'India in Search of Glory': Book chronicles evolution of economic policies since Independence

The book has divided Indias economic journey into three timelines - 1947-1964, 1964-1991, and 1991-2019.The first part of the book deals with challenges confronting the newly independent country and how they were met in the Nehruvian period.With Nehru like a colossus dominating the politics and economics in the country, it was a period of policy autonomy, pluralist politics and socialist economics, Lahiri writes in the introduction to the book.He adds that the second part deals with the 27 years post-Nehru, when, with the transformation of society in the Nehruvian period, there was an upsurge in popular participation.

Economist and BJP leader Ashok Lahiri in his new book has studied and presented a chronological account of the evolution of economic policies, starting from 1947.

Published by Penguin Random House India, ''India in Search of Glory'' also tries to argue why India could not achieve more since Independence and what all it could have achieved. The book has divided India's economic journey into three timelines - 1947-1964, 1964-1991, and 1991-2019.

The first part of the book deals with challenges confronting the newly independent country and how they were met in the Nehruvian period.

''With Nehru like a 'colossus' dominating the politics and economics in the country, it was a period of policy autonomy, pluralist politics and socialist economics,'' Lahiri writes in the introduction to the book.

He adds that the second part deals with the 27 years post-Nehru, ''when, with the transformation of society in the Nehruvian period, there was an upsurge in popular participation''. The last part, covering the period from 1991 to 2019, looks at India's economic trajectory when reforms, ''albeit their ups and downs, continued and were accelerated''. ''This book is an attempt to decipher improvements in the political calculus, as the country develops and the backwardness of the people diminishes, for democracy to start yielding better dividends in the Indian search for glory,'' Lahiri writes.

He adds that it was a ''daunting and exciting'' task to build a narrative of Indian economic evolution and political developments that would be meaningful to a readership ''with interest in the subject but not necessarily a background in economics''.

The task appeared even more ''stimulating'' after the BJP under Narendra Modi formed the government for two successive terms in 2014 and 2019.

The book also paints a picture of India's possible future and highlights the areas that need immediate attention.

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