Public institutions under scrutiny

Book review of 'Rethinking Public Institutions in India'

Rethinking Public Institutions in India

Devesh Kapur, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Milan Vaishnav (Eds)

Oxford University Press

548 pages; Rs 995

Public institutional reform has a stale air about it. There are plenty of options but little action. The sombre packaging of this book adds to this gloom. Possibly, the “monkish”, value-for-money branding is a consciously adopted tactic, setting it apart from the current trend favouring glitz and hype. The authors appear to be flinging a dare — that in their case substance needs no gloss. They are right.

The editors’ academic pedigree is reassuring. Pratap Bhanu Mehta is the