About the Book

India’s journey since independence has been characterised by dynamic transitions. Democracy began as an ‘elite democracy’, marked by the constitutional establishment of local self-governance, and gradually evolved into a mass democracy – though elite influences have persisted even at the grassroots. This evolution reflects a continuous interplay between tradition and transformation.

The economic and political landscape underwent a significant shift in the 1990s. Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation (LPG) opened rural India to private sector participation, while the 73rd Constitutional Amendment institutionalised democratic decentralisation – empowering local communities to shape their own developmental trajectories.

This book explores three key dimensions: understanding the current role of local institutions, preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century, and examining how the narrowing gap between the global and the local is reshaping governance. The first two sections offer a critical analysis of policy frameworks and conceptual developments. The New Economic Policy (NEP) and its facilitation of corporate presence at the local level are examined through in-depth primary research in Himachal Pradesh – a state where rural communities have experienced the deep impact of the 1990s economic reforms. The study reveals that mass participation in democracy and development is bringing renewed vibrancy to grassroots politics.

This book is an essential read for academics, researchers, policymakers, and anyone seeking to understand the evolving dynamics and enduring inequalities in rural India.

Contents

Section I

Participation: Concept and Process         

Development and Participation

Democratic Decentralization and Local Government       

Revisiting Gandhi’s Idea of Decentralization: Village Swaraj in the Contemporary Context

Seventy-third Amendment in the Perspective of the 21st Century

Section II

Fiscal Federalism: Centralization and Decentralization    

Political Parties’ Perception of Decentralization and Its Role Performance

Paradigms of the Economic Reforms, Democratic Decentralization and Tribal Society after 1991

Section III

Society and Economy of Himachal Pradesh

Panchayati Raj Institutions in Himachal Pradesh with Special Reference to HPPR Act 1994             

Economic Reforms and Rural and Tribal Locale: A Case Study of Himachal Pradesh

Corporate Sector, Rural Masses and Local Leadership: A Case Study of the Ambuja Cement Limited (ACL), Darla Ghat, Himachal Pradesh

Section IV

Conclusion          

About the Author / Editor

Mridula Sharda is a distinguished academic currently serving as Professor in the Department of Political Science at Himachal Pradesh Central University. With over thirty-five years of dedicated experience in teaching, research, and academic writing, she has made significant contributions to the study of Indian polity, democratic decentralisation, tribal issues, and women’s studies. Professor Sharda is the author of two major books and has published more than sixty research papers in reputed national and international journals. She has supervised twenty-five PhD and MPhil scholars, advancing scholarship in political science and development studies. Her unwavering commitment to understanding and transforming rural India is reflected in her extensive fieldwork and incisive policy analysis. Her work remains essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of grassroots democracy and rural transformation in post-liberalisation India.