ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the theme of the book, that is, the political economy of development and environment during post-independence India. It attempts to comprehend how the economic history and environmental history literature have neglected the components of the political economy aspects of post-independence India. It also points out, even within the political economy literature, how it has failed to address the environmental components and how the political economy of the environment has undermined the development components specifically. Essentially, this chapter attempts to capture the complexities of both the development and environment, from the political economy point of view to the broad economic and environmental history of post-independence India.
