In Accidental India: A History of the Nation’s Passage through Crisis and Change, noted journalist-analyst, Shankkar Aiyar, examines India’s ascent through the paradigm of seven game changers: the economic liberalization of 1991, the Green Revolution of the sixties, the nationalization of banks in 1969, Operation Flood in the seventies, the mid-day meal scheme of 1982, the software revolution of the nineties, and the passing of the Right to Information Act in 2005. He argues that these turning points in the country’s history were not the result of foresight or careful planning but were rather the accidental consequences of major crises that had to be resolved at any cost. Key Selling Points: Accidental India-an authoritative, in-depth account of India’s economic and political history is one the most accomplished books written about modern India in recent memory, That the current political and economic crisis in the country has prompted the government to open-up key sectors of the economy, emphatically confirms Aiyar’s argument in this book of change driven by crisis, Compelling and incredibly relevant, Accidental India will resonate with a large readership disillusioned with the present system of governance in India, it will appeal not only to the general reader but also to policymakers, bureaucrats and business-leaders.
