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Synopsis This is a collection of Bardhan’s classic writings covering a range of his interests in the Indian economy, society and polity. The essays, written over a span of over three decades, vary from broad-brush think-pieces to detailed field survey results and econometric exercises. The book is organized into three clear sections on poverty, agrarian structure, and political economy in India. The papers included address issues such as: The efficiency-equity trade-off in the context of poverty, Non-economic dimensions of poverty such as health status, mortality and longevity, Measurement of income and consumption inequality, Policies for poverty alleviation, NSS employment data and implications for an employment policy appropriate for women, Labour typing, labour supply and demand conditions, migration, Land, labour and credit market interlinkages, Price response to grain marketing, Political economy of reforms and decentralization, Challenges for the left and for the modernizing elite. These papers, reflective as they are of the underlying dynamics and inter-linkages within the Indian socio-politico-economic system, will not just interest economists, political scientists and sociologists, but also any engaged member of the general public. For development scholars, university students, civil servants, policy-makers and interested and involved citizens, this is an important book.