Books in the Routledge Advances in South Asian Studies series

In 1991, India officially embraced the policy of neo-liberal reforms by signing the GATT agreement, which exposed the country, its society, culture and institutions to the various forces of globalisation. Globalisation as such may not be new to India, for the country has been exposed to the external cultures and civilisations for millennia, but the post-1991 reforms policy marked a significant shift, from a predominantly social welfare state and a command economy to a predominantly market driven one. This book examines some important aspects of the complex interface between India's globalisation and Indian society, culture and public institutions.

Bridging two generations of scholarship on social inequality and modern political forms, this book examines the political philosophies of inclusion of subalterns/Dalits in Gramsci and Ambedkar¿s political philosophies. It highlights the full range of Gramsci¿s `philosophy of praxis¿ and presents a more critical appreciation of his thought in the study of South Asian societies. Equally, Ambedkar¿s thought and philosophy is put to the forefront and acquires a prominence in the international context.

This book looks at the study of ideas, practices and institutions in South Asian Islam, commonly identified as `Sufism¿, and how they relate to politics in South Asia. While the importance of Sufism for the lives of South Asian Muslims has been repeatedly asserted, the specific role played by Sufism in contestations over social and political belonging in South Asia has not yet been fully analysed.

In 1991, India officially embraced the policy of neo-liberal reforms by signing the GATT agreement, which exposed the country, its society, culture and institutions to the various forces of globalisation. Globalisation as such may not be new to India, for the country has been exposed to the external cultures and civilisations for millennia, but the post-1991 reforms policy marked a significant shift, from a predominantly social welfare state and a command economy to a predominantly market driven one. This book examines some important aspects of the complex interface between Indiäs globalisation and Indian society, culture and public institutions.

E-governance has been one of the strategic sectors of reform in India since late 1990s under the rubric of `good governance¿ agenda promoted by International Organisations. This book analyses e-governance in India and argues that such initiatives did not take place in isolation but followed in the footsteps of broader governance reform agenda that has already made considerable impact on the discourses and practices of governance in India. Employing interdisciplinary methodology by combining approaches from the Political Sciences, Sociology and Postcolonial/ Transcultural Studies, this book presents a qualitative account of the policies and practices of e-governance reform in India along with a detailed case study of the Common Services Centres (CSCs) Scheme under the National e-Governance Plan of the Government of India and its resultant impact on the overall system of governance.

This book examines the history and impact of suicide protest, which has been increasingly used as a protest tactic since World War II. It offers a combination of historical and contemporary cases analysis from South Asia, where different iterations of this tactic have been used extensively throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Focussing on the success or failure or a particular action relevant to the movement¿s broader mobilization strategy, the author examines the internal impact this has on the movement and the mechanisms by which suicide as a form of protest evolves.

Following Indiäs general election in May 2009, this book undertakes a critical evaluation of the performance of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). It presents a thorough analysis of the UPA coalition government, and by providing an understanding of the new innovations in the UPA¿s policies, the book goes on to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies against their aims and objectives.

This book examines the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ways in which its Hindu nationalist agenda was affected by the constraints of being a dominant member of a coalition government.

Social exclusion and inclusion are issues of fundamental importance to democracy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this book examines at the multidimensional problems of social exclusion and inclusion, and the long-term issues facing contemporary Indian democracy.

The relationship between trade policy and economic performance is one of the oldest controversies in economic development. This book examines the implications of trade reforms with specific reference to the Indian manufacturing sector.

This book examines the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ways in which its Hindu nationalist agenda was affected by the constraints of being a dominant member of a coalition government.