Friday, November 3rd, 2017 The Broken Staircase: The Paradox and the Potential of India’s One-Billion

Description

Despite becoming a global economic force, why does India win so few Olympic medals, and why do so many of its people live in conditions of poverty? Why have opportunities not become available more broadly? How can growing individuals assist with the task of building a growing economy? In contrast to other investigations, which have taken a top-down view of developments in the country, Krishna presents a ground-up view, delving into the lives of ordinary individuals. One review in the Indian media regarded this book as “a must-read for India’s leaders in every sphere.” Another reviewer emphasizes “the micro situations...that make it so difficult to climb out of that poverty and vulnerability for otherwise highly motivated and talented people.

ANIRUDH KRISHNA (PhD in Government, Cornell University, 2000; Masters in Economics, Delhi University, 1980) is the Edgar T. Thompson Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University. His research investigates how poor communities and individuals in developing countries cope with the structural and personal constraints that result in poverty and powerlessness. His most recent book – Fixing the Broken Staircase: The Paradox and the Potential of India’s One-Billion (Penguin and Cambridge University Press, 2017) – examines why poverty persists despite rapid growth and addresses ways to overcome inequality of opportunity. He has authored or co-authored five other books, including One Illness Away: Why People Become Poor and How they Escape Poverty (Oxford, 2010), and more than sixty journal articles and book chapters. Krishna received an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University, Sweden in 2011; the Olaf Palme Visiting Professorship from the Swedish Research Council in 2007; the Dudley Seers Memorial Prize in 2005 and 2013; and a Best Article Award of the American Political Science Association in 2002. Before returning to academia, Krishna spent 14 years with the Indian Administrative Service, managing diverse rural and urban development initiatives (sites.duke.edu/Krishna).