Sunila S. Kale
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804787963
- eISBN:
- 9780804791021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804787963.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter focuses on Andhra Pradesh. Thanks to colonial-era policies, some parts of Andhra Pradesh started with relatively higher rates of rural electrification than the rest of the country. ...
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This chapter focuses on Andhra Pradesh. Thanks to colonial-era policies, some parts of Andhra Pradesh started with relatively higher rates of rural electrification than the rest of the country. However, the provision of electricity to the rural sectors made the greatest gains when the political landscape in the state became more competitive starting in the late 1970s. Throughout the 1980s, populist promises made in the context of newly competitive party politics continued to spur electrification and reduce electricity tariffs for farmers. By the 1990s, although the state's chief minister, Chandra Babu Naidu, was widely hailed as India's most private-investor-friendly and reformist political chief, an active farm sector ultimately forced the state to adopt backdoor market reforms. Naidu wagered his political capital on utility privatization, only to have it opposed by the state's influential farming communities that benefited from subsidized electricity.Less
This chapter focuses on Andhra Pradesh. Thanks to colonial-era policies, some parts of Andhra Pradesh started with relatively higher rates of rural electrification than the rest of the country. However, the provision of electricity to the rural sectors made the greatest gains when the political landscape in the state became more competitive starting in the late 1970s. Throughout the 1980s, populist promises made in the context of newly competitive party politics continued to spur electrification and reduce electricity tariffs for farmers. By the 1990s, although the state's chief minister, Chandra Babu Naidu, was widely hailed as India's most private-investor-friendly and reformist political chief, an active farm sector ultimately forced the state to adopt backdoor market reforms. Naidu wagered his political capital on utility privatization, only to have it opposed by the state's influential farming communities that benefited from subsidized electricity.
Arvind Panagariya and M. Govinda Rao (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780190236625
- eISBN:
- 9780190236656
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190236625.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
The book studies three Indian states that grew in excess of 8% per year for a decade in the twenty-first century: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat. Despite differences of geography, size, resource ...
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The book studies three Indian states that grew in excess of 8% per year for a decade in the twenty-first century: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat. Despite differences of geography, size, resource endowments, and initial levels of development, several common features tie their experiences together. First, accelerated growth has permitted acceleration in the growth of development expenditures in all three states, which has helped improve connectivity to markets. Alongside, poverty has seen accelerated decline. Second, the composition of growth matters. Growth in high-value commodities such as fruits and vegetables, commercial crops, dairy, and animal husbandry in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat has led to accelerated reduction in rural poverty. But the failure of labor-intensive industry has stunted migration of workers out of agriculture into industry. Third, the quality of leadership that brings improved governance with it is central to improved outcomes in the states. Visionary leaders—Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, Nitish Kumar in Bihar, and Narendra Modi in Gujarat—played a critical role in the making of all three miracles. Fourth, the three studies also bring out the importance of pro-market reforms and the adoption of technology in development. Finally, the studies show that good economics can also be good politics: voters reward the chief ministers who bring about significant improvement to the people’s lives.Less
The book studies three Indian states that grew in excess of 8% per year for a decade in the twenty-first century: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat. Despite differences of geography, size, resource endowments, and initial levels of development, several common features tie their experiences together. First, accelerated growth has permitted acceleration in the growth of development expenditures in all three states, which has helped improve connectivity to markets. Alongside, poverty has seen accelerated decline. Second, the composition of growth matters. Growth in high-value commodities such as fruits and vegetables, commercial crops, dairy, and animal husbandry in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat has led to accelerated reduction in rural poverty. But the failure of labor-intensive industry has stunted migration of workers out of agriculture into industry. Third, the quality of leadership that brings improved governance with it is central to improved outcomes in the states. Visionary leaders—Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, Nitish Kumar in Bihar, and Narendra Modi in Gujarat—played a critical role in the making of all three miracles. Fourth, the three studies also bring out the importance of pro-market reforms and the adoption of technology in development. Finally, the studies show that good economics can also be good politics: voters reward the chief ministers who bring about significant improvement to the people’s lives.
Catherine Becker
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199359394
- eISBN:
- 9780199359424
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199359394.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Chapter 4 considers how publications produced by Andhra Pradesh Tourism in the late 1990s and 2000s weave new narratives from the Buddhist remains of the state. Crafted amid India’s larger (and ...
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Chapter 4 considers how publications produced by Andhra Pradesh Tourism in the late 1990s and 2000s weave new narratives from the Buddhist remains of the state. Crafted amid India’s larger (and ongoing) economic reforms, these glossy tourism brochures attempt to stoke domestic and international consumer desire by suggesting that a mystical and transformative version of the past is still present and accessible in Andhra. Although Andhra’s Buddhist sites currently exist in varying states of ruin, these brochures employ a number of different visual and rhetorical devices to pose Andhra as a land of enlightenment. However, “enlightenment” is subject to multiple interpretations, including “enlightenment” as a magical state of altered perceptions, which might be achieved through an encounter with Andhra’s Buddhist remains, or “enlightenment” taking the guise of a responsible state government, one that works to preserve Andhra’s cultural heritage.Less
Chapter 4 considers how publications produced by Andhra Pradesh Tourism in the late 1990s and 2000s weave new narratives from the Buddhist remains of the state. Crafted amid India’s larger (and ongoing) economic reforms, these glossy tourism brochures attempt to stoke domestic and international consumer desire by suggesting that a mystical and transformative version of the past is still present and accessible in Andhra. Although Andhra’s Buddhist sites currently exist in varying states of ruin, these brochures employ a number of different visual and rhetorical devices to pose Andhra as a land of enlightenment. However, “enlightenment” is subject to multiple interpretations, including “enlightenment” as a magical state of altered perceptions, which might be achieved through an encounter with Andhra’s Buddhist remains, or “enlightenment” taking the guise of a responsible state government, one that works to preserve Andhra’s cultural heritage.
V.N. Balasubramanyam and Ahalya Balasubramanyam
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198077992
- eISBN:
- 9780199081608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077992.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter analyses the impact of growth on development in the context the experience of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in south India. It argues that the translation of growth into development is ...
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This chapter analyses the impact of growth on development in the context the experience of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in south India. It argues that the translation of growth into development is conditioned by the nature of the growth process and the presence of institutions that facilitate development. The record of Karnataka on development is relatively poor compared to that of Andhra Pradesh, though its growth rate is, in general, higher than that of the latter. The chapter attributes this phenomenon to the elitist nature of growth in Karnataka as opposed to the populist nature of growth in Andhra Pradesh.Less
This chapter analyses the impact of growth on development in the context the experience of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in south India. It argues that the translation of growth into development is conditioned by the nature of the growth process and the presence of institutions that facilitate development. The record of Karnataka on development is relatively poor compared to that of Andhra Pradesh, though its growth rate is, in general, higher than that of the latter. The chapter attributes this phenomenon to the elitist nature of growth in Karnataka as opposed to the populist nature of growth in Andhra Pradesh.
S. Galab, E. Revathi, and P. Prudhvikar Reddy
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198069096
- eISBN:
- 9780199080472
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198069096.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter presents an account of farmers' suicides in the state of Andhra Pradesh starting in 1996. Based on a survey of several studies, it shows that farmers' distress in the state can be ...
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This chapter presents an account of farmers' suicides in the state of Andhra Pradesh starting in 1996. Based on a survey of several studies, it shows that farmers' distress in the state can be attributed to the increasing fragility of resources, particularly the groundwater resources, as well as unsustainable and inappropriate cropping practices, notably in resource-poor areas. A number of factors were responsible for the agrarian crisis in Andhra Pradesh, including growing input costs, falling farm incomes, increasing dependence on unstable groundwater resources, and volatility of output prices. Another cause was heavy household investment in groundwater, with farmers borrowing from informal sources at high interest rates, causing them to pile up debts. This chapter also discusses the economic reforms in Andhra Pradesh in relation to agriculture, along with institutional retrogression and rural distress.Less
This chapter presents an account of farmers' suicides in the state of Andhra Pradesh starting in 1996. Based on a survey of several studies, it shows that farmers' distress in the state can be attributed to the increasing fragility of resources, particularly the groundwater resources, as well as unsustainable and inappropriate cropping practices, notably in resource-poor areas. A number of factors were responsible for the agrarian crisis in Andhra Pradesh, including growing input costs, falling farm incomes, increasing dependence on unstable groundwater resources, and volatility of output prices. Another cause was heavy household investment in groundwater, with farmers borrowing from informal sources at high interest rates, causing them to pile up debts. This chapter also discusses the economic reforms in Andhra Pradesh in relation to agriculture, along with institutional retrogression and rural distress.
Ramchandra Chintaman Dhere
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199777594
- eISBN:
- 9780199919048
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199777594.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
Viṭṭhal, also called Viṭhobā, is the most popular god in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and the best-known Hindu god of that region outside of India. This book, presented here in English ...
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Viṭṭhal, also called Viṭhobā, is the most popular god in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and the best-known Hindu god of that region outside of India. This book, presented here in English translation, is the foremost study of the history of Viṭṭhal, his worship, and his worshipers. First published in Marathi in 1984, this work remains the most thorough and insightful work on Viṭṭhal and his cult in any language, and provides an exemplary model for understanding the history and morphology of lived Hinduism. Viṭṭhal exemplifies the synthesis of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva elements that not only typifies Maharashtrian Hindu religious life but also marks his resemblance to another prominent South Indian god, Veṅkateś of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The author's analysis highlights Viṭṭhal's connection with pastoralist hero cults, and demonstrates the god's development from a god of shepherds to a god of the majority of the population, including Brāhmaṇs. One chapter displays the feminine side of Viṭṭhal, his role as “Mother,” and another explores the efforts of various Brāhmaṇ adherents of Viṭṭhal to give his cult a Sanskritic, or even Vedic, sheen. In addition to these elements of Hindu traditions, Dhere also explores the connections of Viṭṭhal with Buddhist and Jain traditions.Less
Viṭṭhal, also called Viṭhobā, is the most popular god in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and the best-known Hindu god of that region outside of India. This book, presented here in English translation, is the foremost study of the history of Viṭṭhal, his worship, and his worshipers. First published in Marathi in 1984, this work remains the most thorough and insightful work on Viṭṭhal and his cult in any language, and provides an exemplary model for understanding the history and morphology of lived Hinduism. Viṭṭhal exemplifies the synthesis of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva elements that not only typifies Maharashtrian Hindu religious life but also marks his resemblance to another prominent South Indian god, Veṅkateś of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The author's analysis highlights Viṭṭhal's connection with pastoralist hero cults, and demonstrates the god's development from a god of shepherds to a god of the majority of the population, including Brāhmaṇs. One chapter displays the feminine side of Viṭṭhal, his role as “Mother,” and another explores the efforts of various Brāhmaṇ adherents of Viṭṭhal to give his cult a Sanskritic, or even Vedic, sheen. In addition to these elements of Hindu traditions, Dhere also explores the connections of Viṭṭhal with Buddhist and Jain traditions.
Sagari R. Ramdas
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198099123
- eISBN:
- 9780199083077
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198099123.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
This chapter examines current forest governance paradigms from the point of view of communities for whom livestock management is an integral component of their livelihoods. It provides a detailed ...
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This chapter examines current forest governance paradigms from the point of view of communities for whom livestock management is an integral component of their livelihoods. It provides a detailed historical analysis of policies and legislations regarding common lands in general and forests in particular. Using the case of Andhra Pradesh, it describes at the customary relationships between pastoral, adivasis and other agricultural communities with the forests and then looks at the recent experience of JFM and its impact on access to forests by livestock. It concludes by exploring the potential of FRA to democratize forest governance and its specific consequence for communities whose livestock rearing practices are anchored on grazing regimes.Less
This chapter examines current forest governance paradigms from the point of view of communities for whom livestock management is an integral component of their livelihoods. It provides a detailed historical analysis of policies and legislations regarding common lands in general and forests in particular. Using the case of Andhra Pradesh, it describes at the customary relationships between pastoral, adivasis and other agricultural communities with the forests and then looks at the recent experience of JFM and its impact on access to forests by livestock. It concludes by exploring the potential of FRA to democratize forest governance and its specific consequence for communities whose livestock rearing practices are anchored on grazing regimes.
Ashwini K. Swain
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- March 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780199487820
- eISBN:
- 9780199093755
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199487820.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
Andhra Pradesh’s electoral politics has frequently provided electricity a starring role, largely due to the way that electoral competition between the state’s two main parties (TDP and Congress), ...
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Andhra Pradesh’s electoral politics has frequently provided electricity a starring role, largely due to the way that electoral competition between the state’s two main parties (TDP and Congress), first led to flat rate tariffs in 1982, contributing to financial losses, lack of investments, and deteriorating quality of supply. With World Bank support, the TDP (led by Naidu) embarked on reform and restructuring, but the accompanying steep tariff hike led to mass protest and was interpreted as the reason for the TDP’s electoral loss in 2004. Under Congress rule from 2004–11, when free power to farmers was reinstituted, the sector experienced another bout of shortfalls, losses, and growing subsidy, until 2014, when under Naidu’s TDP again, the government has embarked on a stealthier reform effort, focused on new investments in supply, efforts at energy efficiency, as well as signing up for the UDAY scheme. AP illustrates the constraints on reform efforts compounded by inadequate attention to the challenges of political transition.Less
Andhra Pradesh’s electoral politics has frequently provided electricity a starring role, largely due to the way that electoral competition between the state’s two main parties (TDP and Congress), first led to flat rate tariffs in 1982, contributing to financial losses, lack of investments, and deteriorating quality of supply. With World Bank support, the TDP (led by Naidu) embarked on reform and restructuring, but the accompanying steep tariff hike led to mass protest and was interpreted as the reason for the TDP’s electoral loss in 2004. Under Congress rule from 2004–11, when free power to farmers was reinstituted, the sector experienced another bout of shortfalls, losses, and growing subsidy, until 2014, when under Naidu’s TDP again, the government has embarked on a stealthier reform effort, focused on new investments in supply, efforts at energy efficiency, as well as signing up for the UDAY scheme. AP illustrates the constraints on reform efforts compounded by inadequate attention to the challenges of political transition.
K.P. Kannan and Jan Breman
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198090311
- eISBN:
- 9780199082490
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198090311.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
This chapter examines the implementation and functioning of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Andhra Pradesh in relation to other states and in the context of politics and ...
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This chapter examines the implementation and functioning of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Andhra Pradesh in relation to other states and in the context of politics and policy reforms. It also discusses the role of civil society organisations such as self-help groups in the implementation of the NREGS at the panchayat level, along with the impact of the scheme on specific social groups including Schedule Caste/Scheduled Tribes and other small-marginal farmers. Drawing on the results of household sample surveys conducted in two villages in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh, combined with observations based on field visits made by the author to twelve villages, the chapter evaluates the NREGS as a measure of social protection in Andhra Pradesh in terms of its impact on employment generated, wages and earnings, hunger and food security, agriculture and labour market, migration, and land productivity.Less
This chapter examines the implementation and functioning of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Andhra Pradesh in relation to other states and in the context of politics and policy reforms. It also discusses the role of civil society organisations such as self-help groups in the implementation of the NREGS at the panchayat level, along with the impact of the scheme on specific social groups including Schedule Caste/Scheduled Tribes and other small-marginal farmers. Drawing on the results of household sample surveys conducted in two villages in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh, combined with observations based on field visits made by the author to twelve villages, the chapter evaluates the NREGS as a measure of social protection in Andhra Pradesh in terms of its impact on employment generated, wages and earnings, hunger and food security, agriculture and labour market, migration, and land productivity.
Cynthia Talbot
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195136616
- eISBN:
- 9780199834716
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195136616.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
The desire to have their charitable deeds documented in permanent form led thousands of Hindu temple donors in the Andhra Pradesh region of South India to get the details of their gifts inscribed on ...
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The desire to have their charitable deeds documented in permanent form led thousands of Hindu temple donors in the Andhra Pradesh region of South India to get the details of their gifts inscribed on stone pillars, rock slabs, and temple walls. Using these records of what people actually did, Cynthia Talbot reconstructs the precolonial past as it existed in practice during the era when India's distinctive regional societies were taking shape. The medieval Andhra that emerges from the perspective of inscriptions is a vibrant and mobile world inhabited by a wide range of individuals including herders, merchants, and women, as well as landed peasants, kings, and Brahmans. Precolonial India in Practice begins with an examination of the historical processes that prompted Andhra's long age of inscriptions (c.1000–1650), a time when the religious patronage of temples both reflected and stimulated an expanding agrarian economy and a growing regional culture. It moves on to an in‐depth analysis of the society, temples, and polity of the Kakatiya era (1175–1325) – a formative period in which the Telugu‐speaking region was politically unified by the upland warriors who continued to dominate its society for centuries. The enduring cultural significance of the Kakatiya period for later Telugu society is demonstrated in a final section dealing with historical memories of the Kakatiyas.Talbot's interpretation of medieval Andhra as an era of dynamic change characterized by extensive social and physical mobility and a militaristic ethos offers a significant alternative to earlier depictions of the history and society of medieval India. In serving as a corrective to models of the Indian past derived only from Brahmanical literature, modern ethnography, and colonial observation, this case study of a neglected time period and region has important ramifications for our general understanding of precolonial India.Less
The desire to have their charitable deeds documented in permanent form led thousands of Hindu temple donors in the Andhra Pradesh region of South India to get the details of their gifts inscribed on stone pillars, rock slabs, and temple walls. Using these records of what people actually did, Cynthia Talbot reconstructs the precolonial past as it existed in practice during the era when India's distinctive regional societies were taking shape. The medieval Andhra that emerges from the perspective of inscriptions is a vibrant and mobile world inhabited by a wide range of individuals including herders, merchants, and women, as well as landed peasants, kings, and Brahmans.
Precolonial India in Practice begins with an examination of the historical processes that prompted Andhra's long age of inscriptions (c.1000–1650), a time when the religious patronage of temples both reflected and stimulated an expanding agrarian economy and a growing regional culture. It moves on to an in‐depth analysis of the society, temples, and polity of the Kakatiya era (1175–1325) – a formative period in which the Telugu‐speaking region was politically unified by the upland warriors who continued to dominate its society for centuries. The enduring cultural significance of the Kakatiya period for later Telugu society is demonstrated in a final section dealing with historical memories of the Kakatiyas.
Talbot's interpretation of medieval Andhra as an era of dynamic change characterized by extensive social and physical mobility and a militaristic ethos offers a significant alternative to earlier depictions of the history and society of medieval India. In serving as a corrective to models of the Indian past derived only from Brahmanical literature, modern ethnography, and colonial observation, this case study of a neglected time period and region has important ramifications for our general understanding of precolonial India.
Karli Srinivasulu
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198097341
- eISBN:
- 9780199082865
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198097341.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
Andhra Pradesh was one of the earliest states to embrace the Special Economic Zone concept, and it boasts one of the highest number of approved SEZ projects in the country. The enthusiasm for SEZs ...
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Andhra Pradesh was one of the earliest states to embrace the Special Economic Zone concept, and it boasts one of the highest number of approved SEZ projects in the country. The enthusiasm for SEZs among government and private sector actors in Andhra Pradesh can be partly explained in terms of the transformation of state politics during the 1990s. This chapter adopts a political economy framework to examine the state’s pro-SEZ policy dispensation and to analyse three case studies that reveal the dynamics of popular response to SEZs: the Apache SEZ (Nellore district), the Polepally SEZ (Mahabubnagar district), and the Kakinada SEZ (East Godavari district). Its central finding is that the politics of the anti-SEZ movement is rooted in the state’s recent history of policy reform, its changing agrarian political economy, and the nature and strength of its civil society.Less
Andhra Pradesh was one of the earliest states to embrace the Special Economic Zone concept, and it boasts one of the highest number of approved SEZ projects in the country. The enthusiasm for SEZs among government and private sector actors in Andhra Pradesh can be partly explained in terms of the transformation of state politics during the 1990s. This chapter adopts a political economy framework to examine the state’s pro-SEZ policy dispensation and to analyse three case studies that reveal the dynamics of popular response to SEZs: the Apache SEZ (Nellore district), the Polepally SEZ (Mahabubnagar district), and the Kakinada SEZ (East Godavari district). Its central finding is that the politics of the anti-SEZ movement is rooted in the state’s recent history of policy reform, its changing agrarian political economy, and the nature and strength of its civil society.
Catherine Becker
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199359394
- eISBN:
- 9780199359424
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199359394.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Investigating how material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal core human concerns, Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past: Sculpture from the Buddhist Stūpas of Andhra Pradesh examines the ...
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Investigating how material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal core human concerns, Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past: Sculpture from the Buddhist Stūpas of Andhra Pradesh examines the production and use of Buddhist art in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the second and third centuries of the Common Era to the present. This book analyzes the adornment of Andhra’s ancient Buddhist sites, such as the main stūpa at Amarāvatī, with lavish limestone relief sculpture depicting scenes of devotion and lively Buddhist narratives. As many of these sites are now in disrepair, it might be tempting to view these monuments as ruins. However, this book, which also examines recent state-sponsored tourism campaigns and new devotional activities at Andhra’s Buddhist sites, reveals that these monuments are very much alive and even attributed with innate power and agency. Rather than suggest that ancient artistic production and devotional practices are linked in a conceptually uniform manner to the contemporary use of Buddhist images, Shifting Stones reveals intriguing parallels between ancient uses of imagery and the new social, political, and religious roles of these objects and spaces. While the precise functions that these monuments were expected to perform have now shifted, the belief that this art has the ability to effect spiritual and mental transformations in its viewers has remained consistent. This work argues that the efficacy of Buddhist art relies on the careful attentions of its makers to the formal properties of art and to the harnessing of the imaginative potential of the human sensorium.Less
Investigating how material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal core human concerns, Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past: Sculpture from the Buddhist Stūpas of Andhra Pradesh examines the production and use of Buddhist art in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the second and third centuries of the Common Era to the present. This book analyzes the adornment of Andhra’s ancient Buddhist sites, such as the main stūpa at Amarāvatī, with lavish limestone relief sculpture depicting scenes of devotion and lively Buddhist narratives. As many of these sites are now in disrepair, it might be tempting to view these monuments as ruins. However, this book, which also examines recent state-sponsored tourism campaigns and new devotional activities at Andhra’s Buddhist sites, reveals that these monuments are very much alive and even attributed with innate power and agency. Rather than suggest that ancient artistic production and devotional practices are linked in a conceptually uniform manner to the contemporary use of Buddhist images, Shifting Stones reveals intriguing parallels between ancient uses of imagery and the new social, political, and religious roles of these objects and spaces. While the precise functions that these monuments were expected to perform have now shifted, the belief that this art has the ability to effect spiritual and mental transformations in its viewers has remained consistent. This work argues that the efficacy of Buddhist art relies on the careful attentions of its makers to the formal properties of art and to the harnessing of the imaginative potential of the human sensorium.
Catherine Becker
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199359394
- eISBN:
- 9780199359424
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199359394.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter examines the 1990–1992 installation of a colossal monolithic standing Buddha image in Hussain Sagar Lake in the state capital, Hyderabad. According to the primary patron of this image, ...
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This chapter examines the 1990–1992 installation of a colossal monolithic standing Buddha image in Hussain Sagar Lake in the state capital, Hyderabad. According to the primary patron of this image, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, this colossal standing Buddha is Hyderabad’s very own Statue of Liberty. Although Hyderabad itself does not have a rich Buddhist heritage, this standing Buddha image not only replicates and aggrandizes standing Buddha images from ancient Andhra but also, through large-scale granite reproductions, reunites in Andhra’s capital city the relief sculptures from the state’s most famous ancient stūpas that now reside in museum collections throughout India and, indeed, the world. Although created to evoke a specific vision of “Andhraness,” the Hussain Sagar Buddha, through the attachment of a curse to this image, functions as a site of resistance to the very ideals that motivated its construction.Less
This chapter examines the 1990–1992 installation of a colossal monolithic standing Buddha image in Hussain Sagar Lake in the state capital, Hyderabad. According to the primary patron of this image, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, this colossal standing Buddha is Hyderabad’s very own Statue of Liberty. Although Hyderabad itself does not have a rich Buddhist heritage, this standing Buddha image not only replicates and aggrandizes standing Buddha images from ancient Andhra but also, through large-scale granite reproductions, reunites in Andhra’s capital city the relief sculptures from the state’s most famous ancient stūpas that now reside in museum collections throughout India and, indeed, the world. Although created to evoke a specific vision of “Andhraness,” the Hussain Sagar Buddha, through the attachment of a curse to this image, functions as a site of resistance to the very ideals that motivated its construction.
Nicola Jones and Andy Sumner
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424464
- eISBN:
- 9781447301691
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424464.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter addresses the issue of children and the knowledge–policy interface in Asia. It briefly outlines the extent and nature of child poverty and well-being across Asia using the 3D well-being ...
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This chapter addresses the issue of children and the knowledge–policy interface in Asia. It briefly outlines the extent and nature of child poverty and well-being across Asia using the 3D well-being approach and reflects on the characteristics of the knowledge-generation process in this region. The chapter discusses opportunities and challenges involved in the knowledge–policy interface surrounding child well-being in Asia, paying particular attention to the significant decentralization trend many countries in the region have undergone and the implications for evidence-informed policy-influencing initiatives. It also focuses on a case study of evidence-informed policy change in the context of a citizen-monitoring initiative of child educational and nutritional services in rural Andhra Pradesh, India.Less
This chapter addresses the issue of children and the knowledge–policy interface in Asia. It briefly outlines the extent and nature of child poverty and well-being across Asia using the 3D well-being approach and reflects on the characteristics of the knowledge-generation process in this region. The chapter discusses opportunities and challenges involved in the knowledge–policy interface surrounding child well-being in Asia, paying particular attention to the significant decentralization trend many countries in the region have undergone and the implications for evidence-informed policy-influencing initiatives. It also focuses on a case study of evidence-informed policy change in the context of a citizen-monitoring initiative of child educational and nutritional services in rural Andhra Pradesh, India.
Rajesh Veeraraghavan
- Published in print:
- 2022
- Published Online:
- January 2022
- ISBN:
- 9780197567814
- eISBN:
- 9780197567852
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197567814.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Asian Politics
What led to the passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India? What factors explain Andhra Pradesh’s focus on effective implementation ...
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What led to the passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India? What factors explain Andhra Pradesh’s focus on effective implementation of NREGA and being the only state to implement social audits? The chapter documents how RTI and NREGA were passed due to the mobilization from networked civil society actors, and electoral competition produced a coalition government which made it politically feasible. NREGA became a priority in Andhra Pradesh because of active political support from the powerful chief minister. The implementation benefited from a history of committed bureaucrats at the top who were able to take advantage of their autonomy, and also from the historical mobilization by Dalits for rights. The chapter ends with a description of Andhra Pradesh’s informational architecture that was structured to monitor everyday state actions both from the top down and from the bottom up.Less
What led to the passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India? What factors explain Andhra Pradesh’s focus on effective implementation of NREGA and being the only state to implement social audits? The chapter documents how RTI and NREGA were passed due to the mobilization from networked civil society actors, and electoral competition produced a coalition government which made it politically feasible. NREGA became a priority in Andhra Pradesh because of active political support from the powerful chief minister. The implementation benefited from a history of committed bureaucrats at the top who were able to take advantage of their autonomy, and also from the historical mobilization by Dalits for rights. The chapter ends with a description of Andhra Pradesh’s informational architecture that was structured to monitor everyday state actions both from the top down and from the bottom up.
Arvind Panagariya and M. Govinda Rao
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780190236625
- eISBN:
- 9780190236656
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190236625.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
This chapter explains the reasoning behind the choice of the states and summarizes the findings of the three state case studies. We chose Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat based on the criteria that ...
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This chapter explains the reasoning behind the choice of the states and summarizes the findings of the three state case studies. We chose Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat based on the criteria that the states should be reforming, large, at different levels of development, and with records of fast growth. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were similar until the mid-1990s, but then the former took off with per capita income and poverty levels greatly diverging in its favor. Visionary leadership of Chief Minister (CM) Chandrababu Naidu played a key role in this transformation. Bihar suffered from neglect and sometimes exploitation by both national and domestic leadership. However, the state turned around when Nitish Kumar became CM in 2005 and systematically addressed law and order and development issues. Finally, Gujarat has had a more consistent history of sustained growth, but it too took a jump under CM Narendra Modi.Less
This chapter explains the reasoning behind the choice of the states and summarizes the findings of the three state case studies. We chose Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat based on the criteria that the states should be reforming, large, at different levels of development, and with records of fast growth. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were similar until the mid-1990s, but then the former took off with per capita income and poverty levels greatly diverging in its favor. Visionary leadership of Chief Minister (CM) Chandrababu Naidu played a key role in this transformation. Bihar suffered from neglect and sometimes exploitation by both national and domestic leadership. However, the state turned around when Nitish Kumar became CM in 2005 and systematically addressed law and order and development issues. Finally, Gujarat has had a more consistent history of sustained growth, but it too took a jump under CM Narendra Modi.
Mudit Kapoor and Rahul Ahluwalia
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780190236625
- eISBN:
- 9780190236656
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190236625.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
This chapter highlights the bold and ambitious reforms that were initiated by Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. These reforms led to a rapid economic transformation of the state ...
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This chapter highlights the bold and ambitious reforms that were initiated by Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. These reforms led to a rapid economic transformation of the state from the mid-1990s to 2012. The emphasis on investment and growth following liberalization resulted in acceleration in growth and rapid decline in poverty. When one compares the states of Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which were very similar in terms of rural and urban poverty prior to the reforms, it is evident that post-liberalization the economic performance of the states diverged very dramatically. From being one of the poorest states in the 1990s Andhra Pradesh is became one of the least poor states in 2012. In comparison, Uttar Pradesh has lagged.Less
This chapter highlights the bold and ambitious reforms that were initiated by Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. These reforms led to a rapid economic transformation of the state from the mid-1990s to 2012. The emphasis on investment and growth following liberalization resulted in acceleration in growth and rapid decline in poverty. When one compares the states of Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which were very similar in terms of rural and urban poverty prior to the reforms, it is evident that post-liberalization the economic performance of the states diverged very dramatically. From being one of the poorest states in the 1990s Andhra Pradesh is became one of the least poor states in 2012. In comparison, Uttar Pradesh has lagged.
Zaad Mahmood
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780199475278
- eISBN:
- 9780199090808
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199475278.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
The chapter presents the case study and the research design. It presents India with its federal structure as a natural experiment to evaluate the political dynamics of labour market reform. It ...
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The chapter presents the case study and the research design. It presents India with its federal structure as a natural experiment to evaluate the political dynamics of labour market reform. It provides an overview of the labour market in India with its structural and institutional dimensions. This discussion is followed by the subnational comparative model where four states are selected on the basis of their institutional and economic similarities but perceptible variations in the labour market. A detailed analysis of regulations and operation of labour market is presented to substantiate the variations. The selection of the cases is based on the logic of most-alike cases, where Gujarat and Maharashtra represent high growth, high per capita, and high FDI states, while Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are medium growth, moderate per capita, and moderate FDI states. The chapter concludes with discussion on the limitations of conventional explanations of reform variation and alternative political explanation of negotiated reform.Less
The chapter presents the case study and the research design. It presents India with its federal structure as a natural experiment to evaluate the political dynamics of labour market reform. It provides an overview of the labour market in India with its structural and institutional dimensions. This discussion is followed by the subnational comparative model where four states are selected on the basis of their institutional and economic similarities but perceptible variations in the labour market. A detailed analysis of regulations and operation of labour market is presented to substantiate the variations. The selection of the cases is based on the logic of most-alike cases, where Gujarat and Maharashtra represent high growth, high per capita, and high FDI states, while Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are medium growth, moderate per capita, and moderate FDI states. The chapter concludes with discussion on the limitations of conventional explanations of reform variation and alternative political explanation of negotiated reform.
Rajesh Veeraraghavan
- Published in print:
- 2022
- Published Online:
- January 2022
- ISBN:
- 9780197567814
- eISBN:
- 9780197567852
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197567814.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Asian Politics
This chapter asks how a social audit process initiated by a social movement in Rajasthan became part of the state government in Andhra Pradesh. The chapter scrutinizes how the process of patching ...
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This chapter asks how a social audit process initiated by a social movement in Rajasthan became part of the state government in Andhra Pradesh. The chapter scrutinizes how the process of patching that built the social audit institution was focused on three distinct goals: recruiting activist auditors who had a commitment to marginalized residents of the state, gaining the trust of workers, and operating within the boundaries of what was politically feasible. One key part of the process—and the patching—was how ambiguity around the definition and function of the social audit process—it is viewed differently by different players—was deliberately engineered as a means of maintaining objectivity. Instead of seeing activists as existing fundamentally outside the state, the chapter highlights the possibilities when activist bureaucrats are able to create institutions that enable space for civil society actors to have a lasting influence.Less
This chapter asks how a social audit process initiated by a social movement in Rajasthan became part of the state government in Andhra Pradesh. The chapter scrutinizes how the process of patching that built the social audit institution was focused on three distinct goals: recruiting activist auditors who had a commitment to marginalized residents of the state, gaining the trust of workers, and operating within the boundaries of what was politically feasible. One key part of the process—and the patching—was how ambiguity around the definition and function of the social audit process—it is viewed differently by different players—was deliberately engineered as a means of maintaining objectivity. Instead of seeing activists as existing fundamentally outside the state, the chapter highlights the possibilities when activist bureaucrats are able to create institutions that enable space for civil society actors to have a lasting influence.
A. Narayanamoorthy
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780190126131
- eISBN:
- 9780190991593
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190126131.003.0008
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, Public and Welfare
This chapter addresses the issue of farm profitability specific to Andhra Pradesh, one of the large agricultural states in India. Farmers in general and in Andhra Pradesh in particular are passing ...
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This chapter addresses the issue of farm profitability specific to Andhra Pradesh, one of the large agricultural states in India. Farmers in general and in Andhra Pradesh in particular are passing through a painful phase with widespread indebtedness and high proportion of farm suicides during the last two decades. What is the cause this crisis? Is it because of low remuneration from crops? Although a large number of studies have attempted to study the possible reasons for this unprecedented crisis, the issue of profit from crop cultivation covering longer period of data and crops has not been studied in detail. Utilizing time series data from eight important crops, chapter 8 examines whether farmers reap any steady profits over time. Further, it also provides an in-depth analysis of how many years farmers were able to harvest profit especially in relation to cost C2 since seventies.Less
This chapter addresses the issue of farm profitability specific to Andhra Pradesh, one of the large agricultural states in India. Farmers in general and in Andhra Pradesh in particular are passing through a painful phase with widespread indebtedness and high proportion of farm suicides during the last two decades. What is the cause this crisis? Is it because of low remuneration from crops? Although a large number of studies have attempted to study the possible reasons for this unprecedented crisis, the issue of profit from crop cultivation covering longer period of data and crops has not been studied in detail. Utilizing time series data from eight important crops, chapter 8 examines whether farmers reap any steady profits over time. Further, it also provides an in-depth analysis of how many years farmers were able to harvest profit especially in relation to cost C2 since seventies.