The Hindu’s book, “State of Play: India’s Tryst with Federalism” is a comprehensive and in-depth look at political, economic and social developments across Indian States that matter most from a policy perspective. This volume of articles from The Hindu’s opinion pages from 2021-23 has been carefully curated to give readers detailed insights into the policy landscape of States in South India and other regions too. Organised by State, the chapters of this book represent the widest range of key issues that have been at the forefront of policy debate – from the complexities of States navigating fiscal pressures, to the challenges of integrating linguistic identities in an ever-changing social milieu to the deep institutional questions relating to how States are governed, including the role of the Centre.