A long period of democratic rule is associated with steady improvements in a nation's health. India, however, appears to be an exception in this regard. Its health failures remain visible and pronounced despite high rates of economic growth since the 1980s and more than six decades of democratic rule. While some Indian states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have done well to improve population health, populous states in north India have lagged behind. One of the main reasons for India's disappointing health performance is the poor provision of public services, including water supply, education, health services, garbage removal, and others, whose deficits have adverse consequences on health. Based on field research in two low-income communities in New Delhi, the authors inquire why low-income groups do not use their political freedom to mobilize and make sustained claims on the state for improving those social services that affect their health and/or are a drain on their incomes. CONTENTS 1. Introduction: India’s Health Puzzle 2. Democracy, Civil Society, and Claims-Making in India 3. Why Are India’s Poor Not Making Claims for Health? 4. What Will It Take for the Poor to Demand Health Services? 5. Conclusion: Democracy, Civil Society, and Claims-Making for Public Service ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Madhvi Gupta is Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Goa, India. She has previously taught at McGill University and Concordia University (Canada), and published on civil society and democracy in Brazil and India. Pushkar is Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Goa, India. He was previously Lecturer in International Development Studies at McGill University, and in Political Science at Concordia University, Canada. He has published on Chilean politics and health reforms and on democracy, public goods provision, and health in India.