The Idea of India – Sunil Khilnani

Brief Description of the Book

The Idea of India explores India as a modern political project, arguing that the Indian nation was consciously imagined and built around democracy, constitutionalism, diversity, and citizenship rather than ethnicity or religion. Khilnani presents India as an ongoing experiment, where unity is sustained through institutions, political negotiation, and pluralism. The book is extremely relevant for GS-2 Polity & Governance, Essay (India, democracy, nationhood), and Ethics (constitutional morality).

The following extracts may be used in OPSC answer writing:

“India is a work in progress.”→ Essay / GS-2: Indian democracy as an evolving experiment; reforms, federalism, constitutional adaptation

“Democracy is the political idea that makes sense of India.”→ GS-2 Polity / Essay: Centrality of democracy in managing India’s diversity

“India was perhaps the first country to attempt a democracy of such scale and diversity.”→ GS-2 Polity: Electoral democracy, inclusiveness, comparative politics

“The Indian state was designed to be a mediator, not a master.”→ GS-2 Governance / Ethics: Limited state, constitutionalism, welfare vs coercive power

“Indian unity was not inherited; it had to be invented.”→ Essay / GS-1 / GS-2: Nation-building, post-colonial state formation

“Citizenship, not ethnicity, was the basis of the Indian political imagination.”→ GS-2 Polity: Secularism, inclusive nationalism, constitutional citizenship

“India’s political stability rests more on negotiation than on force.”→ GS-2 Governance / Essay: Federalism, coalition politics, accommodative democracy

“The Constitution transformed subjects into citizens.”→ GS-2 Polity / GS-4: Constitutional morality, rights-based governance

“Indian democracy has survived because it allows conflict to be expressed politically.”→ GS-2 / Essay: Role of elections, dissent, protests in democratic stability

“India’s success has been political before it has been economic.”→ Essay / GS-2: Democracy preceding development; institutional foundations of growth