Local Governance in India by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Rajendra Kumar Pandey.

Summary
"This textbook, by drawing on the basic theoretical and practical aspects of localizing governance, will illuminate how local governance unfolds in India. To help comprehend relevant issues contextually, the book focuses on the historical, socio-economic and political milieus and draws extensively on examples and cases from India. By understanding local governance in the wider political scenario, it endeavours to reconceptualise local governance in India as integral to the country's macro politics as well. It also offers a broad analysis of specific programmes (such as MNREGA for rural India and AMRUT for urban India), and thus provides useful conceptual inputs to grasp governance in a policy perspective. Containing varied examples, case studies and literature review, this textbook would be an ideal companion for students of political science, public administration, urban and rural development, sociology, social work and economics"--
Contents
Localising governance: theoretical inputs
Localizing governance: empirical roots
Localising governance in post-independent India
Cooperative movement in India
Panchayati Raj governance
Urban local governance in India
Role of information and communication technology in local governance
District planning committee
Personnel and financial administration
Mainstreaming gender
Panchayati Raj in action
Urban local governance in action
Rural well-being and rights-based legislative design
Politics of governance in localities
Changing nature of local governance
Democratisation and local governance: contemporary trends
Future prospects of local governance.