Public Expenditure in India Policies and Development Outcomes

Government is a major player in the development of an economy. Government's public financial operations involving mobilization of revenue, and its spending has considerable implications on the growth, distribution and stability necessitating a careful study to enable informed mid course policy corrections to the macroeconomic developments. A critical review of public expenditure is imperative in ensuring optimal use of public resources for the maximization of welfare. The book provides an empirical understanding of historical trends and composition of public expenditure at the central and the sub national levels; the effectiveness of public expenditure control systems and accountability issues; the political economy of spending decisions; public expenditure reforms undertaken in India and international best options that can guide the corrective process in India. Given the global shift in focus from 'outlays' to 'outcomes' it is important to put in place a sound framework to track the results of government expenditure programs to guide the informed expenditure decision making process. The book documents the features of useful frameworks and steps involved in adopting a robust results framework. Fiscal management of Covid-19 is an important component of the book. The purpose of this volume is to reach out a comprehensive and updated understanding of empirical issues in public expenditure and its management in India to the students of Public Finance.

1 - Introduction and Overview
2 - Understanding Key Expenditure
3 - Public Expenditure in India
4 - Trends in Sub National Expenditure
5 - Public Expenditure Control
6 - Elections and Government Expenditures
7 - Public Financial Accountibility Issues
8 - Public Expenditure Reforms
9 - Outlays to Outcomes
10 - Covid-19 and Public Spending

Gayithri Karnam is a Professor of Economics at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. Her extensive research in state fiscal studies, public expenditure planning and management, Budget reforms and participation as an advisor in innumerable state government committees has enriched her understanding of applied Public Finances. She was a consultant to international donor agencies like USAID and DFID in state level fiscal studies. She is a recipient of Shastri Indo Canadian faculty research fellowship twice to undertake comparative fiscal studies at the Carleton University, Canada. Her advanced training at the Duke Center for International development, Duke University on 'public budgeting and financial management' and at the John F Kennedy School of government at the Harvard University, Boston, in the executive education program on 'Public financial management in a changing world' have aided in the conduct of cutting edge research.