Indian Politics and Political Processes

Mithilesh Kumar Jha teaches political science at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He earned his PhD in 2014 from the University of Delhi. Dr. Jha’s research interests are political thought, theory, and Indian politics. His noted publication is Language Politics and Public Sphere in North India: Making of the Maithili Movement (2018). His articles and review articles have appeared in journals like EPW, Studies in Indian Politics, Contributions to Indian Sociology, Seminar, The Book Review, and LSE Review of Books. He has been a recipient of the Charles Wallace Fellowship and ICSSR Fellowship for data collection abroad for his research in 2012. Kamal Nayan Choubey teaches political science at Dyal Singh College of Delhi University. He has completed his PhD from the Department of Political Science, Delhi University. He is the author of the book, Jaatiyon ka Rajneetikaran: Bihar Mein Pichhdi Jatiyon ke Ubhar ki Dastan (2008); Jungle Ki Haqdari: Rajneeti aur Sangharsh (2015); he has co-edited Bhartiya Neetiyon Ka Samajik Paksh (2017) and Bhartiya Gram Shrikhna (3 volume, 2019). He has edited two volumes of Dalit Gyan Mimansa (2022). He also did a Post-Doctorate from Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML, Delhi) on the experience of PESA and FRA (2012–2014). He has completed a Major Research Project with Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) Delhi on the role of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in tribal areas. He is a member of the editorial team of the reputed journal Pratiman (published by CSDS, Delhi) and published articles in journals like Economic and Political Weekly, Studies in Indian Politics, Social Change. He has translated many well-known academic books from English to Hindi, including Will Kymilika’s Contemporary Political Philosophy and John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice.

List of Figures x

List of Tables xi

Notes on Contributors xii

Acknowledgements xvii

List of Abbreviations xix

Introduction 1

MITHILESH KUMAR JHA AND KAMAL NAYAN CHOUBEY

SECTION I

Indian Constitution, State and Emerging Trends 33

1 Indian Constitution: Antecedents, Philosophy and Basic Features 35

OM PRAKASH

2 State, Society and the Nation 53

MOHINDER SINGH

3 Populism and the ‘Nirgun’ People 75

ADITYA NIGAM

4 Forms of Contemporary Religious Movements 95

MANINDRA NATH THAKUR

5 Regulating the Electoral Domain: The Election Commission of India 115

UJJWAL KUMAR SINGH AND ANUPAMA ROY

SECTION II

Political Processes I: Changing Dynamics of Institutions and Political Parties 129

6 Indian Judiciary: Changing Role and Dynamics of the Supreme Court of India 131

INDRAJEET KUMAR JHA

7 Indian Parliament: Changing Contours and Challenging Future 156

MEENAKSHI GOGOI AND MITHILESH KUMAR JHA

8 Federal Polity in the Multiparty Coalition Era and Beyond 174

HEMANT DOGRA AND MITHILESH KUMAR JHA

9 Policy Paths to Welfare and Citizen Well-Being: A Rights-Based Perspective 197

HIMANSHU JHA

10 Elections and Voting Behaviour: Historical Antecedents and Contemporary Trends 221

SUMIT KUMAR SARMA AND MITHILESH KUMAR JHA

11 The Congress Party and the Indian Party System 237

RAJESH KUMAR

12 Bharatiya Janata Party: Electoral Dominance or Ideological Hegemony? 259

MITHILESH KUMAR JHA

SECTION III

Political Processes II: Contested Determinants of Indian Politics 275

13 Changing Dynamics of Caste and Politics in India 277

SATAKSHI MALVIYA AND SHAMIK VATSA

14 The Middle Class in India: Politics, Economy and Culture 296

ASHUTOSH KUMAR

15 Understanding Tribal India: Constitutional Rights, Issues and Challenges 318

KAMAL NAYAN CHOUBEY

16 Gender and Indian Politics 342

RASHMI GOPI

17 Secularism in India: Theories, Practices and Controversies 364

ANURAG PANDEY

18 Local Self-Government: Panchayats and Municipalities 387

SMITA AGARWAL

SECTION IV

Political Processes III: Site of Concerns and Challenges to Indian Democracy 407

19 The Idea of Minority: An Indian Story 409

HILAL AHMED

20 Politics of Ethnonationalism and Multi-Level Governance in India 436

PAHI SAIKIA

21 Discourse on the Environment and Development in India 463

MEENAKSHI GOGOI

22 The Politics of the Public Health System in India 480

SKYLAB SAHU

Index