Accelerating India's Development: A State Led Roadmap for Effective Governance | ESCI 2025

This book symposium took the format of experts on these themes, albeit of varying persuasions, commenting on the chapters in the book and in conversation with the author. Chair: Barbara Harriss-White (Retd. Oxford University) Author: Karthik Muralidharan (University of California, San Diego) Discussants: Pranab Bardhan (University of California), Andaleeb Rahman (Cornell University) Book Abstract: Seventy-five years after Independence, India has much to be proud of. We are the world’s biggest democracy as well as the fastest-growing large economy. Yet, we also face profound challenges that hinder both individual well-being and aggregate growth, including education and skills, health and nutrition, public safety, justice, social protection, and jobs. This book systematically analyses India’s governance challenges, especially in delivering essential public services, and highlights how these are limiting India’s development. Drawing on a wealth of research and practical insights, it provides actionable, evidence-based strategies, emphasizing state-level reforms as critical for India’s advancement. Accelerating India’s Development is addressed to all Indians—leaders, officials, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, citizens, and civil society—and provides an urgent call to action. It argues that building a more effective state is the great unfinished task of Indian democracy, because quality public services are key to translating the political equality of ‘one person, one vote’ into greater equality of opportunity for all Indians. In each chapter, the author is trying to bridge the gap between scholarly research, public understanding, and actionable governance. This book is a testament to cautious optimism and the belief that with the right public systems in place, the next twenty-five years can be a period of unprecedented growth and societal enrichment for India.

Added 20 Jun 2026