The Special States of India

With the objective of inclusive development, the 11 economically backward hill states in India were granted the status of “Special Category” States (SCS) by the National Development Council on the recommendation of the Planning Commission. These states suffer from many drawbacks that arise from their remoteness, geographical isolation, and topography, historical circumstances and demogra­phic peculiarities. Govind Bhattacharjee’s book is an attempt to understand the historical background, institutional framework and policies of these states, and provides an analytical account in terms of a composite index for evaluating the socio-economic and public fin­ances of the states. The author has drawn heavily from his professional ­experiences of serving the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The book is divided into nine chapters, ending with a summary, discussions and road map for future initiatives.

Asymmetrical Federalism