This book unpacks the complexities of social development in India, focusing on the institutional bottlenecks that hinder effective policy implementation.

While governments and organizations design ambitious policies for economic growth, human capital development, education, agriculture, and social welfare, their impact is often diluted due to governance inefficiencies, bureaucratic inertia, and weak last-mile service delivery. Through a blend of empirical and evidence-based research, policy analysis, and real-world case studies, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that drive - or obstruct - sustainable development in India. It explores pressing socio-economic issues, such as demographic shifts, sustainable futures, workforce dynamics, digital governance, e-markets, bureaucracy, and gender-based violence. The book serves as a vital resource for those seeking to understand governance challenges and the institutional reforms necessary for meaningful change. By highlighting both the problems and potential solutions, it fosters a dialogue on creating resilient and inclusive institutions that can effectively deliver on their promise of social progress.

Part of the Innovations, Practice and the Future of Public Policy in India series, this volume will be of interest to policymakers, policy practitioners, researchers, development practitioners, and engaged citizens, particularly as we move towards a tech-savvy public sector. It will be an essential resource for students and researchers of development studies, sociology, public policy and governance, economics, and South Asian studies.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.