The Indian Economy ? Major Debates Since Independence Edited by Terence J. Byres, Oxford, Rs 575 In many ways, the Indian economy represents a unique development experience. In a sharply polarized economic order, post-World War II, the development efforts of the world?s largest democracy attracted widespread attention from economists and social and political scientists. The ?mixed? economy model was the first experiment of its kind. By adopting a relatively untested strategy, the economy witnessed policy conflicts of a new nature. These multiplied as the economy grew, with new dilemmas replacing old ones. Economic development in India over five decades has witnessed numerous trade offs between policy objectives. There has hardly been any sector where ends and means have not come into mutual conflict. Despite the contradictions, the economy has trudged ahead with the debates becoming more volatile at every stage. Debates on the Indian economy have a long history. The Indian Economy ? Major Debates Since Independence focusses on the numerous post-independence issues. It is difficult to condense the opinions expressed within the limited confines of a book. Still, Byres has done a creditable job, covering almost all the subjects that have provoked thinkers at different times and still continues to do so. Surprisingly, this is perhaps the first attempt to objectively summarize the conflicting dialectics within economic policy formulation in India. The influence of debates in this is evident from the far reaching structural transformations that have taken place over the years. Fortunately, the country had many brilliant economic thinkers who illumined various intriguing aspects of the economy. Byres has attempted to capture the essence of their diverse views by highlighting the growth of institutions and schools of thought. He has outlined the dominant thoughts in two ways: by picking up individual economists and their areas of work. He has also provided a clear insight into the evolution of economic debates in post-independence India. Other contributors, all eminent economists, take up sectoral issues. Prabhat Patnaik looks into planning in which field debates were among the earliest to arise. Patnaik goes beyond the lessons to be drawn from the Indian planning experience and studies the nature and utility of planning in different economic backgrounds. No arguments over planning can ignore the inter-relationship between industry and agriculture. Individually, they have been subjects of vigorous debates. Here they are scrutinized by Sudip Chaudhuri and Mohan Rao and Servaas Storm. In the plans since 1952, industry and agriculture frequently changed places in the order of priority. This underlines fluctuating views of their role in development. While Chaudhuri is more narrative and historical, Rao and Storm review distribution, growth and disbursement of economic power in agriculture from the political economist?s angle. Jayati Ghosh studiously illustrates the debates on libera- lization.The same fastidiousness and method are reflected in Krishnaji?s chronicle on population policy debates. Rathin Roy?s article on public finance is lucid and refreshing. All contributors have kept in mind the basics of political economy and the ideological roots of the debates. The ideological biases of the analyses are well balanced. Socialist views have strongly influenced debates on the Indian economy. Various schools of socialism view the state as being either proactive or complimentary, depending on the ideology involved. The book, though largely an objective critique, favours the state?s ?interventionist? role. However, extension of the focus to the other end would have been more credible.