The Gated Republic:
India's Public Policy Failures and Private Solutions
Seventy years since it became a republic, India has come a long way. But it is still failing on some key fronts.
Piped drinking water for all continues to be a pipe dream; homes and businesses are haunted by power outages; the lack of proper primary health care renders the poorest more vulnerable; millions of children coming out of schools lack rudimentary skills; and the security of lives and enterprises, a source of great anxiety, depends on private contractors.
Indians are seceding from dependence on the government for these most basic of services and are investing in the pay-and-plug economy. They have internalized the incapacity of the state to deliver these and are opting for private providers despite the costs. But can India sustain private republics amidst public failures in a landscape scarred by social and economic fault lines? What are the possible solutions? Can government reinvent itself?
The Gated Republic presents an interrogative view of the history and future of private India.
Reading Sample:
PRAISE For The Book
Bibek Debroy: 'A sense of history, a neat turn of phrase, a journalist's penchant for good copy – Shankkar Aiyar's columns and books never fail to prod and provoke. Amidst the structural change India is experiencing, this disturbing book should make citizens demand more from their governments.'
Nandan Nilekani: 'Shankkar Aiyar has surpassed himself with his latest book. With his knowledge of the political economy, he presents the stark reality – that Indians are paying twice for basic services, first as taxes, then as fees. This, alas, further removes the pressure from the government to provide basic public services. This book is a must-read for India's politicians, policy-makers and her people.'
Ruchir Sharma: 'Politicians and economists in India often think the solution to the country's many problems involves coming up with one government scheme after another. In this engaging new book, Shankkar Aiyar details how such statism has repeatedly failed. He explains how the government just doesn't have the capacity to deliver and why the private sector offers more effective, if not always adequate, solutions. It is a book rich in anecdotes and ground reporting – a must-read for understanding the state of the Republic.'
Rama Bijapurkar: 'Formidable—I would even say grand canyonesque—in its width, depth and sweep ... done in a quintessentially Shankkar Aiyar way, with rapier sharp insight, laser-precision analysis, dollops of sardonic humour and delightful turn of phrase sparkling on every page.' –The New Indian Express
'Aiyar's mastery of the historical detail – on both the public and the private side of the story – is distinctive.' – Mihir S. Sharma, Biblio
'How persistent disillusionment with a failing system is driving Indian masses away from government services.' – Financial Express
'Shows how failures of public policy are forcing many Indians to invest in the pay-and-plug economy for the most basic services' – Hindustan Times