Interactions between Religion and Development in India: Values, Organizations and Social Movements

Abstract

This paper presents the overall findings from a research programme that examined a variety of aspects of the social and political links between religion and development in India. Studies examined how religious organizations relate to each other, the wider society and the state in India, and their influence on governance and the achievement of human development goals; how religious values and beliefs influence individuals and social groups and their attitudes to development; and whether and how disadvantaged groups mobilize religion in their quest for social change and development. The paper synthesizes the findings from ten research projects on these themes