Synopsis India's democratic polity--thriving amidst enormous social and cultural diversity and persistent inequalities--has long been an anomaly in democratic theory. In the context of India's increasing ascendancy on the global stage, it has also become a subject of widespread popular interest.
The Oxford Companion to Politics in India addresses this interest by presenting a wide-ranging and comprehensive survey of politics in India today. It covers a gamut of issues that are organized thematically under eight broad rubrics. About forty essays encompass a vast range: from elections to economic reforms; business and politics to redistribution and social justice; coalition politics to judicial activism; and from India's foreign policy to the use of data in explaining Indian politics.

Incorporating the best social science research on each theme, the Companion presents incisive analyses of the central issues in India's democratic polity. The contributors, leading academics from around the world, provide a masterly overview of each domain of study, evaluating key theoretical positions and intellectual debates, and presenting their own analytical perspective interwoven with a narrative of political developments.

Written in a lucid and accessible style, this comprehensive analytical reference work will be indispensable for political scientists, economists, sociologists, and those interested in India's international relations and domestic policymaking.