The volumes of the PROJECT ON THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE IN INDIAN CIVILIZATION aim at discovering the main aspects of India’s heritage and present them in an interrelated way. In spite of their unitary look, these volumes recognize the difference between the areas of material civilization and those of ideational culture. The project is not being executed by a single group of thinkers and writers who are methodologically uniform or ideologically identical in their commitments. The Project is marked by what may be called ‘methodological pluralism’. Inspite of its primarily historical character, this project, both in its conceptualization and execution, has been shaped by scholars drawn from different disciplines. It is for the first time that an endeavour of such a unique and comprehensive character has been undertaken to study critically a major world civilization.

The subject matter of the present volume in two parts concerns every ordinary citizen inasmuch as it is a foundational right and a duty of everyone to know and understand the polity and constitutional culture under which we are governed.
This volume is divided into two Parts—Part 5A on “Indian Polity, Governance and The Constitution” and Part 5B on “Federalism, Elections, Government and Rule of Law”. Both the parts start with an Introduction which presents the overview theme paper.
Part 5A starts with Section I on the Philosophy of the Constitution and Concept of Indian Polity. Section II is on the Making of the Constitution. Section III deals with the Principles of Governance, Human Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties. Section IV consists of one comprehensive chapter on Impact of India’s Constitution on Her Foreign Policy and Constitutional Building in other states.
Part 5B begins with Section I which deals with Federalism and Union-State Relations. It is followed by Section II on Law and Justice. Part III and IV are on Government and Administration and Elections and Electoral Processes respectively.

About the Author

D.P. CHATTOPADHYAYA, M.A., LL.B., Ph.D. (Calcutta and London School of Economics), D. Litt. (Honoris Causa), studied, researched on law, philosophy and history and taught at various Universities in India, Asia, Europe and USA from 1954 to 1994. Founder-Chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (1981–1990) and President-cum-Chairman of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla (1984–1991), Chattopadhyaya is currently the Project Director of the multidisciplinary Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture (PHISPC) and Chairman of the Centre for Studies in Civilizations (CSC). Among his 37 publications, authored 19 and edited or co-edited 18, are Individuals and Societies (1967); Individuals and Worlds (1976); Sri Aurobindo and Karl Marx (1988); Anthropology and Historiography of Science (1990); Induction, Probability and Skepticism (1991); Sociology, Ideology and Utopia (1997); Societies, Cultures and Ideologies (2000); Interdisciplinary Studies in Science, Society, Value and Civilizational Dialogue (2002); Philosophy of Science, Phenomenology and Other Essays (2003); Philosophical Consciousness and Scientific Knowledge: Conceptual Linkages and Civilizational Background (2004); Self, Society and Science: Theoretical and Historical Perspectives (2004); Religion, Philosophy and Science (2006); Aesthetic Theories and Forms in Indian Tradition (2008) and Love, Life and Death (2010). He has also held high public offices, namely, of Union cabinet minister and state governor. He is a Life Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a Member of the International Institute of Philosophy, Paris. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2009 by the Government of India. SUBHASH C. KASHYAP is Honorary Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, President Citizenship Development Society and Rashtriya Jagriti Sansthan, Chairman, Academy of Grassroots Studies and Research, and Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Grassroots Governance. He is also associated with several other academic and social service organizations like India International Centre, International Goodwill Society, World Association for Value Education, and Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies. He was elected Member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Stockholm) for 2003–2006. He is Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and a consultant in Constitutional Law, Political Management and Parliamentary Affairs. Dr Kashyap has authored around 60 books (in English and Hindi), edited over 50 volumes and contributed over 600 research papers and articles to prestigious journals and leading dailies in India and abroad. A few of his works in English are Constitutional Law of India (2 Vols.), Blueprint of Political Reforms, The Citizen and Judicial Reforms, Political Reforms for Good Governance: A Policy Brief, Human Rights and Parliament, Institutions of Governance in South Asia, History of Parliamentary Democracy, Reforming the Constitution, Our Constitution, Constitution Making Since 1950 – An Overview (1950-2004). Several of his works have been translated into other languages.