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Public Policy in India: Oxford India Short Introductions
What is governance and how does it evolve? What are the steps involved in law-making and what often holds back its implementation? Do the legislature and the executive relate to the rapidly changing democratic politics? Can the globally hailed policy theories work in India?
This short introduction addresses such debates and more through a variety of case studies. Tracing the evolution of the discipline in India, it provides a concise and lucid introduction of how policies develop, how they are implemented, as well as the techniques of evaluation and the challenges in governance facing the country.
This short introduction addresses such debates and more through a variety of case studies. Tracing the evolution of the discipline in India, it provides a concise and lucid introduction of how policies develop, how they are implemented, as well as the techniques of evaluation and the challenges in governance facing the country.
- GenresIndia
184 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 3, 2024
I will poorly rate the book. Why? Let me explain:
The author points out on page 86-87 about low state capacity with data on 130 police officers per 1 lakh as compared to 348 in the US. A similar point is made for Judges, Diplomatic Corp and IAS officers. And then he points out: "More than a little of this workforce shortage is the artefact of the recruiting system possibly made difficult by reservations."
My mind is hinged upon this line because it's a very stupid and biased logic, mostly adopted by upper caste Indians. Reservation is a social justice programme not a poverty alleviation scheme. It'ss the only way to improve representation & ensure diversity, equity & inclusion in all social structures.
India is a country that has linked caste with the intellect. In this land, many times it is declared that ‘no suitable candidate found for the post' in the government jobs, even when the candidates from SC/ST backgrounds were highly qualified. This act deprives SCs/STs of their legitimate rights to be part of the decision making process and policy matters. Rather than being an enabler for inclusion, Indian social system shows apathy and tries to bypass affirmative action. Caste supremacists continue to assert their identity and exclusionary practices even in publicly funded institutions today.
Definition of the ‘merit’ by upper caste (UC) is so narrow as they misunderstand their own Lottery of birth for talent. UC think ‘merit’ begins and ends at the start of an entrance exam. What UC cannot see is that being born into the upper caste is a privilege system with a 100% reservation for its own. After enjoying de facto reservations for generations, UC don't want caste census and an UC author blames reservation in a book on sub par performance of the public institutions.
Such a prestigious book published by Oxford. What a farce!
The author points out on page 86-87 about low state capacity with data on 130 police officers per 1 lakh as compared to 348 in the US. A similar point is made for Judges, Diplomatic Corp and IAS officers. And then he points out: "More than a little of this workforce shortage is the artefact of the recruiting system possibly made difficult by reservations."
My mind is hinged upon this line because it's a very stupid and biased logic, mostly adopted by upper caste Indians. Reservation is a social justice programme not a poverty alleviation scheme. It'ss the only way to improve representation & ensure diversity, equity & inclusion in all social structures.
India is a country that has linked caste with the intellect. In this land, many times it is declared that ‘no suitable candidate found for the post' in the government jobs, even when the candidates from SC/ST backgrounds were highly qualified. This act deprives SCs/STs of their legitimate rights to be part of the decision making process and policy matters. Rather than being an enabler for inclusion, Indian social system shows apathy and tries to bypass affirmative action. Caste supremacists continue to assert their identity and exclusionary practices even in publicly funded institutions today.
Definition of the ‘merit’ by upper caste (UC) is so narrow as they misunderstand their own Lottery of birth for talent. UC think ‘merit’ begins and ends at the start of an entrance exam. What UC cannot see is that being born into the upper caste is a privilege system with a 100% reservation for its own. After enjoying de facto reservations for generations, UC don't want caste census and an UC author blames reservation in a book on sub par performance of the public institutions.
Such a prestigious book published by Oxford. What a farce!
January 9, 2019
The book is a reasonable primer on the lay of the policy landscape in India.
I would recommend this book to early career seekers, graduate policy program applicants on one count - to get pointers to reach out to organizations and practitioners in India. One should read the references, data sources and footnotes carefully in the process.
One of the highlights was the description of the birth and evolution of this discipline and the contribution of American universities in this regard. Please note that nowhere in the text does the author bothers to delve into any of the thematic areas in any depth. Most of the text is peppered with anecdotes and personal experiences of the authors as they provide a cursory survey of how different actors, stakeholders and institutions that have influenced the course of policy process in India.
Still it is a good place to start as one endeavors to plan approaches and find direction to on his or her path in this exciting career. Well, not everyone has the benefit of mentors, relatives and benefactors what are plugged into the public systems and policy space and such an account perspective would definitely help the reader along the way!
I would recommend this book to early career seekers, graduate policy program applicants on one count - to get pointers to reach out to organizations and practitioners in India. One should read the references, data sources and footnotes carefully in the process.
One of the highlights was the description of the birth and evolution of this discipline and the contribution of American universities in this regard. Please note that nowhere in the text does the author bothers to delve into any of the thematic areas in any depth. Most of the text is peppered with anecdotes and personal experiences of the authors as they provide a cursory survey of how different actors, stakeholders and institutions that have influenced the course of policy process in India.
Still it is a good place to start as one endeavors to plan approaches and find direction to on his or her path in this exciting career. Well, not everyone has the benefit of mentors, relatives and benefactors what are plugged into the public systems and policy space and such an account perspective would definitely help the reader along the way!
June 15, 2017
This is a brief introduction to public policy in India. It discusses formulation, analysis and implementation/revision of policy interventions in the Indian context and uses case studies to investigate into examples of good and bad policy implemented in India. A key learning has been about mathematical models used to collect evidence for policy intervention, such as RCTs and difference-in-difference. Examples that took me by surprise were that of the Balika Cycle Yojana in Bihar and mandating of Aadhar for MGNREGS and pensions in Andhra Pradesh. Do read to find out. :)
October 30, 2019
This was one of the first content I choose to introduce myself to basics of public policy. Although it doesn't discuss any of the major tools in policy making in depth other than RCTs, it still explains the process very well through stages of formulation, implementation and evaluation with examples. I find the language used to be very simple and order of content to be logically arranged. I am looking forward to read more from the authors especially in the domain of public policy.
January 9, 2019
The book serves as the perfect introduction to public policy in India. It achieves its objective of providing a 10,000 feet view of the sector, while offering multiple thinking points to the reader that can be explored in detail. It ends with multiple book recommendations to help the reader dive further deep into the subject. Highly recommended!
June 29, 2023
Thoughtful and informative the book is a perfect blend of a beginners guide to public policy in India. A great starting point for more nuanced reading later on policy making and implementation in India.
October 12, 2018
A very well compiled book on such a complex topic. Very good read. Highly recommend this Oxford India short introduction on public policy in India. Only for beginners though...
October 12, 2020
A good read specifically for beginners.
December 31, 2020
Useless!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews