Fiscal Federalism in India

This volume contains twenty papers, including introductory one, presented in the technical sessions on Fiscal Federalism in India in the eighty-fourth annual conference of the Indian economic association held at Vellore. These papers present the considered views and exercises on federal fiscal matters of the members of the Indian Economic Association, who come from different parts of the country. The volume therefore presents a cross-section of the opinions and wide spectrum of views of our scholarship in economics on the issues related with federal relationship between different layers of fiscal structure in India. Our contributors include both young and eminent, experts and experienced, technique-oriented and erudite, academic and policy-maker. Some of the eminent scholars who have contributed to this volume are Amaresh Bagchi, P.K. Bhargava, P.K. Chaubey, Jegadish Gandhi, A.C.K. Nambiar, Bhagabata Patro, G. Karunakaran Pillai, Om Prakash, Narendra Prasad, I.M. Trivedi, V.P. Tripathi and Sailabala Debi. The papers have been divided according to the issues addressed in four parts : (1) Evolution of federal fiscal relations, (2) Fiscal transfers from union to states, (3) Sector specific issues, and (4) Finances for governance by local bodies. The papers in the first part concern with general federal fiscal issues that have engaged our attention for last fifty years. They deal with evolution, evaluation, major debates and unfinished tasks. The papers in the second part deal with specific issues of transfer of resources from the Union government to the State Governments. They discuss major issues, criteria of devolution, and alternative mechanism. The papers in the third part dwell on sector specific issues of educational finance and upgradation of administrative services. The fourth part addresses to financial concerns of governance at local level. They dwell on the role of the EFC, incentive through matching grants, and empirical studies of local finances in Haryana and West Bengal. The volume is expected to enlighten the readers on the issues of fiscal relations between layers of federal system in the country.