India in the 21st Century
What Everyone Needs to Know
A focused and accessible introduction to modern India by award-winning author Mira Kamdar, India in the 21st Century addresses the history, political and social structures, economic and financial system, and geopolitical landscape of a country set to play a critical role in how the world evolves in the coming decades.
In a concise question-and-answer format, Kamdar addresses India’s history, including its colonial legacy and independence movement; the political and social structures in place today; its rapidly growing economy and financial system; the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century and India’s place in global politics; and the environmental concerns faced by the country, among other topics. She explores India’s contradictions and complications, from its worringly narrow politics of patronage to its willingness to censor information by banning books and controlling internet content. At the same time, Kamdar celebrates the merging of India’s multicultural landscape and deep artistic and intellectual heritage with the dawning of the Information Age and the expansion of mass media, which have made it one of the world’s 21st-century cultural powerhouses.
With clarity and balance, Kamdar brings her in-depth knowledge of the country and eloquent writing style to bear in this focused and incisive addition to Oxford’s highly successful What Everyone Needs to Know series.
Listen to a podcast of the Carnegie Council’s interview with Mira on India in the 21st Century.
-PRAISE-
“India in the 21st century is at a crossroads—and the path it decides to take will have an impact far beyond its own borders. A book as ambitious as the country it covers, Mira Kamdar does us all an important service by writing this excellent volume.” – Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group and author, Us versus Them: The Failure of Globalism
“This deeply researched and beautifully written book is a vital gateway into modern India.” – Sonia Faleiro, author of Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars
“A comprehensive detailed and rich account of India’s history, society, and politics that is both incisively written and rigorously researched.” – Sagarika Ghose, distinguished Indian journalist and author of Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister
“Mira Kamdar, an astute observer of India, has produced an authoritative yet succinct introduction to a continent-sized country. She draws on India’s rich history and its scientific, humane, and religious traditions to provide brisk and clear-eyed assessments of India’s current affairs. As India grows, its global influence is rising too. Newcomers and old India hands alike will find this to be a valuable guide to an immense, fast-changing country.” – Adam Roberts, author of India: Superfast Primetime Ultimate Nation
“This concise book is a most useful primer for those interested in the history, politics, economics and society of contemporary India. It is written in a lucid, cogent style and is laden with pertinent information about this complex and often ill-understood country. Those seeking a quick but reliable understanding of where the country stands and is headed will benefit significantly from this work.” – Sumit Ganguly, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University, Bloomington