Praveen Priyadarshi is doing his PhD in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is also a research associate with the Crisis States Research Centre, LSE. He is presently on leave from teaching political science at Zakir Husain College (Evening), University of Delhi. His interests are in the history of political institutions in India and their relation with development processes. He has published papers in journals such as Economic and Political Weekly and Social Science Research Journal.