Readings on Governance and Development

Contents: 1. Fragile districts—Futile decentralisation/Harka Bahadur Gurung. 2. Decentralisation in Nepal, setting an agenda for the future/Sant Bahadur Gurung. 3. Governance challenges for Nepal/Dev Raj Dahal. 4. Ten years of decentralisation in Nepal/Walter Kalin. 5. Decentralisation for Nepal’s genuine development—lessons for the future/Dilli Raj Khanal. 6. Decentralisation and development—building an empowerment strategy/Charan Prasai. 7. Decentralisation, women’s participation and development/Pushpa Shrestha. 8. Financial autonomy of local authorities in Nepal : a case study of Morang and Kavre district development committees/Dwarika Nath Dhungel. 9. Decentralisation in the post—1990 Era in Nepal: an introduction to legal instruments/Mukti Rijal. Book review—civil society in Nepal by Devraj Dahal. Reviewed by Mukti Rijal.

"Experiences of democratic governance in developing countries have yielded mixed results. Expectations of the masses often remain unmet, which add fuel to social discontent. Problems are often seen especially in the institutions, mechanism and process of governance. This has necessitated collective actions, discussions and debates to improve the situation.

"This publication is an attempt to discuss and add new value and meaning to the debate and dialogue on governance. Contributors who have written articles for this volume are renowned academicians and personalities who have made significant contributions in the realm of public policy formulation, analysis and development. The articles not only bring some of Nepal’s problems to the fore but also hint at how these could be addressed.

"This publication will prove to be an essential reading for those who have an interest on governance and development."