This volume is a festschrift in honour of B.P.R. Vithal, the founder of CESS
(Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad). His contribution to the
subject of Indian fiscal federalism is well-known to the administrators and
academicians of this field. He raised the issues—plan-non-plan dichotomy,
imbalances in the ToR of Finance Commissions, changing contours of central
assistance for state plans, growing centralization and ever increasing Centrally
Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to name a few—much before they became focal. It is
earnestly hoped that this collection will be a useful addition to the ongoing
debate on Centre-state relations in the Indian fiscal context.