The Oxford Handbook of Indian Politics

The study of Indian politics has witnessed a dramatic revival worldwide in the last few decades. There have been significant developments in national politics since 2014 with the advent of the single-party majority government of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the first such majority since 1984. Moreover, the results of the 17th Lok Sabha (Lower House) election in India in 2019 have had major implications for the party system in India. In the light of these developments, The Oxford Handbook of Indian Politics provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of the state of contemporary Indian politics. To that end, it examines the evolution of core institutions, processes, policies, and associated issues that are being debated in India's politics. It also provides historical contexts, discusses the state of the extant literature in each issue area, and suggests avenues for future research. The contributors to this volume are all noted scholars and researchers in their respective fields of specialization located both in India and around the world. The major topics covered include the Constitution, citizenship, the houses of Parliament, the Cabinet, the judiciary, federalism and local governments, elections, parties and coalitions, secularism and minorities, caste, gender and migration, political violence, political finance, political economy, and foreign and defence policies. In effect, The Oxford Handbook of Indian Politics offers scholars, analysts, and students a sweeping overview of the current landscape of Indian politics, with particular attention to issues that have emerged over the past decade. Cover Copyright Dedication Contents List of Figures List of Tables Notes on Contributors PART I Core Institutions 1. Rights and Citizenship 2. The Lok Sabha 3. The Rajya Sabha: A ‘Federal Chamber’ or a Mere Upper House in the Indian Parliament? 4. The Indian Cabinet 5. The Supreme Court PART II Federalism and Local Politics 6. The Changing Nature of Federalism in India 7. Political Leadership in India 8. Politics in the Third Tier: Municipalities and Panchayats PART III Elections 9. The Election Commission of India and Its Evolution 10. Elections in India: A Journey over the Last Seven Decades 11. Media Exposure, Vote Choice, and Polarization in Indian Politics PART IV The Major Parties 12. The BJP’s Ideology, Structures, Sociology, and Strategies 13. The Congress Party in Decline 14. Regional Parties PART V Parties and Coalitions 15. Political Parties: Centralized Electoral Machines 16. The Party System 17. Coalition Politics in India PART VI Caste, Gender, Migration 18. Caste and Politics: Limits of Democratization 19. Women in Indian Politics 20. The Politics of Interstate Migration in India PART VII Money and Politics 21. Political Finance in India PART VIII Secularism and Minorities 23. Indian Secularism at Crossroads: An Interpretation 24. Communalism 25. Muslim Representation PART IX Political Economy 26. The Political Economy of Macroeconomic Policy in India 27. The Evolution of India’s Economic Regulation: From Dirigisme to the New Regulatory State and Beyond 28. The Politics of Public Service Delivery in India PART X Political Violence 29. Insurgencies and Political Violence in India 30. Coercive Instruments of the State PART XI Foreign Policy and Security 31. The Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy 32. The Functions and Challenges of Indian Defence Policy 33. Drivers of India’s South Asia Policy 35. The New Normal: India’s Quest for the ‘Credible’ in Nuclear Deterrence Index The Oxford Handbook of Indian Politics provides the latest and most comprehensive overview of the state of contemporary Indian politics and examines the evolution of its core institutions, processes, policies, and associated issues over the past decade.