Likening fiscal federalism to a game between the Union and the States, and among the States themselves, Indian Fiscal Federalism lays bare the complex rules of play. It examines the pivotal role of Finance Commissions and assesses momentous events since 2014, such as the replacement of the Planning Commission by NITI Aayog, the emergence of the GST Council, and the controversies surrounding the Fifteenth Finance Commission. States, and among the States themselves, Indian Fiscal Federalism lays bare the complex rules of play. It examines the pivotal role of Finance Commissions and assesses momentous events since 2014, such as the replacement of the Planning Commission by NITI Aayog, the emergence of the GST Council, and the controversies surrounding the Fifteenth Finance Commission. A contemporary, timely, and comprehensive analysis of fiscal federalism in India, this practitioners’ perspective is a must-read for all those interested in the subject.

This book presents an in-depth analysis of key recommendations of the consecutive state finance commissions (SFCs) across states of India in the local and national perspective. It reviews the working of SFCs and their critical role in strengthening local governments, both Panchayats and municipalities in the various states. The volume attempts to identify some of the emerging issues related to the efficacy of SFC in fiscal decentralization. It appraises nearly eighty SFC reports and actions taken thereon by the respective State Governments with contextual analysis.

One of the most troubling critiques of contemporary democracy is the inability of representative governments to regulate the deluge of money in politics. If it is impossible to conceive of democracies without elections, it is equally impractical to imagine elections without money. Costs of Democracy is an exhaustive, ground-breaking study of money in Indian politics that opens readers’ eyes to the opaque and enigmatic ways in which money flows through the political veins of the world’s largest democracy. Through original, in-depth investigation—drawing from extensive fieldwork on political campaigns, pioneering surveys, and innovative data analysis—the contributors in this volume uncover the institutional and regulatory contexts governing the torrent of money in politics; the sources of political finance; the reasons for such large spending; and how money flows, influences, and interacts with different tiers of government. The book raises uncomfortable questions about whether the flood of money risks washing away electoral democracy itself.

Contributed articles presented at the National Seminar on Recommendations of the Twelfth Finance Commission and their Implications for the State Finances, on 6th and 7th May 2005 at Giri Institute of Development Studies.

Contributed seminar papers.

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"In spite of extensive fiscal reforms undertaken during the nineties, Indias public finances face numerous problems. While the taxation system remains distortionary and fragmented, government expenditures remain inefficient in providing public and merit goods to the desired extent. Vertical imbalance and horizontal disparities characterise the federal fiscal system. The fiscal reform years have witnessed a sharp rise in the fiscal imbalance and deterioration in state finances. his book undertakes a comprehensive review of the contemporary issues in Indias public finances within a long-term perspective tracing its evolution since 1950-51. It critically analyses the causes of fiscal imbalance, the tensions that prevail in centre-state financial relations, the progress of decentralization, and issues related with the structure of taxation as well as government expenditures. It examines the impact of public finances on the macro economy and looks at fiscal policy options for growth, stability and poverty alleviation. "