Democracy in India

Contents: Preface. 1. Defining democracy. 2. Contextualizing Indian democracy. 3. Democracy in action: elections in India. 4. Parties and democracy. 5. Democracy in Nehruvian era: the foundational phase. 6. Democracy: Indira Gandhi years of power: 1969-77 and 1980-84. 7. Indian democracy in a new context. 8. Constitution: secular democracy and religion-based politics. 9. Democracy and economic development. 10. Indian democracy: an overview.

"With more than 671 million voters and about 3.2 million elected representatives, from the panchayats to the parliament, India is the largest democracy in the world. This thought-provoking primer essays the working of India's democratic experiment of creating myriad avenues for popular political participation. The book also provides a balanced overview of its multiple facets--the opportunities and challenges facing Indian democracy today. A compelling read for students as well as the interested lay readers."