Engaged Governance and Women Empowerment in India : Future Prospects The present book contains papers and case studies presented by various seminarians in the University Grants Commission's (UGC) Sponsored National Seminar on Engaged Governance and Women Empowerment in India: Future Prospects held on 17-18 December, 2016 in SV Govt. College Ghumarwin, Himachal Pradesh. The focus of the book is on 'engaged governance and empowerment of women in India'. In fact, the concept of engaged governance has been gaining enormous popularity in recent times, both in academic discourse and actual practice, all over the world. It links people more directly to the decision-making processes of a state in a manner that does not by pass the institutions of representational democracy but complements it. Today, it has 'emerged as an effective strategy for empowering women'. Women Empowerment is a process of developing ability or potential of women so that they can think and act freely, make their choices and control their lives; and thereby, help reducing discrimination and exploitation of them. It brings about upliftment of women in social, economic and political spheres in which they can play an equal role at par with men. For centuries, women have been slave of the oppressive patriarchal order that offers them fewer rights and lower social status as compared to men. This widespread discrimination and exploitation of women has evoked the need for empowerment of women. In spite of constitutional guarantees, enactment of laws, initiations of social reforms, efforts by the government through different schemes and programmes and U.N.O.'s directives, the equal status of women in India is still not achieved to meet the desired goals even after 70 years of Independence. Hence, this book is not only useful in the academic discourse but also a valuable one for further research and academic investigation in the discipline.