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There is a wide diversity in the provision of public services in India. In some states one can go miles without seeing a functional school, a public health centre or a well-maintained road. In contrast, a few states provide public services to all in an efficient manner. This book how Tamil Nadu, one of the remarkable states, developed its social commitment to delivering services effectively.
The author traces this commitment to incessant public action, which started in the 1970s. Unlike the great social movements, such as the Dravidian movement, this form of public action is decentralized and is initiated from within villages. Since the seventies, people from all social groups have started taking action when services are not available or functional, thus creating pressure on the government to deliver these services. Traditionally oppressed communities are now able to engage in action, forcing those in positions of power to ensure that basic services are socially accessible to all.
This culture of protest evolved with socio-political transformations that improved the ability of common people to engage in action. Similar changes took place in Kerala a few decades earlier than in Tamil Nadu. Such changes started in other parts of India, such as the Hindi belt, several decades later. The author posits that these socio-political changes hold the key to understanding recent improvements in public service delivery in states such as Bihar and Chhattisgarh. If this social transformation persists, public services are likely to become a major political priority in the country.
Book of Features
A study of how effective governments in India can be in delivering public services
Analyses a wide range of issues such as NREGA, Food Security Act, Right to Education - topics that have garnered sustained debates over the past
It offers a perspective on why there has been an improvement in the delivery of some public services in states like Bihar and Chhattisgarh
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Section I
Uncontrollable People
Thirty Years of Collective Action
Changes That Enabled Action
Normative Challenges in Tamil Nadu
Section II
Beyond Tamil Nadu: A Tentative Argument
Setting the Agenda: India
The Voice of the Common Person: India
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About the AuthorISBN - 9780199451326
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Pages : 268
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