Asok Kumar Mukhopadhyay was a PhD student of London School of Economics and Political Science from 1970 to 1972. He did his PhD, which explored the politics of developing a water supply during the Victorian age in London, under Professor George Jones, Former Professor of Government.
The Politics of Water Supply: The Case of Victorian London was concerned with how London had sought to ensure for its teeming millions a plentiful supply of wholesome water. Its focus was on the campaigns to secure a public water supply for London in the age of Queen Victoria, ending with the establishment of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903. The story is not simply of historical interest; it is no antiquarian narrative. It has a more general significance for social scientists, particularly those interested in the evolution of metropolitan areas, the nature of the policy process and the structure of Government in large urban settlements. The debates that Asok Mukhopadhyay chronicled so well are still relevant today. His analysis has relevance for those interested in Government and Policy in metropolitan areas all over the world including developing countries.
Asok Kumar Mukhopadhyay was a former Professor of Political Science, University of Calcutta, India. He passed away a few months back on August 18, 2020 in Calcutta.