Not By Reason Alone: The Politics of Change

by N.K. Singh

Not by Reason Alone is a comment on the past and present of the politics of change. The book explores both interpretations of this first, the accumulating evidence, anecdotes, and signs that reason alone does not drive the behaviour of groups or of nations; second, that we need to NOT be reasonable sometimes. This insightful analysis of the political economy of reform is coupled with the understanding that we need to be compassionate, passionate, creative, hopeful, altruistic, and otherwise unreasonable, to ensure that the politics of change is more than a dull grinding reconciliation of interests "at least once in a while. India needs these kinds of unreasonable discontinuities now more than ever. Major liberalization happened more than a decade ago and while there have been important advances since then, the pace has slowed. The "reform days' are slipping into the past. At the same time, the need for change has intensified. India still shines, India is still incredible, but the chinks in the armour are showing as never before. Including a review of the results of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the author, N.K. Singh, draws on his experiences as a close observer, initiator and driver of India's post-reform trajectory to analyse the directions in which India is moving. Having held top positions in the finance ministry and Planning Commission as a civil servant over the past decades, and currently as a member of the Rajya Sabha, N.K. Singh has a rare exposure to national, state, political, and bureaucratic aspects of India's policy-making and policy- implementation processes.

261 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

N.K. Singh is a prominent Indian economist, academician, and policymaker. He is currently Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, a body established under the Indian Constitution to oversee revenue sharing and other federal fiscal policy matters. Prior to this position, he presided as Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Review Committee (FRBM), responsible for setting targets for the government to reduce fiscal deficits. He also served as a member of the Upper House of the Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, from 2008 to 2014, during which time he contributed to several prominent Parliamentary Standing Committees including the Public Accounts Committee, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Human Resource Development.

Singh had a long and distinguished career as a member of the Indian Administrative Services before his entry into politics and fiscal policy leadership. He served as Expenditure Secretary, responsible for overseeing the public financial management system in the Central Government and matters connected with state finances; Revenue Secretary, responsible for exercising control in respect of matters relating to all the Direct and Indirect Union Taxes and putting together ‘dream budget’, Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, among other senior leadership roles. As a member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, he was heading the Expert Committee on Power Sector Reforms, introduction of renewable form of energy as well as the important committee on Foreign Direct Investment to India. The responses to these recommendations opened India substantially for larger foreign equity flows. He was part of the core group of advisors and strategists during India’s economic reforms of 1991. He was principal interlocutor for negotiations with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for structural adjustments, loans and Balance of Payment support instrumentalities.

Singh brings a wealth of national and international experience to the table, having interacted closely with multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, ADB, and OECD. His early work as First Minister, Economic and Commercial, Indian Embassy, Japan (1981–85) and subsequent contributions to the international economic order were recognized by the Emperor of Japan with the award of the “Order of the Rising Sun - Gold and Silver" in 2016. The Japanese order is the second-highest civilian award accorded to people with distinguished achievements in the field of international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, development in welfare or preservation of the environment. He was the only Indian in the list of recipients of 2016 Spring Imperial Decorations.

On the academic front, he is a Member of the Governing Board of the Nalanda University and Chairperson of its Endowments Committee. Mr. Singh has been a recurring eminent guest lecturer at prestigious academic institutions and Universities like Columbia, Yale, Stanford and the London School of Economics.

Mr Singh is also a published author with several prominent books to his name. "Politics of Change", an insight into India's politics and economy, provides incisive insights into the realities of coalition politics and international fault lines. "Not by Reason Alone," comments on the past and present of the politics of change and “The New Bihar: Rekindling Governance and Development", is a collection of perceptive essays on the Bihar model of development. He has been a reputed columnist in leading Indian newspapers including the likes of Hindustan Times, Hindustan, The Indian Express, The Hindu, and Mint.