Publication

This paper analyzes changes in the level and composition of public spending on social and economic issues by the central and regional governments of India. It looks at the period from 1950-51 to 2005-06, with a special emphasis on understanding changes in expenditure patterns in the 1990s and 2000s. The author argues that the long-run outcome of India's fiscal policy is the inability of the state to raise tax collections in order to meet expenditure requirements.