New ‘Governmentality’: The Indian Style

Abstract

This paper unravels the nature of ‘governmentality’ or the technology of power which is in operation under the current regime. The paper revisits the theoretical tradition in social sciences to analyse the present statecraft and illustrates the theoretical principles thus drawn, drawing from realpolitik to argue that the current Indian governmentality presents a rare mix of neoliberalism, elements of globalisation and cultivation of all forms of premodern beliefs and traditions as a means to the reproduction of a capitalist production system and a Kakistocracy.