Planning Democracy: Modern India's Quest for Development

The Indian planning project was an ambitious attempt to fuse Soviet-inspired economic management with Western-style liberal democracy, resulting in the development of India's knowledge infrastructure and data capacities. Nikhil Menon's book explores the challenges of harmonizing technocratic methods with democratic mandates and how planning was used to express the government's aspirations for democratic state-building.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 285 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Indian planning project was a remarkable and ambitious endeavor in the postcolonial world, seeking to blend Soviet-inspired economic management with Western-style liberal democracy, which were often seen as fundamentally opposed. After nearly two centuries of colonial rule, planning was seen as the key to unlocking India's potential for prosperity. In this captivating and innovative book, Nikhil Menon delves into the intricate details of how planning shaped India's knowledge infrastructure and data capabilities, while also influencing the nature of its democracy. Menon examines the challenges inherent in reconciling technocratic methods with democratic mandates and demonstrates how planning served as a powerful vehicle for the government's aspirations for democratic state-building.

By situating India within the broader international debates about economic policy and Cold War ideology, Menon sheds light on how India navigated a delicate balance between capitalism and communism, adding a heightened sense of drama to its development trajectory on the global stage. This book offers a valuable perspective on the complex and multifaceted history of India's economic and political development, providing insights into the ways in which planning influenced the country's social, economic, and political landscape.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 153 x 227 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009044585
Edition number: New ed