The objective of this annual publication is to generate theoretically rigorous and empirically informed research on current and unfolding issues of Indian economic policy. This book—the 8th volume in the series—presents a collection of papers presented in the 8th India Policy Forum Conference held on July 12–13, 2011 in New Delhi. Comments and discussions on each paper have also been included.

IPF, Volume 8, 2011–12, in particular, addresses issues related to the scope, speed, and desirability of economic reforms in India and their fundamental impact on the country’s social and economic welfare. It deals specifically with issues related to health policies, public expenditure, inflation with respect to food prices, and state ownership of Indian banking sectors.