The volume brings together diverse perspectives on polity, governance reforms and socio-economic transformations in the region. This volume marks one of the first comprehensive academic engagements to highlight the aspects of politics, governance and economy that shape modern Jammu and Kashmir. While a multi-disciplinary approach is followed to bring out the complexities involved in the varied themes of politics, governance and economy, the text tries to weave them together to provide a coherent discussion on the interplay and interconnectedness of these themes.
From post-partition politics to reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir; from democracy, rural and urban governance, down to addressing concerns of marginal groups, as well as ensuring accountable governance; from themes like agrarian economy, industrial policies, planning and development down to the issue of poverty and SDGs, it attempts to address a host of different but related issues central to Jammu and Kashmir.
This volume will be useful to scholars, students and teachers of political science, sociology, governance, economics, and development studies. It will also be an indispensable companion to scholars and general readers interested in India, especially Jammu and Kashmir, as well as for those interested in South Asian studies.
Table of Contents:
Introduction SECTION I: POLITICS 1. The Place: Formation of the Princely Order and the Colonial Intervention 2. A New Beginning: Administrative Transitions and Political Realignments 3. Politics of Accommodation: Status Within the Union 4. Shaping the Future: Foundation and Working of the Constituent Assembly 5. From Hegemony to Competition: Changing Nature of Party System 6. Shifting Paradigms: Evolving Politico-Administrative Landscape SECTION II: GOVERNANCE 7. Electoral Democracy: Delineating the Chequered Practice 8. Democratic Decentralization in Rural Context: Progress and Recent Innovations 9. Urbanization and Urban Governance: Patterns, Institutions and Interventions 10. Addressing Marginality: Governance and Development of Tribal Communities 11. Towards Accountable Governance: Initiatives, Achievements and Challenges SECTION III: ECONOMY 12. Nature of Economy and Developmental Trajectory: an overview 13. Agrarian Reforms in the Regional Context: Land-Redistribution Policies from 1948 to 1953 14. (Re)Legislating Land: Institutional and Policy Shifts 15. Rethinking Development: Economic Welfarism and Regional Variations 16. From Public to Private: Industrialization Policy Shifts 17. In Pursuit of SDGs: Progress, Prospectus and Challenges
About the Author :
Aijaz Ashraf Wani is a Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir. He is the author of What Happened to Governance in Kashmir? (Oxford University Press, 2019) and co-editor of Democracy in South Asia, (Routledge, 2025), and Government and Politics of Jammu and Kashmir: From Princely State to Union Territory (Sage, 2022).
Muzamil Yaqoob is a doctoral candidate at the School of Public Policy, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. A graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, he has worked at Lokniti-CSDS and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi.
Javaid Iqbal Khan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Kashmir. His academic expertise spans Applied microeconomics, Development Studies, Institutional Economics, and the Economy of Jammu and Kashmir, with over 15 years of teaching, research and policy engagement.
