Poverty alleviation has become one of the greatest challenges of the modern societies. In this connection it must be noted that a development strategy linked to economic growth will not, by itself, solve the problems of poverty or improve the condition of the poorest segments of the population. The search of alternative strategies has now become intense in India. Remarkably the majority of the poor live in rural areas, therefore, attempts are being made to identify the target groups and provide assistance to them. Despite launching and implementing many programmes it was realised that these programmes did not make any headway on alleviating poverty of the rural poor. Unemployment and inequalities in wealth and income distribution have been continuously increasing. As such unless a direct attack on poverty is not launched, the development efforts would prove of little help. This book analyses all poverty alleviation measures taken so far in pros and cons.

As the issue of fiscal autonomy of State is rather more complex in the process of globalisation and liberalization, the division of functions and the fiscal resources amongst the various layers of government is an essential feature of the Indian fiscal federalism. In Indian Union-State Financial Relations the mismatches are sought to be removed through the vertical and horizontal devolutions from the Union to the State via various mechanisms like Planning Commission, Finance Commission and the Union Ministries. Twelfth Finance Commission headed by Dr. C. Rangaranjan is also expected to play crucial role in this regard. This path-breaking book is one of the first to explore and explain and to provide a fresh new analysis of fiscal federalism in present form of state union financial conflicts. This timely and thought-provoking volume presents a number of problems with valuable suggestions related to sound and better Union-State financial relations in new perspective. It aims at to provide a broader understanding and review of the subject-matter designed and structured into eight significant chapters. Authored by a master writer and evaluator this book will be of immense interest and use to teachers and students of Economics, public economics especially finance, Commerce and Management; researchers, planners and policy makers as it is a systematic, comprehensive, critical and authoritative overview of the subject enriched with up-to-date materials.

The book attempts to provide a comprehensive, thought provoking and thorough review of the New Agricultural Policy known as "National Agriculture Policy-2000" announced by the Government of India after 53 years of our Independence. Consisting of very crucial issues like Evolution of Agricultural Policy in India, Indian Agricultural strategy after green revolution; draft of agricultural policy; National Agriculture Policy-2000; relevance and objectives of new agriculture policy in the new millennium; agricultural strategy and focus during Ninth Five Year Plan; Second generation reforms in Indian agriculture, current leading issues in Indian agriculture etc., it also deals with the problems relating to WTO and globalisation. It is designed and presented in a very systematic, simple, lucid and rigorous manner. It provides the subject matter in advanced, descriptive, analytical, cooperative, critical and comprehensive treatment keeping in view the needs and interests of researchers, students, teachers, bureaucrats, politicians, policy-makers and all concerned. It is hoped that readers will like the book. Their valuable suggestions will be widely welcomed.

This book focuses, though various papers of learned contributors, the main challenges before Indian Banking Sector during post-reform period with a decadal analysis and bird's eye views. It mirrors the main issues like restructuring, new role in the changed scenario, management of NPAs, competition and consolidation, merger process, acceleration of productivity and profitability, asset-liability management production norms improving customer service ameliorating Public grievances proposed Basel Capital Accord, risk-management risk-based supervision, deregulation interest rates, grant of financial autonomy in the area of credit, entry of foreign banks, emergence of new private banks, universal banking, promotion of technology, human resource policies, post-VRS condition, capital adequacy framework, settlement risk, transparency etc. prevailing in the present new millennium in a very systematic and comprehensive manner and in a simple lucid, critical and analytical style. This book shall be useful to all concerned especially to the researchers, teachers, students of economics and commerce and employees of banking sector, policy-makers etc.