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AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE: 28 MARCH 2024

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By
KARTHIK MURALIDHARAN

Tata Chancellor's Professor of Economics
University of California, San Diego

ABOUT THE BOOK

Seventy-five years after Independence, India has much to be proud of. We are both the world’s biggest democracy and 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 seminal 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. 

Every chapter showcases the author’s dedication to bridging 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, India’s next twenty-five years can be a period of unprecedented growth and societal enrichment. 

About th Book
The Author
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THE AUTHOR

Prof. Karthik Muralidharan

Tata Chancellor's Professor of Economics
University of California, San Diego

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Karthik Muralidharan is the Tata Chancellor’s professor of economics at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). His research spans public finance and development economics with a focus on improving education, health, welfare, and public service delivery; and has been published in several world-leading academic journals. He has also actively engaged in policy advising and capacity building in India at both Central and state government levels, and in public communication of research insights through several op-eds and podcasts

Professor Muralidharan is also the co-founder and scientific director of the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS), a non-profit organization that works with multiple state governments across India to improve state capacity, governance, and service delivery. Born and raised in India, he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard, an MPhil from Cambridge (UK), and a PhD in economics from Harvard.

Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

The 1991 economic reforms were all about dismantling a highly dysfunctional system of government interference with what was much better done by the market. This needed to be accompanied by the government playing a much stronger role in critical areas, notably the delivery of high-quality public services such as education and health, and also the rule of law. These are areas where our performance needs to be greatly improved if we are to achieve the objective of inclusive growth leading to high income status. In this magisterial book, Karthik Muralidharan draws on extensive research and practice to tell us how this is best done. Since these issues are Constitutionally state subjects, the book highlights the importance of state-level actions. Since much of what needs to be done in the years ahead lies primarily in the realm of the states, the book also recommends much greater decentralisation from centre to state, and from state to local governments. It sets an ambitious national agenda for evolving a well-considered programme of centre-state cooperation, which will be essential if we are to make progress in these areas.

MONTEK SINGH AHLUWALIA,

Former Deputy Chairman,

Planning Commission of India;

Former Finance Secretary, Govt. of India

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EVENTS

EVENTS
  • Book Talk, Chennai
    Book Talk, Chennai
    Book Talk, Chennai
    Sat, Mar 23
    Chennai, Tamil Nadu
    Chennai, Tamil Nadu
    Chennai, Tamil Nadu
    Hosted by Chennai International Centre
  • Book Talk, Mumbai
    Book Talk, Mumbai
    Book Talk, Mumbai
    Thu, Mar 21
    Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    Hosted by Artha India
  • Book Talk, New Delhi
    Book Talk, New Delhi
    Book Talk, New Delhi
    Tue, Mar 12
    Delhi, India
    Delhi, India
    Delhi, India
    Hosted by Carnegie India

GALLERY

Gallery

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