Since the right-wing, Hindu-nationalist government of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the national level in 2014, and with its consolidation of power in the 2019 general election, India has witnessed a significant realignment of its national politics and a shift toward the right of the political spectrum. The Politics of India under Modi: An Introduction to India's Democracy, Economy, and Foreign Policy by Vikash Yadav and Jason A. Kirk provides a detailed overview of India's political trends, economic prospects, and international relations in the twenty-first century.
The book grew out of questions and concerns expressed by students about India's political economy in the contemporary moment--and responds to this pedagogical need. In five chapters, the authors seek to answer these questions through explorations of India's democracy and elections, emerging market economy, and complex foreign policy. Chapter one provides a political overview, including a brief biography of Narendra Modi. Chapter two outlines India's subnational politics, with detailed case studies of Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Chapter three tackles the economy, with a focus on demographics, poverty, employment, growth, and lastly, corruption. Chapters four and five discuss India's economic and foreign policy specifically under Modi, covering topics like the economic boom, India-China relations, the "Act East" policy, and military modernization.
The Politics of India under Modi is designed as a supplement and update for existing syllabi that trace India's political economy from the birth of the republic to the quest for economic liberalization and great power status. Undergraduates and scholars interested in India's foreign policy and political reform will find value in this timely book.
About the Author: Vikash Yadav is Associate Professor of International Relations and Asian Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He is the author of Liberalism's Last Man and Risk in International Finance.
Jason A. Kirk is Professor of Political Science and Policy Studies at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. He is the author of Rising Star: The Meaning of Nikki Haley, Trump's Unlikely Ambassador and India and the World Bank.
