Politics of public policy in India: Institutional internalization of inequality in policy legislation and including the excluded

Abstract

The poverty-inequality focus in development discourse has generally been an acknowledgment of the gaps between the poor and the affluent, seen as an economic condition linked to livelihoods and employment deprivation. Or, it has been seen as a condition rooted in the broader socio-cultural moorings of the society, creating entitlement and capability deprivations. But, how do inequality concerns get reflected in, and impact public policies, and in turn the policies that address social exclusion? The processes shaping conceptualization of inequality concern within the policy frame have not been adequately comprehended in the development discourse. In the process of governance, this creates an institutional landscape of competing pressures that forms the core of the politics of public policy formulation and public service provisioning. This paper discusses the institutional internalization of the politics in public policy legislation in India, within the frame of the demands of citizens for development and inclusion.