Gayithri Karnam is a Professor of Economics at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. Her extensive research in state fiscal studies, public expenditure planning and management, Budget reforms and participation as an advisor in innumerable state government committees has enriched her understanding of applied Public Finances. She was a consultant to international donor agencies like USAID and DFID in state level fiscal studies. She is a recipient of Shastri Indo Canadian faculty research fellowship twice to undertake comparative fiscal studies at the Carleton University, Canada. Her advanced training at the Duke Center for International development, Duke University on 'public budgeting and financial management' and at the John F Kennedy School of government at the Harvard University, Boston, in the executive education program on 'Public financial management in a changing world' have aided in the conduct of cutting edge research.