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Though nominally a secular state, under BJP rule, Hinduism in India has seen a greater prominence in politics and society than at any time in the post-independence era. As such, it is worthwhile examining how, in certain core aspects, Hinduism may affect the key variables of economic and social development. This is a neglected area that has largely been ignored by international institutions, especially by UN agencies and the World Bank. This exploratory paper provides some historical context and focuses particularly on the impact of caste on India's body politic and development. It examines the arguments of those that suggest that Hinduism may have positive effects and those that suggest otherwise. It concludes by arguing that negative effects far outweigh any putative benefits.

Most overviews of Hindu belief and practice follow a history from the ancient Vedas to today. Such approaches privilege Brahmanical traditions and create a sense of Hinduism as a homogenous system and culture, and one which is largely unchanging and based solely on sacred texts. In reality, modern Hindu faith and culture present an extraordinary range of dynamic beliefs and practices. ''Contemporary Hinduism'' aims to capture the full breadth of the Hindu worldview as practised today, both in the sub-continent and the diaspora. Global and regional faith, ritualised and everyday practice, Brahm

Gandhi's relationship with Hinduism and other religio-cultural traditions has generally been understood as part of a narrative of uniformity in which there is little scope for internal variations and ambiguities. One of the most important consequences of this uniformity is that the complexities and subtleties of Gandhi's approaches to the questions of religious and cultural spheres as well as identities are often not given the attention they deserve. Whereas Gandhi carried on a lifelong campaign for the reform of the Hindu society, his self-description as an orthodox or sanatani Hindu also holds important meanings for our understanding of him, especially in view of the fact that he was among the few leaders and thinkers of modern India who accepted and defended what may be described as popular Hinduism. The idea of the equality of all religions implying that all religions are equally true provided the template for his interface with Islam, Christianity and other traditions, without, however, denying the existence and relevance of difference in forms between various religions. Approaching politics as a deeply religious man, he had a lifelong engagement with Hindu leaders and organisations wherein the complexities of his perspective are clearly expressed.

Hinduism the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam, has been carried far beyond its country of origin by waves of emigrants. In this bibliographical compilation, the major works (such as edited books, articles and monographs) published over the last few years on Hinduism in the diaspora have been listed. Since the sources and disciplines are varied, not all the published materials could be accessed. It is hoped that the compilation will fulfil its objective of providing background knowledge to new scholars as well as academicians pursuing research on Hinduism in the diaspora.