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This volume is about economists, economics, and issues of concern to Indian society. Some essays are expository, and some satirical. Together, they offer a commentary on the state of the discipline of economics today and on aspects of contemporary India's society and polity. The volume affords insights into, among other things, - the pervasive influence of economists such as Kenneth Arrow and Anthony Atkinson, and thinkers such as Tom Paine, Jonathan Swift, and Dadabhai Naoroji;- the place of markets and game theory (and even crime fiction!) in present-day economics; - the affectations and convoluted mathematisation of a good deal of ‘mainstream'economics; and- India's recent political climate, and the conduct of various arms of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary in the country. Engaging and lucidly written, this volume should be of interest to scholars of economics, political science, development studies, South Asian studies, and, above all, the general reader.

This volume is an overview of, and commentary on, aspects of contemporary India and its socio-economic policies. It focuses on India's economy and society in recent years, and in the process it addresses structural issues of development such as those of population, poverty, inequality, health, and social exclusion. It reviews the adequacy and appropriateness of governmental response to these problems, in terms of public policy, narrowly conceived, and philosophical orientation, more broadly conceived. The concern is not only with economic achievement and human development but also with the framework of civic rights, personal liberty, and institutional autonomy within which the exercise of governance is perceived to be carried out.The essays in this volume were originally written with the general-reader-as-involved-citizen very much in mind as the intended target. However, it should also be of interest to scholars of economics, political science, development studies, and South Asian studies.

This book covers diverse themes, including institutions and efficiency, choice and values, law and economics, development and policy, and social and economic measurement. Written in honour of the distinguished economist Satish K. Jain, this compilation of essays should appeal not only to students and researchers of economic theory but also to those interested in the design and evaluation of institutions and policy.