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Fiscal Fables

Fiscal Fables

A Citizen’s Guide to Public Finance

Sarthak Pradhan
,
Pranay Kotasthane
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There is an unending debate on the north-south claims on government money. Every election cycle
unmistakably sees a discussion on freebies and corruption. The states and the union continue to
have multiple disagreements concerning the Goods and Services Tax. And while Indian cities
contribute to the bulk of its GDP, they are perennially begging for money.

Discussions around the topics listed above are now commonplace, yet they often take place in the
absence of a grasp on public finance concepts, even though this discipline provides a framework to
understand the role of a government in the economy.

That’s where Fiscal Fables comes in. It demystifies India’s public finances to a lay audience and explains public finance concepts with the help of relatable stories and examples, to make this vital knowledge accessible to a general interest reader.

Imprint: India Penguin

Published: Aug/2026

ISBN: 9789377303952 (Paperback)

Length : 384 Pages

MRP : ₹499.00

Fiscal Fables

A Citizen’s Guide to Public Finance

Sarthak Pradhan
,
Pranay Kotasthane

There is an unending debate on the north-south claims on government money. Every election cycle
unmistakably sees a discussion on freebies and corruption. The states and the union continue to
have multiple disagreements concerning the Goods and Services Tax. And while Indian cities
contribute to the bulk of its GDP, they are perennially begging for money.

Discussions around the topics listed above are now commonplace, yet they often take place in the
absence of a grasp on public finance concepts, even though this discipline provides a framework to
understand the role of a government in the economy.

That’s where Fiscal Fables comes in. It demystifies India’s public finances to a lay audience and explains public finance concepts with the help of relatable stories and examples, to make this vital knowledge accessible to a general interest reader.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback
SapnaOnline Crossword Atlantic Amazon

Sarthak Pradhan

Sarthak Pradhan is a public policy researcher focused on public finance and economics.

He is a Fellow at the Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in public policy, where he teaches economic reasoning and explores the application of complexity science to policy problems. He also serves as Assistant Editor of the Indian Public Policy Review.
Based in Bengaluru, he believes that citizens who understand public money make better demands of their governments. This book is an attempt to make public finance more accessible to citizens.

Pranay Kotasthane

Pranay Kotasthane is deputy director at the Takshashila Institution, where he is a researcher and teacher of public policy, foreign policy and public finance. Pranay is the co-author of the public policy best-seller Missing in Action: Why You Should Care about Public Policy (2023) and When the Chips are Down: A Deep Dive into a Global Crisis (2023). He co-writes Anticipating the Unintended, a newsletter on public policy ideas and frameworks and co-hosts Puliyabaazi, a popular Hindi-Urdu podcast on politics, policy and technology.

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