The book presents a balanced and critical account of developments in the decades after independence. The book sheds light on the political ideas, processes and paths chosen during those years, putting forward the major challenges facing independent India. Through this book we can understand how India overcame the uneven process of partition, how the political map was reconstructed, how democratic institutions started their journey and special state status under Article 370 and what were the issues that led to debates on secular India vs. 'Hindu Rashtra', debates on citizenship law and the status of official language after Hindi language controversies and economic How the Planning Commission was created to carry out the ambitions of the policies. This book is written by independent 'Hansa' after thorough research of authentic historical material. It will thus attract readers who are interested in the process of building India after independence. Tranesh Kudesia is Associate Professor and specialist in contemporary Indian history at the National University of Singapore.