Democracy, Civil Society and Health in India

Book Details:

• Title: India’s Health Puzzle

• Author: Madhavi Gupta

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

• ISBN: 9781137365743

• Language: English

• Edition: 2015

• Pages: 133

• Binding: Hardcover

• Release Date: 02 December 2014

• Package Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches

About the Book:
India’s Health Puzzle critically examines the paradox of India’s health performance amidst its economic growth and democratic governance. Despite significant economic progress since the 1980s and over six decades of democratic rule, India’s health outcomes remain a glaring issue. While states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have shown improvement, northern states lag behind, highlighting the uneven health progress across the country.

This book explores the reasons behind the disappointing health outcomes, with a key focus on the inadequate provision of public services such as health, water supply, education, and waste management, which all have a direct impact on health. Drawing on field research conducted in two low-income communities in New Delhi, Gupta and Pushkar analyze why low-income groups fail to utilize their political freedoms to demand improvements in public services that directly affect their health.

Contents:

1. Introduction: India’s Health Puzzle

2. Democracy, Civil Society, and Claims-Making in India

3. Why Are India’s Poor Not Making Claims for Health?

4. What Will It Take for the Poor to Demand Health Services?

5. Conclusion: Democracy, Civil Society, and Claims-Making for Public Service

About the Author:
Madhavi Gupta is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Goa, India. She has previously taught at McGill University and Concordia University (Canada) and has published on civil society and democracy in both Brazil and India.

Pushkar is an Assistant Professor at the same department. He has taught International Development Studies at McGill University and Political Science at Concordia University, Canada. His research spans Chilean politics, health reforms, and democracy in India.