Archives of Contemporary India

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K.B. Saxena

K.B. Saxena

K.B. Saxena is a highly esteemed academic and bureaucrat with a rich and diverse background. He completed his master's degree in Political Science at the University of Delhi and subsequently imparted his knowledge as a faculty member at the University. In 1964, he embarked on a career in the Indian Administrative Service, assuming significant governmental roles including Joint Secretary for Land Reforms, Additional Chief Secretary for the Government of Bihar, and Secretary for various ministries within the Government of India, encompassing Welfare, Rural Development, and Health. Notably, he also served as the Principal Adviser to the Planning Commission. His tenure in the Indian Administrative Service concluded in 2001. 

He has made substantial contributions to the field through authoring and editing a multitude of influential books, such as Health Policy and Reforms: Governance in Primary Healthcare (2010), Swaraj and the Reluctant State (2020), Poverty and Deprivation (2021), and Private Sector Participation in Public Services - Health (2022). Additionally, his extensive body of work comprises a plethora of articles and papers centered on pivotal topics like rural and urban poverty alleviation programs, private sector engagement in public services, primary healthcare in rural settings, and issues confronting the impoverished and marginalized segments of society. Notably, he has also conducted comprehensive research and compiled reports for the National Human Rights Commission, addressing Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and the National Old Age Pension Scheme. 

Currently, Prof. Saxena holds the esteemed position of Professor of Social Justice and Governance at the Council for Social Development in New Delhi.

About the Collection: The K.B. Saxena collection comprises papers pertaining to the implementation of governmental initiatives, including land reforms, rural and backward areas development, poverty alleviation, and rehabilitation of bonded labour. The collection also encompasses reports from the Planning Commission, National Wasteland Development Board, Indian Council of Social Science Research, Indian Institute of Public Administration, seminar papers, and studies on various themes related to agrarian reforms, water resource management, agricultural development, social forestry, development planning, and schedule area regulations. Besides, the collection includes material on tribal land rights, police administration in backward areas, earthquake rehabilitation, Naxalite problems, and a few issues of journals and magazines such as Bihar Samachar, Labour & Development, and other publications. These papers serve as invaluable source material for researchers and students interested in the study of integrated development planning issues.