The Raisina Model: Indian Democracy at 70

• Drawing on his experience as an economist, political thinker and member of the British House of Lords, Meghnad Desai examines both the achievements and shortcomings of Indian democracy. The book offers a critical perspective on how political institutions and changing social identities have shaped contemporary India

Meghnad Desai is an economist, author and academic who taught economics at the London School of Economics. He has written more than twenty books and numerous academic articles. He was made Lord Desai of St Clement Danes in 1991 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008.

The book reflects on India’s seventy-year democratic experience, examining how democracy has evolved since independence. Desai discusses the successes and failures of democratic institutions, the rise of identity politics, coalition politics and the emergence of single-party governments. He also explores regional political differences and the changing nature of India’s political culture.