The Half-Built Nation: How India's Global Rise Masks a Fragile Domestic Foundation-and What Must Change...

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Rohan Malek

The Half-Built Nation

How India's Global Rise Masks a Fragile Domestic Foundation-and What Must Change

Rohan Malek

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English

Vij Books
15 October 2025

Development studies; Globalization; Central government policies; Development economics

Why does the world's most populous democracy, with space missions, digital innovation, and geopolitical clout, still struggle to provide clean water, functioning schools, and safe toilets to millions? This is not just a paradox-it's a wake-up call.

This urgent and unflinching book explores why India is still poor despite its global rise, dissecting the cracks in its foundation even as the superstructure soars. It reveals the hard truths behind india's development crisis-how glitzy economic growth often masks deep local inequality, institutional fragility, and the unmet promise of democracy.

Written for policy thinkers, engaged citizens, students, and anyone invested in India's future, it goes beyond surface-level commentary to ask the toughest questions: - Can economic growth vs human development be reconciled? - Why has indian public policy failure become systemic? - How do caste, gender, and infrastructure gaps derail the path forward?

Drawing on real stories, sharp data, and a panoramic view of India's political and economic journey, this is not a tale of decline-but a call to build differently. It compares india vs china development trajectories, questions the obsession with GDP, and argues for re-centering dignity, access, and justice as core national goals.

The insight is clear: india global power means little without broken infrastructure being fixed, without the unseen majority gaining visibility and voice. Readers will walk away with a deeper understanding of the future of Indian economy-and what it will truly take for a rising power to rise from within.

By: Rohan Malek
Imprint: Vij Books
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 517g
ISBN: 9788199263420
ISBN 10: 8199263423
Pages: 260
Publication Date: 15 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Rohan Malek writes at the intersection of politics, society, and lived reality. With a keen eye on how global narratives collide with domestic truths, his work examines the structures behind the headlines-what nations say about themselves versus what they deliver to their people. His writing is shaped by years of field observations, policy analysis, and an enduring belief that progress without dignity is merely optics. A lifelong observer of India's development story, he brings urgency, clarity, and nuance to some of the country's most uncomfortable questions. His mission: to reimagine growth not as a race to global relevance, but as a collective pursuit of justice, capacity, and care.