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Studies how habits of governance create institutional rigidities that dislodge law-given local autonomy to improve urban public services.
List of contents
Dedication; Acknowledgements; Preface; List of Tables; List of Figures; Glossary; Abbreviations; Part I. Background: Chapter 1. Two Cities; Chapter 2. Approach and Argument; Part II. Local Capacity: Chapter 3. Running City Governments; Chapter 4. Organising City Governments; Part III. Accountability: Chapter 5. State-Local Relations; Chapter 6. Participation in City Governments; Part IV. Institutions, Policies and Implementation: Chapter 7. Theorising Decentralisation; Chapter 8. Governing Locally: Institutions and Policies; Chapter 9. Implementing 'Governing Locally'; References; Index.
About the author
Babu Jacob has worked with the Indian Administrative Service since 1968 at different levels and in different governance domains in the Kerala state government and the national government, including in domains with direct relevance to this book (urban governance and public works). He retired as the Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala. He researches governance and was affiliated with the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum.Suraj Jacob is a political economist and currently teaches economics at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. He is also affiliated with CDS, Trivandrum. He has worked as CEO of Vidya Bhawan, a 600-employee NGO in southern Rajasthan.
Summary
The book discusses ways to reclaim the ability to govern locally and to effectively deliver services. Policy practitioners, scholars and advocacy groups will value the book's explanation of how city governments and state governments operate, and how controlling state governments drain out city government capacity to deliver.
Foreword
Studies how habits of governance create institutional rigidities that dislodge law-given local autonomy to improve urban public services.
Additional text
'In simple and uncomplicated words, this book is path-breaking. Unlike rural panchayats, urban local self governance in India is understudied. By focusing on Trivandrum and Surat, among other things, this book gives us a deep understanding of why city governments function so differently in India. Counter-intuitive insights, especially about Kerala, abound. Urban India will become bigger and bigger in the coming years. Read this book to understand what is at stake!' Ashutosh Varshney, Brown University, USA
