Elites are the creative and energetic forces of the society. As the prime movers they decide the fate of any society in a considerable measure. Although this is true of all societies, elites assume a greater importance in the context of developing societies. But how permeable is the elite ? What effects democratization has on the elite structure of the society in terms of its exclusiveness and self-interpretation ? How does the elite function and what are its strain ? What is its character like in terms of psychic make- up ?
In this book Anup Kumar Dash tries to answer these very pertinent questions about the political elite within the framework of a changing social structure of a developing democracy. Based on the data derived from interviews held with elites (empirically identified through the positional approach), this study is developed around such major themes as the social origin and composition of the elite, their self-conception, personal traits and subjective attitudes and orientations.
This book is an original contribution to the theory of elite-building in a developing society, specially the functioning of an important part of the political class in a developing society.

The Political Elite in a Developing Society 
With the emergence of India as an independent sovereign democratic republic, its elite structure has undergone important and qualitative changes. The Indian society, during the latter part of the British period, saw the emergence of a new elite -- a revolutionary and nationalist elite -- which marked a structural break from the traditional feudal-monarchial elite. The former " exclusiveness " of the traditional elite structure got eroded after independence. The form and substance of the elite structure further went through a change after independence. The form and substance of the elite structure further went through a change after independence with the coming up of career-oriented political elite and the disappearance of the revolutionary-nationalist elite.
This study explores some of the social characteristics of the career-oriented political elite in the present-day India.