This book makes an effort to initiate the discourse of governance of water in the Indian context from a variety of angles, such as neo-classical and institutional economics, deliberative democracy, public administration, collective action and political economy perspectives. Reform in water governance not only includes a re-orientation of policy priorities and approaches, but also the restructuring of the institutional framework away from the state and village dichotomy. New ′intermediate′ institutions are required to allow a negotiated approach to water resource governance, multi-stakeholder participation, and integrated water resource management at various levels: the village, state, and nation as a whole.