This book presents an in-depth analysis of key recommendations of the consecutive state finance commissions (SFCs) across states of India in the local and national perspective. It reviews the working of SFCs and their critical role in strengthening local governments, both Panchayats and municipalities in the various states. The volume attempts to identify some of the emerging issues related to the efficacy of SFC in fiscal decentralization. It appraises nearly eighty SFC reports and actions taken thereon by the respective State Governments with contextual analysis.

V N Alok is Associate Professor of Public Finance in Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, India. He has been a member of the Fifth Delhi Finance Commission and contributed to nearly all successive union (federal) and state finance commissions in different capacities since 1995. He conceptualized the ‘devolution index’ and constructed it annually for the Government of India during 2009-2014.