Constitution of India: A Contextual Analysis

This book provides an overview of the Indian Constitution, focusing on its principles, institutions, and evolution. It highlights the role of technocratic institutions and evaluates issues related to constitutional rights, directive principles, and identity. The book adopts a narrative approach to describe the challenges faced over seven decades of the constitutional order, placing less emphasis on constitutional doctrine and more on political bargains and extra-legal developments. It aims to reach a general audience interested in understanding the complexities of constitutionalism in India.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This comprehensive book offers a thorough exploration of the Indian Constitution, delving into its content and functioning within the broader socio-political context. It emphasizes the overarching principles and key institutions that govern the world's longest written constitution, which was inaugurated in 1950. Spanning nine chapters, the book delves into the specific aspects of India's constitutional tradition as it has evolved over seven decades of independence.

The journey begins with a pre-history of the Constitution and its creation, progressing to an in-depth examination of the structural features and operational mechanisms of the Constitution's principal governance institutions. These include the executive, parliament, federalism, local government, and the judiciary.

One unique aspect of Indian constitutionalism highlighted in the book is the significant role played by technocratic institutions such as the Election Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and a set of new regulatory institutions, most of which were established in the 1990s.

A substantial portion of the book evaluates issues related to constitutional rights, directive principles, and the constitutional regulation of various forms of identity in India. The book approaches the important topic of constitutional change in India from an atypical perspective. It employs a narrative form to describe the twists, turns, and challenges encountered throughout nearly seven decades of the constitutional order's functioning.

In contrast to conventional Indian constitutional scholarship, which places greater emphasis on constitutional doctrine (as developed in judicial decisions delivered by the High Courts and the Supreme Court), this book shifts the spotlight onto the political bargaining that has shaped India's constitutional development.

By examining the interplay between political actors, societal forces.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 141 x 216 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781841137360