Paper short abstract:

This paper is concerned with attempts to manage the informal sector in India in terms of the Street Vendors Act 2104. The problematic implementation experience of this act is discussed in the case of the state of MP in India. Nevertheless this is seen as an important Global innovation.

Paper long abstract:

This paper is partly concerned with attempt to manage the informal sector in the urban areas of the Global South. It is specifically concerned with the case of Street Vendor in India.

Firstly it traces the evolution and political economy of attempts at management, through guidelines introduced in 2002, to the 2014 Act which is legally enforceable. This is an important story it is own right in how civil society organizations namely the NASVI (National Association of Street Vendors of India) were able successfully to lobby and change the law in India. The result is the new 2014 Act.

While the act has not yet been implemented, the State of Madhya Pradesh has implemented its own act which is almost identical. This has been successfully implemented at an administrative level but on the ground nothing has changed. It is suggested that this reflects the importance of symbolic politics and problems of implementation in India. Nevertheless in India, despite its problems in implementation, the Act is seen as an important innovation in the general problem of managing the informal sector. It also has unique aspects as it has followed an approach that is broadly rights-based and illustrates both the strengths and weakness of such an approach in contemporary India and elsewhere.