Pratap Bhanu Mehta is President, Center for Policy Research, New

Biography
Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta is President, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi. The Centre
for Policy Research is one of India’s most distinguished think tanks. He has just been
appointed to NYU’s Global Faculty Program. He was previously Visiting Professor of
Government at Harvard University; Associate Professor of Government and of Social
Studies at Harvard. Mehta has also done extensive public policy work. He was MemberConvenor of the Prime Minister of India’s National Knowledge Commission; Member of
the Supreme Court appointed Lyndoh Committee on Regulating Elections in Indian
Universities and has authored a number of reports for leading Government of India and
International Agencies. He is on the Board of Governors of IDRC, NIPFP and other
academic institutions. He is also on the Editorial Board of numerous journals including the
American Political Science Review, Journal of Democracy and India and Global Affairs.
Mehta has published widely in the fields of political theory, intellectual history,
constitutional law, politics and society in India and India’s emerging role in world Affairs.
Some recent academic articles include: The Possibility of Religious Pluralism in Tom
Banchoff (ed.) Religion and Conflict (Oxford: forthcoming 2008); Passion and
Constraint: Religious Speech in Indian Law in R. Bhargava (edited) Politics and Ethics
in the Indian Constitution (Oxford University Press, 2007)
The End of the Separation of Powers, Journal of Democracy, April 2007 reprinted in
Larry Diamond and Marc Plattner (ed.) The State of India’s Democracy (Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2007); Identity Dilemmas in a Globalizing World, in David Kelly (ed.)
India and China in a Globalizing World (Scientific Publishing, Singapore 2006); Self
Interests and Other Interests in K. Haakonsen (edited) The Cambridge Companion to
Adam Smith (Cambridge University Press, 2006); From State Sovereignty to Human
Security (via Institutions) in Terry Nardin and Melissa Williams (edited) Humanitarian
Intervention (New York University Press, 2005); Cosmopolitanism and the Circle of
Reason, Political Theory, Vol.28, No.5, 2000, pp. 619-639; Empire and Moral Identity,
Ethics and International Affairs, Volume 17. No 2, 2003; Indian Higher Education
Reform: From Half Baked Socialism to Half Baked Capitalism, CID Working Paper,
Harvard University (co-author Devesh Kapur)
His most recent books include, The Burden of Democracy and an edited volume India’s
Public Institutions (with Devesh Kapur). His forthcoming work includes a book on
Constitutionalism in Modern India and a book on India’s Great Transformation. He is also
co-editor (with Niraja Jayal) of the Oxford Companion to Politics in India.
Mehta is a prolific participant in public debates in India and has written numerous columns
for leading national and international dailies such as the Financial Times, Indian Express,
International Herald Tribune, The Telegraph. He is an Editorial Consultant to the Indian
Express. Mehta got his B.A. from Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics and
Economics and has a Ph.D in Politics from Princeton University.
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Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Pratap Bhanu Mehta est président du Center for Policy Research, à New Delhi. Le
Centre for Policy Research est l’un des groupes de réflexion les plus réputés de l’Inde.
M. Mehta vient d’être nommé au Global Faculty Program de l’Université de New York. Il
a été auparavant professeur invité d’études gouvernementales à l’Université Harvard et
professeur agrégé d’études gouvernementales et d’études sociales à cette même université.
M. Mehta a effectué de nombreux travaux portant sur la politique publique. Il a été
responsable et membre de la National Knowledge Commission, créée par le premier
ministre de l’Inde, et membre du comité de la Cour suprême sur la réglementation des
élections dans les universités indiennes (comité Lyndoh). Il a rédigé divers rapports pour
d’importants organismes internationaux et du gouvernement de l’Inde. Il siège au Conseil
des gouverneurs du Centre de recherches pour le développement international, de
même qu’au conseil d’administration du National Institute of Public Finance and Policy
et de quelques établissements d’enseignement. Il siège aussi au conseil de rédaction de
nombreuses revues, y compris l’American Political Science Review, le Journal of
Democracy et India and Global Affairs.
M. Mehta a signé de multiples textes portant sur la théorie politique, l’histoire
intellectuelle, le droit constitutionnel, la politique et la société en Inde, et le nouveau rôle
de l’Inde sur la scène mondiale. Voici quelques-uns de ses récents textes et articles
savants : The Possibility of Religious Pluralism, dans Tom Banchoff (dir.), Religion and
Conflict (Oxford : à paraître, 2008); Passion and Constraint: Religious Speech in Indian
Law, dans R. Bhargava (dir.), Politics and Ethics in the Indian Constitution (Oxford
University Press, 2007); The End of the Separation of Powers, Journal of Democracy,
avril 2007, reproduit dans Larry Diamond et Marc Plattner (dir.), The State of India’s
Democracy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007); Identity Dilemmas in a Globalizing
World, dans David Kelly (dir.), India and China in a Globalizing World (Scientific
Publishing, Singapour, 2006); Self Interests and Other Interests, dans K. Haakonsen
(dir.), The Cambridge Companion to Adam Smith (Cambridge University Press, 2006);
From State Sovereignty to Human Security (via Institutions), dans Terry Nardin et
Melissa Williams (dir.), Humanitarian Intervention (New York University Press, 2005);
Cosmopolitanism and the Circle of Reason, Political Theory, vol. 28, no 5, 2000, p. 619639; Empire and Moral Identity, Ethics and International
Affairs, vol. 17, no 2, 2003; Indian Higher Education Reform: From Half-Baked
Socialism to Half-Baked Capitalism, Centre for International Development Working
Paper, Université Harvard (avec Devesh Kapur).
Ses plus récents livres comprennent The Burden of Democracy et un livre dont il a dirigé
la rédaction avec Devesh Kapur, India’s Public Institutions. Paraîtront prochainement un
livre intitulé Constitutionalism in Modern India ainsi qu’un autre intitulé India’s Great
Transformation. Il est aussi codirecteur de la rédaction (avec Niraja Jayal) de l’Oxford
Companion to Politics in India.
M. Mehta participe sans relâche à de nombreux débats publics en Inde et a rédigé de
multiples chroniques pour de grands quotidiens nationaux et internationaux tels que le
Financial Times, l’Indian Express, l’International Herald Tribune et The Telegraph. Il est
conseiller rédactionnel pour l’Indian Express. M. Mehta a obtenu un baccalauréat en
philosophie, politique et économie de l’Université Oxford et un doctorat en politique de
l’Université Princeton.