A crowd of close to 150 people gathered for the launch of Understanding Contemporary India: Critical Perspectives, edited by Rajeev Bhargava and Achin Vanaik. It was held at the Main Conference Hall, University of Delhi on 11 August 2010.

(From the left) Professor Rajeev Bhargava, Senior Fellow and Director at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Professor Deepak Pental, former Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi and Professor Manoranjan Mohanty, former head, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, and Dr Neera Chandhoke, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi and Director of the Developing Countries Research Centre, University of Delhi – releasing the book.

Professor Deepak Pental, who was also Chief Guest on this occasion, presenting a copy of the book to Professor Vanaik, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi.

The editors of the volume signing copies of book.

Understanding Contemporary India: Critical Perspectives brings together contributions from scholars and teachers of the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. This reader examines the peculiarities of Indian democracy—the character of its political institutions and patterns of governance—and the remarkable paradoxes that co-exist in what is easily the most diverse society in the world perceived from whatever angle one chooses—socially, culturally, geo-ethnically, politically and intellectually. In this photograph, the speakers for the book launch, including Professor M. P. Singh (standing to the right of Professor Bhargava), former Head, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, gather together at the end of the launch.