Studies in Indian Public Finance

Studies in Indian Public Finance is a comprehensive analytical study of Indian public finance evaluated in the background of theories and best practice approaches. It is a comprehensive analysis of the nature and composition of public spending and its financing. Beginning with normative questions on the role of the State, the book argues that public expenditure policies in India are dominated by political economy considerations. Low revenue productivity of the tax system has constrained the ability of the government to adequately finance physical and social infrastructure at required levels causing elevated levels of large deficits and debt threatening stability, and sustainability. The book also analyses the trends and issues in Indian fiscal federalism and evaluates the effectiveness of intergovernmental transfers in a country marked with wide inter-regional disparities. The analysis also extends to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indian public finances. The book will be useful to students of economics, scholars working on the subject, and policy makers.

M. Govinda Rao is currently working as Councilor, Takshashila Institution, Bangalore. He was a former member, Fourteenth Finance Commission, Government of India and Director, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi.