The twentieth century was characterized by major advances in science and technology, and the pursuit of ambitious developmental goals strengthened the technocratic orientation of public administration. This study addresses technocratic factors in policy formulation and implementation by examining Indian and Dutch policies in primary education and primary health for establishing and sustaining human capital. While comparisons between India and the Netherlands may appear to be a mismatch due to substantial differences in levels of socio-economic development, similarities are nevertheless manifest. Both being deeply democratic and parliamentary, their systems of government are not far apart despite one being a decentralized unitary state and the other a quasi-federal state. Likewise, technocratization in decision-making in both countries has been stimulated by changes in the past decade: the Netherlands is adjusting to membership in the European Union while India has adopted liberalized economic policies. This book provides opportunities for learning from experience as well as providing generalizations about patterns of change.
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