3 Review(s)

The Oxford India Short Introductions are concise, stimulating, and accessible guides to different aspects of India. Combining authoritative analysis, new ideas, and diverse perspectives, they discuss subjects which are topical yet enduring, as also emerging areas of study and debate. Giving identity to over a billion people, the Indian Constitution is one of the world’s great political texts. Drafted over six decades ago, its endurance and operation have fascinated and surprised many. In this short introduction, Madhav Khosla brings to light its many features, aspirations, and controversies. How does the Constitution separate power between different political actors? What form of citizenship does it embrace? And how can it change? In answering questions such as these, Khosla unravels the document’s remarkable and challenging journey, inviting readers to reflect upon the theory and practice of constitutionalism in the world’s largest democracy. Madhav Khosla studied law at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and Yale University. He is currently a PhD candidate in political theory at Harvard University. Reviews ‘Written in clear, jargon-free prose, this critical study will be a marvellous resource for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.’ —Justice Ruma Pal, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India ‘A wonderful introduction to an exciting subject. Khosla presents an analytical and deeply insightful account of one of the landmark constitutions of our time.’ —Justice Aharon Barak, Former Chief Justice of Israel ‘The Indian Constitution anchors India’s political identity and has shaped the country’s destiny—though not always in ways the founders anticipated. Yet, for all its formal centrality and its easy invocation by disparate political projects, the ambiguities of its commitments and the vicissitudes of its history remain little understood. In this remarkable book ... Madhav Khosla compels us to think seriously both about the fitful evolution of constitutional interpretation and about the place acquired by the Constitution in our democratic life. Khosla’s outstanding book is far and away the most stimulating introduction to the life of our Constitution: and it signals the arrival of an important new voice in our intellectual life.’   —Sunil Khilnani, author of The Idea of India   About The Author Madhav Khosla studied law at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and Yale University. He is currently a PhD candidate in political theory at Harvard University. Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1: Separation of Powers 2: Federalism 3: Rights and Goals 4: Changing the Constitution List of Cases List of References Further Reading