Dr. Bimal Jalan was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1997 to 2003 and a nominatedmember of the Rajya Sabha during 2003-2009. Earlier he was Finance Secretary and Chairmanof Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. He represented India on the Boards of IMFand World Bank. His recent books include The Future of India: Politics, Economics and Governance;India's Politics: A View from the Backbench; and Emerging India: Economics, Politics & Reforms.
In India a globally impressive talent pool co-exists with the highest incidence of poverty in theworld. The engaged citizen is aware of this situation, wants to know how it has come to be andwhat can be done to improve it. That the country's full potential is not being realized to make fora dynamic economy and acceptable living conditions for her people points to something beyondeconomics being at play. And this is the ever-present politics.
