New Subjects and New Governance in India

This volume looks at the ways in which governance in the exercise of its strategies also acts as a process of production of subjects. It argues that governance is not a one-sided affair starting and ending with those who rule and govern, producing fiats, decrees, and diktats, but a productive process — one that produces subjects of governance whoin turnrespond to the process, and make the field of governance a contentious one. Against the backdrop of the first transition of democracy in India from its origin in a colonial polity to the first phase of its independent life after the promulgation of the Indian Constitution in 1950, this volume explores the second transition towards developmental democracy, examining the interrelations between globalisation, development and structures of governance. The volume suggests that while there is need to reflect on the governance of transition, it is importantto question how democracy negotiates this transition.

List of Figures and Tables. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Part I. A Second Transition? Sources of Legitimacy and ‘Scientific’ Governance 1. The Democratic Story of Twin Challenges to Governance: Identity Needs and Developmental Needs Amit Prakash 2. New Technique of Governance: E-Governance and India’s Democratic Experience Dipankar Sinha 3.Disasters: Experiences of Development during the Embankment Years in Bihar Manish K. Jha 4. Between Ecology and Economy: Environmental Governance in India Sutirtha Bedajna 5. Conflict and Development: Implications for Democracy and Governance Sujata Dutta Hazarika Part II. The Production of Appropriate Subjects 6. The Cultured Subjects Badri Narayan Tiwari 7. A Well-behaved Minority Population Ranabir Samaddar 8. The Educated Subjects Anup Dhar. Bibliography. About the Editors and Contributors. Index

Ranabir Samaddar is Director, Calcutta Research Group, Kolkata. Suhit K. Sen Senior Researcher, Calcutta Research Group, Kolkata.