Muralidharan's academic work which is dense and highly technical. The author urges all sections of citizens including the Indian elite to engage with governance reforms and establish positive feedback loops.
Spread over 18 chapters the book deals with issues relating to many important sectors. The chapters can be divided into two broad baskets, first the ones that deal with specific sectors like health, education, public finance, police and courts. Second, chapters that deal with broad based governance reforms aimed at improving state capacity like bureaucracy, political leadership, decentralisation, reimagining institutions and interactions between the state and society. The book has some excellent prescriptions like practicum based management of personnel, moving towards a three worker model in Anganwadis and focusing on community health vis-a-vis curative care. To me the most important message from the book is the need for greater decentralisation. The amount of control State and Union governments in India exert on policy implementation is unheard of not only in advanced democracies like Europe & US but also in supposedly centralised countries like China.
Muralidharan's understanding of Government functioning is deep and his understanding of macro issues that negatively impact government performance is incisive. He does not look at problems with biases that many scholars and commentators often betray. Instead he tries to develop solutions through deep diagnoses of problems followed by carefully narrowing down what is doable in the Indian context. As a public servant myself it is heartening to see someone of Dr. Muralidharan's influence help start a public debate on issues that people within the government have long wanted.
While some of the ideas like Ranked Choice Voting discussed in the book might seem radical, majority of the policy suggestions are eminently implementable. Dr Muralidharan keenly observes that more of state action does not necessarily mean more red tape. The Indian state has been and is capable of being a tremendous force for good. Among all the points that he tries to drive home the most crucial to me is that we don't necessarily have to increase expenditure in any particular sector to achieve improved performance, we need to improve the efficiency and quality of every rupee spent to achieve desired success.
The Book aims at reaching out to a wide range of possible readers and is therefore written in an extremely easy to read style unlike Muralidharan's academic work which is dense and highly technical. The author urges all sections of citizens including the Indian elite to engage with governance reforms and establish positive feedback loops.
Currently reading
April 26, 2024Karthik is an excellent communicator. His interviews with Amit Verma on education, health and governance are masterclass material, each lasting for 4-5 hours. He speaks fast packing as much funda within these interviews distilling his years of research experience from the field.
This book is a compilation of those interviews and more.
3 phases of state - security, industrial and welfare state. The phases are determined by the share of national income allocated to these 3 aspects and the extent of democracy measured by the fraction and composition of the population who can vote.
When the government spends most on its budget on security and the citizens have no voting rights or protection, the state worked for the interests of kings, nobles and ruling classes.
The industrial state served industrialists, land owners and capitalists and people had limited democracy.
Welfare states arise when the marginal communities and minorities get voting rights. Since they have low incomes, they favour welfare spending. Is this really correct?
Quotes from the book:
In this world, the optimists have it, not because they are always right, but because they are positive. Even when wrong, they are positive, and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement and success. Educated, eyes open optimism pays; pessimism can only offer the empty consolation of being right. -from Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David Landes.
Good policies often create concentrated costs and diffused benefits, which can explain weak political incentives for implementing them.
Reforming public service delivery is politically risky because the costs are certain, immediate, and concentrated while the benefits are uncertain, distant and diffused.
This book is a compilation of those interviews and more.
3 phases of state - security, industrial and welfare state. The phases are determined by the share of national income allocated to these 3 aspects and the extent of democracy measured by the fraction and composition of the population who can vote.
When the government spends most on its budget on security and the citizens have no voting rights or protection, the state worked for the interests of kings, nobles and ruling classes.
The industrial state served industrialists, land owners and capitalists and people had limited democracy.
Welfare states arise when the marginal communities and minorities get voting rights. Since they have low incomes, they favour welfare spending. Is this really correct?
Quotes from the book:
In this world, the optimists have it, not because they are always right, but because they are positive. Even when wrong, they are positive, and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement and success. Educated, eyes open optimism pays; pessimism can only offer the empty consolation of being right. -from Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David Landes.
Good policies often create concentrated costs and diffused benefits, which can explain weak political incentives for implementing them.
Reforming public service delivery is politically risky because the costs are certain, immediate, and concentrated while the benefits are uncertain, distant and diffused.
October 5, 2024
DNF. Well written, organised, backed by data. The book is academically shiny.
But that's that. It feels like a consultant has organised their life's slides into a book. The author quotes a lot of data, draws conclusions in bullet points, recommendations in bullet points. They are all good recommendations, but I felt like I am in a school MUN. There was no realism on how the recommendations can fit the...let's say overton window. I felt superiorly bored, and simply could not continue.
But that's that. It feels like a consultant has organised their life's slides into a book. The author quotes a lot of data, draws conclusions in bullet points, recommendations in bullet points. They are all good recommendations, but I felt like I am in a school MUN. There was no realism on how the recommendations can fit the...let's say overton window. I felt superiorly bored, and simply could not continue.
August 30, 2025
This book is a masterpiece! Period.
Prof. Muralidharan has condensed decades of research on different facets of the Indian economy and society into this magnum opus, providing a suite of solutions to systemic issues that don't easily meet the eye. A must-read for anyone who cares about India and its future.
Prof. Muralidharan has condensed decades of research on different facets of the Indian economy and society into this magnum opus, providing a suite of solutions to systemic issues that don't easily meet the eye. A must-read for anyone who cares about India and its future.
June 10, 2024
Informative and intelligent.
The sections on the Key Actors (helpfully goes into the incentives of politicians and bureaucrats, politely), Building an Effective State (pointed ways of changing the systems of State Governments) were tremendous. Some chapters of Section III definitely need separate books, like the one on Education. //Speaking of education: why don’t we have good literature on Indian Education systems?// Chapters on Police, Courts, Social Protection, though, started to feel all too familiar, though with shades of an economist’s glamour.
The book is designed in a way that one could pick up a chapter and read it without needing to go back to the chapters before or after. Reading it from start to finish is highly recommended if you’re in public administration.
Next up, maybe a book on Accelerating India’s Development through Local Governance? Though this book goes into decentralisation and the prevailing issues of local governments, it needs deeper understanding, debate and perhaps sympathy, to do more than lip service, about the situation with funds, functionaries.
Karthik Muralidharan also has been going on several podcasts about the book. Truly a public service. A great book! 4.5/5
The sections on the Key Actors (helpfully goes into the incentives of politicians and bureaucrats, politely), Building an Effective State (pointed ways of changing the systems of State Governments) were tremendous. Some chapters of Section III definitely need separate books, like the one on Education. //Speaking of education: why don’t we have good literature on Indian Education systems?// Chapters on Police, Courts, Social Protection, though, started to feel all too familiar, though with shades of an economist’s glamour.
The book is designed in a way that one could pick up a chapter and read it without needing to go back to the chapters before or after. Reading it from start to finish is highly recommended if you’re in public administration.
Next up, maybe a book on Accelerating India’s Development through Local Governance? Though this book goes into decentralisation and the prevailing issues of local governments, it needs deeper understanding, debate and perhaps sympathy, to do more than lip service, about the situation with funds, functionaries.
Karthik Muralidharan also has been going on several podcasts about the book. Truly a public service. A great book! 4.5/5
February 7, 2025
Me @127 pages in - Is this a very comprehensive, widely celebrated, and necessary piece of...literature review?
Me @369 pages in - Is this a much needed crash-course in public policy made extremely accessible for laypersons?
Me @600 pages in - Is this going to be read and re-read by me over the next many years of my career, if not life?
Yep, yep, yep
Me @369 pages in - Is this a much needed crash-course in public policy made extremely accessible for laypersons?
Me @600 pages in - Is this going to be read and re-read by me over the next many years of my career, if not life?
Yep, yep, yep
June 28, 2025
The reason I wanted to read this is to understand and interpret the facts related to the policies or strategies taken by the Government. This one is a fantastic read although it was a bit lengthy, I have taken time to absorb the material. As a person who believes in the government doing good for most people, here are my comments. Before anything else, I urge people to read the book before criticizing or applauding any state/central level policy in India because the books inculcates the habit of criticism backed by data and facts.
1. I'm very impressed by the chapter on the school education development. To give a background about me, I have studied for a brief period in government school, but later moved to a private school as my parents expected there would be huge transition in the studies. I later went on to the Hyderabad city and finished my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in government colleges.
I really liked the whole description on primary education and how a lot of spending by the government goes into the less efficient ways. My parents are working as government teachers (as I write this comment) for primary school so I understand the nuances and can share the same concern as the author. I almost like every point in the book. Some of them include how enhanced trainings for teachers improves efficiency, increasing the staff by contract teachers to increase student teacher ratio also resonate my thoughts.
2. For the chapter related to health sector, I can say that the health sector is something that needs huge reforms. Particularly at both village and city level, there is a requirement of reach of the facilities offered by government hospitals and also regulations (incentive based attractives) to retain the health professionals in their duty.
I believe the communication with the doctor and general health campaigns would attract more people towards government hospitals. As the number increases, there will be more questions and more accountability
3. Related to the farming practices and the idea of cash benefits for the amount of electricity saved (vs full subsidy) is something that I loved the most. I really hope this method to be tested at few constituencies and implemented at large scale later.
4. I also liked the Rank choice method of voting for elections. I believe this has to be atleast implemented at a smaller scale first to see the effects of voting and compare the efficiency of the election process.
5. I liked the extended ideas of philanthropy focusing on governance. in my opinion, the effects of philanthropy on domains like data sourcing and public governance would lead to leap frogging in governance and state welfare of health and education.
I look forward to meeting Prof. Karthik Muralidharan and express my heartfelt gratitude for writing such a wonderful book with lot of optimism and strategy based governance.
1. I'm very impressed by the chapter on the school education development. To give a background about me, I have studied for a brief period in government school, but later moved to a private school as my parents expected there would be huge transition in the studies. I later went on to the Hyderabad city and finished my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in government colleges.
I really liked the whole description on primary education and how a lot of spending by the government goes into the less efficient ways. My parents are working as government teachers (as I write this comment) for primary school so I understand the nuances and can share the same concern as the author. I almost like every point in the book. Some of them include how enhanced trainings for teachers improves efficiency, increasing the staff by contract teachers to increase student teacher ratio also resonate my thoughts.
2. For the chapter related to health sector, I can say that the health sector is something that needs huge reforms. Particularly at both village and city level, there is a requirement of reach of the facilities offered by government hospitals and also regulations (incentive based attractives) to retain the health professionals in their duty.
I believe the communication with the doctor and general health campaigns would attract more people towards government hospitals. As the number increases, there will be more questions and more accountability
3. Related to the farming practices and the idea of cash benefits for the amount of electricity saved (vs full subsidy) is something that I loved the most. I really hope this method to be tested at few constituencies and implemented at large scale later.
4. I also liked the Rank choice method of voting for elections. I believe this has to be atleast implemented at a smaller scale first to see the effects of voting and compare the efficiency of the election process.
5. I liked the extended ideas of philanthropy focusing on governance. in my opinion, the effects of philanthropy on domains like data sourcing and public governance would lead to leap frogging in governance and state welfare of health and education.
I look forward to meeting Prof. Karthik Muralidharan and express my heartfelt gratitude for writing such a wonderful book with lot of optimism and strategy based governance.
February 11, 2025
4.5/5 Finally done with this book which was recommended by a no. of my favourite podcasters. And it is exhaustive and there are a no. of policy prescriptions - some of them well-known, most of them (though not all) well thought out and a delight for those interested in politics - governance and public policy.
However, as I see it, implementing most of those policies will face opposition from special-interest-groups (or "vote-banks"). Democracies worldwide are struggling to cope with them. Political parties on the (holy) Left and the (far) Right (the Right must always be far-right) have to cater to them. And we have ideological battles played out daily in the media and social-media. So, as an example, when even (relatively) rich farmers can make the mighty Indian state bow down in farm reforms, where is the scope for restructuring agriculture subsidies ? Does the writ of the state even run ? Even the tears of the CJI failed to move a molehill let alone mountains. That I think is the core issue. We know most of the problems and many solutions but this is the chief road-block. And it is because of democracy's failure to deal with special-interest-groups that sometimes people sigh and wish for an authoritarian leader who can get things done. Not because they are unaware of the perils of dictatorship !
PS:- 2 ideas dear to me that I found missing in the book :-
a) At the local level, let performances be evaluated by rating/vote from people using the services. For example, parents can vote on the performance and a part of the increment in salary would require their approval. And an overwhelmingly negative vote can lead to the teacher's dismissal. Start with pilots in urban areas. Expand to other departments gradually. In this age of technology, we do not need to vote for some politician after 5 years and then expect them to do it for us. Ensure accountability.
b) Make it compulsory for government employees to enroll their kids in govt schools. And not special school, you have to enroll in the locality's govt school.
Both suggestions can be implemented on basis of Aadhar nos.
However, as I see it, implementing most of those policies will face opposition from special-interest-groups (or "vote-banks"). Democracies worldwide are struggling to cope with them. Political parties on the (holy) Left and the (far) Right (the Right must always be far-right) have to cater to them. And we have ideological battles played out daily in the media and social-media. So, as an example, when even (relatively) rich farmers can make the mighty Indian state bow down in farm reforms, where is the scope for restructuring agriculture subsidies ? Does the writ of the state even run ? Even the tears of the CJI failed to move a molehill let alone mountains. That I think is the core issue. We know most of the problems and many solutions but this is the chief road-block. And it is because of democracy's failure to deal with special-interest-groups that sometimes people sigh and wish for an authoritarian leader who can get things done. Not because they are unaware of the perils of dictatorship !
PS:- 2 ideas dear to me that I found missing in the book :-
a) At the local level, let performances be evaluated by rating/vote from people using the services. For example, parents can vote on the performance and a part of the increment in salary would require their approval. And an overwhelmingly negative vote can lead to the teacher's dismissal. Start with pilots in urban areas. Expand to other departments gradually. In this age of technology, we do not need to vote for some politician after 5 years and then expect them to do it for us. Ensure accountability.
b) Make it compulsory for government employees to enroll their kids in govt schools. And not special school, you have to enroll in the locality's govt school.
Both suggestions can be implemented on basis of Aadhar nos.
Read
June 3, 2024I am sure this book will prove a valuable reference. I'd love to see Muralidharan discuss the role of manufacturing in the future Indian economy with Rajan and Lamba (who recently released "Breaking the Mold;" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...). Muralidharan seems more optimistic about growing India's manufacturing prowess. I was able to see Rajan on book tour recently, and I found his vision of services-driven growth quite compelling. India already broke the mold of democratic development with an early (and admirable) extension of the franchise. Why not break the mold of economic development as well?
May 26, 2024
Professor Muralidharan has distilled years of thinking and research about the steps that can be taken to improve the lives of India's people into his book in a way that is accessible, fast-paced, information rich and truly inspiring.
His work first maps the problem and was really useful for me to gain context on the structure of the Indian state, its intrinsic problems with service delivery and the motivations of the stakeholders who play a vital part in the system. His book takes a step beyond his academic work and lays out his in-depth understanding of the system that comes from his fieldwork and many hours spent interacting with IAS officers, NGOs and the people who actually rely on India's public service delivery.
He then goes on to lay out potential solutions that are implementable, cost-effective and can be done at the state level. His vision of a state-led process towards development is exciting because it means solutions can be implemented, tested and evaluated at a smaller scale and on a faster/more feasible timeline before deciding whether to roll out over a country of India's size and diversity.
As a student, and someone who is looking to understand India's public service delivery better and learning to form connections between things I observe/read about and potential research ideas, this book is a really helpful way to learn not only what might work in fixing the issue identified, but also how to think about what intervention might work and then see a really nice way of it being tested.
Most of all it is written in a truly accessible way, without unnecessary jargon or complication - "as simple as possible but no simpler". I really enjoyed the way it is written - it is quick and concise within each chapter but as a whole provides a really comprehensive view of the Indian state, while not leaving out little snippets from Prof. Muralidharan's experiences in the field or things practitioners have mentioned to him. I really enjoyed this book and I'll come back to it often to better absorb it - it doesn't have to be read in a linear fashion and after the introduction chapter, different chapters can be dipped into based on readers' interest. It is a book that uses multiple lenses to looks at the areas in which the Indian state can do better for its people and is one that can be treated very much like a textbook for those serious about getting to know the economics and political economy of development in India.
It really comes across how passionate and relentlessly optimistic he is about improving service delivery in India and this is the thing that I think gets talked about less but will have a huge impact. This book inspires - even though it notes that we have a long way to go, it reminds the reader constantly that there are many ways to take steps forward and that these steps are doable in the immediate future. This is really important - there tends to be a lot of disgruntlement in popular discourse about the state of affairs in India and not enough real optimism - I will come back to this book to remind myself that an India that serves its citizens drastically better than it does today is within reaching distance. I think I heard this first in one of his Seen and the Unseen podcast episodes where he says that when you think about a problem like India's development you have to have 'pessimism of the intellect but optimism of the spirit', and this book puts that idea into practice. It acknowledges each problem in all its dimensions but then makes sure to break it down bit by bit and provide solutions that are backed by evidence, that there is real hope of implementing. This is a fantastic contribution and definitely worth reading.
Highly recommend! Thank you for the book!
His work first maps the problem and was really useful for me to gain context on the structure of the Indian state, its intrinsic problems with service delivery and the motivations of the stakeholders who play a vital part in the system. His book takes a step beyond his academic work and lays out his in-depth understanding of the system that comes from his fieldwork and many hours spent interacting with IAS officers, NGOs and the people who actually rely on India's public service delivery.
He then goes on to lay out potential solutions that are implementable, cost-effective and can be done at the state level. His vision of a state-led process towards development is exciting because it means solutions can be implemented, tested and evaluated at a smaller scale and on a faster/more feasible timeline before deciding whether to roll out over a country of India's size and diversity.
As a student, and someone who is looking to understand India's public service delivery better and learning to form connections between things I observe/read about and potential research ideas, this book is a really helpful way to learn not only what might work in fixing the issue identified, but also how to think about what intervention might work and then see a really nice way of it being tested.
Most of all it is written in a truly accessible way, without unnecessary jargon or complication - "as simple as possible but no simpler". I really enjoyed the way it is written - it is quick and concise within each chapter but as a whole provides a really comprehensive view of the Indian state, while not leaving out little snippets from Prof. Muralidharan's experiences in the field or things practitioners have mentioned to him. I really enjoyed this book and I'll come back to it often to better absorb it - it doesn't have to be read in a linear fashion and after the introduction chapter, different chapters can be dipped into based on readers' interest. It is a book that uses multiple lenses to looks at the areas in which the Indian state can do better for its people and is one that can be treated very much like a textbook for those serious about getting to know the economics and political economy of development in India.
It really comes across how passionate and relentlessly optimistic he is about improving service delivery in India and this is the thing that I think gets talked about less but will have a huge impact. This book inspires - even though it notes that we have a long way to go, it reminds the reader constantly that there are many ways to take steps forward and that these steps are doable in the immediate future. This is really important - there tends to be a lot of disgruntlement in popular discourse about the state of affairs in India and not enough real optimism - I will come back to this book to remind myself that an India that serves its citizens drastically better than it does today is within reaching distance. I think I heard this first in one of his Seen and the Unseen podcast episodes where he says that when you think about a problem like India's development you have to have 'pessimism of the intellect but optimism of the spirit', and this book puts that idea into practice. It acknowledges each problem in all its dimensions but then makes sure to break it down bit by bit and provide solutions that are backed by evidence, that there is real hope of implementing. This is a fantastic contribution and definitely worth reading.
Highly recommend! Thank you for the book!
December 19, 2024
India's developmental challenges stem from a crisis of weak state capacity, where the state's scope has expanded without a corresponding increase in its ability to deliver. Muralidharan emphasizes that improving state capacity is essential for accelerating both economic growth and human development. It explores the roles of key actors like politicians and bureaucrats, noting that while they are often criticized, they operate under significant systemic constraints. He highlights the importance of investing in data and outcome measurement, personnel management, and public finance. It also addresses the need for greater federalism and decentralization, and for leveraging non-state actors and markets to improve service delivery. He criticizes the status quo where public spending is often inefficient, with a poor translation of funds into desired outcomes. He notes that India faces a "politics of scarcity" where limited resources are often directed towards narrow groups of voters rather than broad-based service delivery. He emphasizes the need to move beyond this to a "politics of service delivery", where politicians are rewarded for governance and service delivery. It argues that improving state capacity is not just good policy but can also be good politics. The book also examines the bureaucracy, noting that it is both understaffed and inefficient. It proposes reforms to improve bureaucratic functioning, including increasing autonomy and accountability. The book provides a practical roadmap for India's next 25 years, offering implementable ideas for policymakers. It addresses critical challenges in sectors such as education, health, safety, justice, welfare, and job creation. The book stresses the need for a "whole systems" approach to improving governance and emphasizes that this will require coordination and sustained engagement between different actors. It calls for citizens, civil society, and elites to engage in a broad social coalition to demand, encourage, and support state actions that can improve governance. Ultimately, Muralidharan argues that building a more effective Indian state is essential for reaching India's potential.
October 1, 2025
Incredibly comprehensive overview of the Indian state and the importance of state capacity in development. Avoids classic tropes like "spend more on education" or "pay more to teacher's" and instead emphasizes the critical roles of incentives and democratic accountability -- both to citizens and to higher levels of government. All the recommendations are extremely well-evidenced and I've heard from many government officials they found the book useful for programmatic ideas. At a macro level, the main challenge as with most academic books is the politics. The book sticks to the evidence.
My Economist review: https://www.economist.com/finance-and...
My Economist review: https://www.economist.com/finance-and...
May 30, 2025
I was looking for this kind of book from a long time. A compendium of the multitude of problems that India faces and an optimistic, pragmatic (stress on pragmatic) and efficient way to counter it to the best of our abilities.
There might be some questionable or too ambitious fixes that you'd find here and there. But that is inevitable. The point of the book is to take on a herculean challenge, and to accommodate it into a series of small solvable steps. Muralidharan comes with good faith and has done an absolutely tremendous job at countering a barrage of convoluted issues.
This here is the best kind of exercise in patriotism.
There might be some questionable or too ambitious fixes that you'd find here and there. But that is inevitable. The point of the book is to take on a herculean challenge, and to accommodate it into a series of small solvable steps. Muralidharan comes with good faith and has done an absolutely tremendous job at countering a barrage of convoluted issues.
This here is the best kind of exercise in patriotism.
February 4, 2025
The book is a comprehensive take on how to improve the country's development. It has ideas on policing, bureaucracy, justice, poverty and economic growth. Well organized and discussed implementable reforms. It also urged the politicians to go for these reforms. Sufficiently backed by data and examples.
I found the book a repetition of what is already out there and I had read half of it during my preparation for civil services. Still, it is a good book to shape your view about India's current state and how to make reforms for further growth.
I found the book a repetition of what is already out there and I had read half of it during my preparation for civil services. Still, it is a good book to shape your view about India's current state and how to make reforms for further growth.
November 24, 2024
*Accelerating India’s Development* is a well-researched book that sheds light on where the government has stumbled and how things could be done better. It breaks down ideas that genuinely feel like they could work if leaders actually implemented them. Reading it left me hopeful—maybe one day, we’ll see these changes happen. It’s a solid read for anyone curious about India’s potential and what’s holding it back.
September 7, 2024
Everyone seems to be contributing their two cents worth to the development bandwagon of India..but here the author in an intimidatingly stout book tries to explain the problems with their antecedents and applicable solutions with their handicaps to manoeuvre the bandwagon through the labyrinthine problems over coming years..convincingly good..practically very challenging..
September 3, 2024
The book has some excellent ideas. However, its very formal, almost official style, and unnecessary repetitions are tiresome. The book could have been half its size without losing its message.
January 5, 2025
Awesome book! Masterclass on understanding India.
June 17, 2025
A wonderful guidebook on how to make Indian state better with real life ideas and practical examples which can be implemented fine
July 18, 2025
Incisive analysis, backed by evidence.
Easy to read, despite its length.
Pragmatic solutions.
I hope that the powers that be can execute on the many solutions offered in the book.
Easy to read, despite its length.
Pragmatic solutions.
I hope that the powers that be can execute on the many solutions offered in the book.
July 3, 2024
My preliminary take: KM's effort to unpack state capacity from a field perspective as a development economist in academia is commendable. However, this perspective is incomplete from a policymaker's viewpoint. Delving deeper into the literature on state capacity and institutions reveals that many proposals in AID have already been attempted without yielding the desired outcomes, often due to unforeseen ways people have found to circumvent them.
For instance, performance-based pay is depicted as an effective potential reform from selected papers, but the specifics of its implementation are inadequately addressed. Research, such as that synthesized in "State Capability of India," shows it could also have negative or no effects. Another example is the practicum based hiring whose messy political economy side of having to permanently absorb them is insufficiently explored. Both measures—performance-based pay and temporary hiring—have been tried in some capacity in the past and failed. The book fails to distinguish how these reforms would be successful this time around.
While it is a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the convoluted nature of Indian policymaking, it omits much of the on-the-ground nuance and implementation validity in attempting to fit solutions into neat frameworks. My review, in a nutshell, would mostly appreciate the book's comprehensive coverage of empirical literature on state capacity while condemning its deceptively simplistic worldview regarding the formulation and implementation of policy reforms.
For instance, performance-based pay is depicted as an effective potential reform from selected papers, but the specifics of its implementation are inadequately addressed. Research, such as that synthesized in "State Capability of India," shows it could also have negative or no effects. Another example is the practicum based hiring whose messy political economy side of having to permanently absorb them is insufficiently explored. Both measures—performance-based pay and temporary hiring—have been tried in some capacity in the past and failed. The book fails to distinguish how these reforms would be successful this time around.
While it is a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the convoluted nature of Indian policymaking, it omits much of the on-the-ground nuance and implementation validity in attempting to fit solutions into neat frameworks. My review, in a nutshell, would mostly appreciate the book's comprehensive coverage of empirical literature on state capacity while condemning its deceptively simplistic worldview regarding the formulation and implementation of policy reforms.
September 26, 2024
8.5. Great ideas explained well with details and context provided. Would like even more historical context.
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