Strategic analysis of water institutions in India : application of a new research paradigm

The specific objectives of this paper are to: (a) outline the analytical framework and theoretical approach underlying a new research paradigm needed for a strategic analysis of water institutions including their internal structure and external environment (b) review the evolution, structure, and performance of water-related institutional arrangements in India, focusing first on the macro/formal institutional arrangements and then, on their micro/informal counterparts (c) assess the performance of water institutions using a few objective criteria (d) evaluate the recent institutional changes within an institutional transaction cost framework and identify the forces -both endogenous and exogenous to the water sector- that determine the depth and direction of water institutional changes in the country (e) conclude by identifying some major implications for theory and policy in the area of institutional reform in the water sector. The paper focuses mainly on the most important aspects of water institutions that are receiving attention in current debates on water sector reforms both in India and elsewhere, the major focus will be on the formal institutional arrangements that are operating at the national and regional levels.