Abstract
This study analyses the current contribution of the Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) in building a competent workforce for the nation while identifying the policy gaps that have led to disinvestment, privatisation, and closure of these PSEs. Additionally, a practical method has been used to offer suggestions to help Public Service Entities (PSEs) play a more effective role in developing a skilled workforce for nation-building.
Keywords: HRM, MoU, disinvestment, categorisation, ratna scheme, ACR, grading, digital monitoring.
1. Evolution of Public Sector
At the time of independence in 1947, India was predominantly an agrarian economy with a weak industrial base, low level of savings, inadequate investments, and infrastructure facilities (Aggrawal, 2022). The country was facing socio-economic problems, regional imbalances in economic development, lack of trained manpower, and poor infrastructure facilities, etc. To promote self-reliant economic growth and equal distribution of resources, the Government has laid down the roadmap for developing Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The second Industry Policy Resolution was made in 1956 to overcome the scarcity of capital and the lack of interest in entrepreneurship of large-scale projects by private players. The state assumed direct responsibility and developed the industries by setting up Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) with the following broad objectives as mentioned in the 3rd Pay Revision Committee (PRC) report:
• To help in the rapid economic growth and industrialisation of the country and create the necessary infrastructure for economic development;
• To earn a return on investment and thus generate resources for development;
• To promote the redistribution of income and wealth;
• To create employment opportunities;
• To promote balanced regional development;
• To assist the development of small-scale and ancillary industries; and
• To promote import substitution, save, and earn foreign exchange for the economy.
The workforce is the most important and prestigious part of any industry and it represents the total knowledge, creative abilities, skills, talents, and aptitudes. The potential of a company is known by the capabilities of its human resource. Since then, the organisations have been incessantly working to enhance the skills and abilities of their employees in the present job as well as make them ready to take up future assignments. These organisations also work towards capacity development of vendors, associates, and contributors in the horizontal and virtual value chain. Thus, PSEs not only provide direct employment but also indirect employment leading to a significant contribution to nation-building.
2. Position of Human Resource in India
As mentioned above, the government adopted the approach to encourage industrialisation by directing investment towards the production of capital goods. It also restricted imports to protect the local industries of the country but sooner, it was realised that the return on capital in the public sector during the 1980s was only 1.5 percent, and annual GDP per capita hovered around a 3.5 percent rate (Amaya, 2020).
As the socio-economic development projects of the then government were bleeding due to insufficient funds collected through taxation, the dependency of the government increased on public debt. In 1991, when public debt reached $70 billion and India was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, a disastrous last resort was taken and actions initiated to bring liberalisation policy to fix the problems (Amaya, 2020).
The industrial policy was junked by the government, and it started bringing policy reforms to stimulate the private sector and attract international trade. The measures to boost private participation included the elimination of licences for setting up industries or undertaking imports, removal of limits on capital accumulation, opening up more sectors for private sector participation, and many more. In 1991, the liberalisation was undertaken on the premise that it would make local industries more competitive, helping them capture world markets, which in turn would enable millions of Indian workers to move away from low-productivity farm jobs to high-productivity factory jobs (Bhattacharya, 2018). The results of liberalisation were favourable to the nation as annual GDP per capita increased to 6 percent by 53 percent due to the contribution of the service sector and 17.3 percent by exports (Amaya, 2020).
However, it was found that the nature of job creation has been very narrowly concentrated in a few sectors. The jobs created by the construction sector were almost one-third of all jobs created during the post-liberalisation era of the country. The number of jobs created by the construction sector was equal to all the jobs created by the other four generating sectors viz. trade, miscellaneous services, transport and storage, and education (Bhattacharya, 2018).
At the same time, the way industries handle their Human Resource Management (HRM) has changed significantly. It used to be mainly about keeping records, but now it involves making sure companies follow rules and provide due wages (Gulati, 2020). This shift is because of the introduction of technology and automation in processes like payroll, hiring, training, and getting new employees started. But as technology and the internet have developed, it created a new problem: too much information and not enough guidance (Li, 2022). This means that people and businesses in the economy were facing lots of challenges. For employees, it could be figuring out what skills to learn or finding job opportunities online. Employers, on the other hand, were trying to find ways to manage their company's workforce more smoothly and efficiently in this modern age.
3. Human Resource of PSUs
According to Public Enterprises (PE) Survey Reports of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE, 2020, 2021, 2022a), the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) have provided employment to around 1 to 1.7 million citizens of the country over the period of their existence. The data of the last four years has been compared with the database of the Employee Provident Fund Organisation that keeps records of the organised workforce in the country (EPFO, 2022) as shown in the table below:
Table 1: Employees in CPSEs
As per Table 1, the CPSEs have been contributing to almost 20% of the organised sector; however, the share of the public sector in the job market is declining. Furthermore, the government has announced a New Public Sector Enterprises policy that envisions that the strategic sectors have a limited number of players, restricting it to a maximum of four public sector enterprises of the holding nature (The Economic Times, 2021).
This announcement has created a lot of introspection by all stakeholders, where some imagine the new PSEs to be conglomerates like those of China, while others presume the organisations shall have the best-of-class HR practices to create world-class organisations like Google, Amazon, etc. However, it is obvious that the changes shall flip the operational behaviour of the industry.
4. Competency Building Model
i. Organisation Structure
In 1965, the Committee of Secretaries gave the classification of companies as Schedule A, B, C, and D based on the importance to the economy and complexities of problems to provide relativity between compensation structures of Board level executives of CPSEs Subsequently, the Government issued broad guidelines for categorisation of CPSEs into four schedules. Each CPSE requests for categorisation or re-categorisation by submitting information on the following broad criteria to its administrative Ministry (DPE, 2011):
• Quantitative Factors like investment, capital employed, net sales, profit before tax, number of employees, number of units, capacity addition, revenue per employee, sales/capital employed, capacity utilisation, value added per employee, etc. If figure is not available, the projection in the Cabinet Note may be provided.
• Qualitative factors like national importance, complexities of problems, level of technology, prospects for expansion and diversification of activities and competition from other sectors.
• Information on Share price, MoU ratings, Ratna Status, ISO Certification,
• Critical/Strategic Importance of CPSE, if applicable.
Then, the administrative Ministry in consultation with its Financial Adviser forwards the proposal of the concerned CPSE to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for scrutiny as per the extant guidelines (DPE, 2011). Later the Ministry sends the proposal to Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for appraisal and recommendation to Cabinet Secretary and Minister-in-Charge.
Subsequently, the approval of the Competent Authority on categorisation is communicated to the CPSE. As on 31.03.2021, there are 165 scheduled CPSEs which comprise of 65 in ‘schedule A’, 60 in ‘schedule B’, 38 in ‘schedule C’, and 2 in ‘schedule D’ (DPE, 2021). Meanwhile, the Government has also given operational autonomy to these CPSEs by delegating powers to the Board of profit-making CPSEs under Navratna, Miniratna, and Maharatna schemes.
Authority was given in various areas like spending on important things (CAPEX), investing in partnerships or new companies, managing employees, borrowing money, buying things from other countries, forming technical partnerships, restructuring the organization, and merging with other companies (DPE, 2010a). As of March 31, 2021, there are 10 Maharatna, 13 Navratna, 56 Miniratna-I, and 10 Miniratna-II CPSEs (DPE, 2021). These categories might change every ten years when a committee, led by a retired Supreme Court Judge, reviews them (3rd PRC, 2016). This committee looks at how much money and incentives PSEs should provide to attract employees, taking into account the business situation in the country and the world. Thus, talent gets attracted to the jobs of these PSEs as the compensation is one of the best amongst the industry. Similarly, the delegation of powers under Ratna schemes is regularly monitored and amended based on contemporary requirements through committee constituted at higher-level. These actions are rare, but care is taken by the policy makers to provide adequate reforms in the power of delegation based on the market dynamics so that PSEs remain competitive.
ii. Performance Management
All Public Sector Enterprises are Board-driven entities and follow the corporate governance guidelines under the Companies Act, 2013. As per Aggrawal (2022), DPE has also developed multiple monitoring systems to ensure compliance with these legislations and guidelines of DPE. These systems include Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Public Enterprises (PE) Survey, Annual Compliance Report (ACR), Grading System, etc.
Table 2: Grading of CPSEs
The Department of Public Enterprises monitors the compliance of CPSEs to various aspects of Corporate Governance, such as Composition of the Board, Board Meetings, Constitution of various Board Committees, Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, etc., along with their regular meetings, material subsidiary-related party transactions, Board Disclosures, Remuneration of Directors, and holding of Annual General Meetings, etc. The compliance report of each quarter is submitted by CPSEs to their administrative Ministry and is later submitted as consolidated information for the entire year to the DPE. Based on the compliance report, extant guidelines (DPE, 2018), and the scores obtained as per Table 2, a grade is allocated to each CPSE. The graded compliance report of all CPSEs is then forwarded to the Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU) for further necessary actions.
iii. Annual Compliance Report
All CPSEs submit their Annual Compliance Report (ACR) to their administrative Ministry within 30 days from the close of the preceding financial year, i.e., by April 30 every year. Subsequently, the concerned Ministry submits the consolidated compliance report to the DPE by June 30 of the year (DPE, 2010b). The information is locally monitored to ensure compliance with other DPE guidelines.
iv. MoU Guidelines
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is like a deal between the main owner and the management of a government-owned company (CPSE). This agreement applies to all CPSEs, including their subsidiary companies. The government ministry or the main company signs the MoU with the CPSE or its subsidiary. They both agree on specific goals before the new financial year begins, and they promise to achieve these goals. If they do, they get rewarded by the government (DPE, 2022b).
The goals in the MoU are based on what's good for the company's owners, like making more money, having a better financial situation, using assets effectively, and having a higher value in the stock market if the CPSE is listed. These goals can be measured and checked using public documents. Also, there are some government priorities and programs, like buying from certain places or supporting small businesses and innovation, that the CPSEs must follow. If they don't, they can lose points.
Under the MoU, the sectoral templates containing the parameters or Key Result Areas (KRAs) and corresponding benchmarks of these parameters are worked out by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and implemented with the approval of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) before uploading on the MoU dashboard of DPE, through which CPSEs report their performance.
Table 3: MoU Score and Rating
The MoU system uses a five-point scale of performance measurement, that is, ‘Excellent,’ ‘Very good,’ ‘Good,’ ‘Average,’ and ‘Poor.’ Based on the scores, the rating is assigned to each CPSE (DPE, 2022b): The MOU rating forms the basis of Performance Related Pay (PRP) with all KRAs identified in the MOU. Those CPSEs that do not enter into MOUs will not be eligible for PRP. As per Table 3, if the CPSE achieves an ‘Excellent’ MOU rating, the Performance Related Pay (PRP) can be paid at 100% eligibility levels as outlined above. For a ‘Very Good’ rating, the eligibility should be scaled down to 70%. In respect of ‘Good’ and ‘Fair’ ratings, the eligibility levels could be brought down to 50% and 33% respectively. If the CPSE is rated as ‘Poor,’ there will be no eligibility for PRP irrespective of the profitability of the CPSE (DPE, 2022b).
The above monitoring mechanism has been instrumental in the development of modern PSEs with a competent workforce. Professionals remain attracted to these companies because of better HR policies, higher performance-linked remunerations, on-board training, other capacity-building activities, job security, and other perks.
v. Compensation Management
The Third PRC was constituted under the Chairmanship of Justice (Rtd) Satish Chandra to consider and recommend pay scales for Board and Below Board level executives and non-unionised supervisors of CPSEs under the Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA) pattern of pay scale. Therefore, based on the recommendations of the Third PRC and subsequent approval by the Cabinet Secretariat, the revised pay scale guidelines effective from 01.01.2017 were issued (DPE, 2017). As per these guidelines, the following model pay scales were recommended for below Board and Board level executives:
Table 4: Categorisation of CPSE’s and their organisational structure
However, to maintain the competitiveness of the PSEs, the following conditions were explicitly made by the Third PRC:
vi. Affordability for Implementation of Pay Revision
CPSEs were permitted to revise their pay scales based on the condition that the Revised Pay Package of Board, below Board, and non-unionised Supervisors is less than 20 percent of the Average Profit before Tax (PBT) of the last three financial years (DPE, 2017).
vii. Fitment Benefits
As per the Fitment Benefit criteria, the CPSE can implement the full fitment benefit of 15 percent provided that the additional financial impact in the year of implementation of the revised pay package is within 20 percent of the average PBT of the last three years. For other CPSEs, the fitment benefit was applicable as per the reduced rate based on the criteria specified in the Table (DPE, 2017) given below:
Table 5: Fitment Benefit
Thus, as per Table 5, a company requiring additional funds between 20 to 30 percent for the implementation of the revised pay package was allowed to apply for 10 percent of the fitment benefit to Basic Pay (BP) and Dearness Pay (DP). The fitment reduces to 5 percent for companies whose additional requirement exceeds beyond 30 percent of the average PBT of the last three financial years, whereas no fitment benefit is provided to companies that exceed the requirement for funds above 40 percent.
viii. Other Perks and Benefits
The Board of Directors has been empowered to decide on the perks and allowances admissible to different categories of executives, under the concept of Cafeteria Approach, subject to a ceiling of 35% of Basic Pay (DPE, 2017). Under the Cafeteria Approach, the executives are allowed to choose from a set of perks and allowances.
5. Policy Intervention
As per the Industrial Policy statement of 1991, the Government evolved the policy of ‘disinvestment’ in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) with an objective to raise resources, encourage wider public participation, and bring in greater market accountability (3rd PRC, 2016). Subsequently, the New Public Sector Policy was announced in 2021 wherein the Government has decided to keep its presence only in the strategic sectors like (i) Atomic Energy, Space and Defense (ii) Transport and Telecommunication, (iii) Power, Petroleum, Coal, and other minerals, (iv) Banking, Insurance, and Financial Services, and close, or privatise, all other PSEs (DIPAM, 2021). It is a highly ambitious plan of the government and it shall sail through the test of time. Meanwhile, introspection has been made to identify the precursor that caused the present decision of the government:
i. Compliance Burden
The companies registered under the Companies Act, 2013 have to ensure compliance with the common regulatory framework comprising of:
⦁ Corporate Laws: Companies Act, 2013
⦁ Labor Laws (Labor Codes, Factories Act, Employees Provident Fund, Employees State Insurance, etc.)
⦁ Environmental Laws (Environmental Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Air Protection, Water Protection, etc.)
⦁ Securities Laws (SEBI Regulations) Listing, Disclosure
⦁ Intellectual Property Laws
⦁ Industry-Specific Laws
However, the PSEs were stressed with additional compliance requirements like:
⦁ Welfare Regulations (Reservation for Scheduled Cast, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Ex-Servicemen, Person with Disability, etc.)
⦁ Oversight & Transparency (Central Vigilance Commission, Comptroller Auditor General, Central Bureau of Investigation, Right to Information Act, Parliamentary Committees)
⦁ DPE Guidelines (Categorisation & Organisation Structure, Board Appointments, Board and Senior Management Remuneration, Performance Evaluation, Delegation of Powers, MoU, etc.)
⦁ Other Departments Guidelines- Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, NITI Aayog, etc.
Thus, these additional compliance burdens caused too much bureaucratic interference and affected the performance of the CPSEs, as a large chunk of operational man-days were invested by the company to ensure compliance rather than investing it in other areas to build competitiveness.
ii. Autonomy and Delegation of Powers
As compared to private companies, the Chief Executive Officer of PSE enjoys limited autonomy under the Ratna scheme. It has restricted the capability of the CPSE in expansion, diversification, and modernisation as compared to private companies. Thus, the Board of private companies enjoys better autonomy and holds exhaustive decision-making powers. Further, the absence of application of transparency regulation to private companies creates an unequal level for PSEs, and it is detrimental to the survival of the latter. Further, the government needs to build a better real-time monitoring system so that private companies may not adopt chronic and wrong practices like corruption, under-payment, etc.
iii. Modernisation
The Public Sector Enterprises draw most of their policies from the Central Government whereas the objective and functions of the two forms of government operations are entirely different. In fact, the government should have entrusted more teeth to the nodal department monitoring the CPSEs across the country as it could be seen that until the pandemic, the concept of work-from-home (WFH) was unknown to the industry, and with the advancement of technologies like Microsoft Teams, Moodle, Google Meet, WebEx, Vidyo Connect, Blackboard, etc., the concept became a reality and the researchers began introspection on identification and performance monitoring criteria for such jobs in WFH mode.
Thus, there is a requirement that an industrial think-tank may be created, and technocrats may be empowered to review each decision scientifically so that decisions related to technology, innovation needs, research requirements, etc. are taken in the right perspective and interest of the nation. Similarly, the job profiles, recruitment process, etc. should be reviewed based on the requirement for modernisation so that competent professionals board the organisation and help the organisation in achieving competitiveness.
iv. Gig Economy
A major shift in the employment trends has been the rise of the gig economy globally. The gig economy encompasses freelancers, online platform workers, self-employed, on-call workers, and other temporary contractual workers (Aggarwal, 2022b). The rise of the gig economy is driven by the emergence of tech-enabled platforms, demand for flexible work arrangements, and a focus on skills. As per the India Staffing Federation report (2019), India is the fifth largest in flexi-staffing globally, after USA, China, Brazil, and Japan. The report also projected the flexi-staffing industry to grow at 22.7%, reaching 6.1 million workforces in 2021. However, the Public Sector Enterprises don’t have policies to accommodate such a workforce. Thus, the companies need to evolve such policies to entertain gig workers into their operations.
6. Approaches to boost PSE’s Contribution
i. Employment Rotation
As we know, the PSEs provide long-term jobs up to a lifetime to an individual. Thus, the organisations enjoy the highest level of loyalty and 100% commitment of their employees. However, despite lifetime security of employment and maximum contributions of the employee, the organisations have not been able to generate more than 10-17 lakh jobs over the period of their existence (DPE, 2020, 2021, 2022a). Thus, an out-of-box solution is needed so that more jobs are secured for the competent workforce as well as to build competent professionals for Nation Building. Accordingly, it is proposed that 10 to 20 percent of the jobs in PSEs may be identified where the employment can be given on a tenure basis. The organisations may customise their operations into projects of 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years so that all recruitments are undertaken on a rotation basis, and the maximum number of citizens get the opportunity to serve at least one PSE.
The following solution (Figure 1) has been drawn from the model of Aggrawal (2022b) where the National Job Grid has been used to provide job security to increase women's participation. The companies may be empowered to amend their recruitment rules, and a nationalised approach may be used in recruitment in PSEs.
Figure 1: Skill based Employment Process
The selection of individuals should be purely based on skills, abilities, capabilities, etc., rather than based on a test to reject maximum candidates. The selection of a candidate shall be limited to verification of records and assessment of competence by the professional job aggregators. A layer of renowned Industry Experts has been added so that recommendations on the skills of candidates can be obtained from them directly by job aggregators or Industries during the selection of the candidate. Above the Expert, another layer of Regulator has been created to act as a watchdog and rate these Industry Experts and Job Aggregators. Thus, all entities in the ecosystem should behave in an extremely professional manner without any vices and bias towards any candidate. The above model shall ensure that PSEs are able to expand faster and provide a higher rate of employment to the nation. Thus, it will ensure that a larger mass of the country is better skilled and employable.
ii. Skill-based Recruitment
All organisations, including PSEs, have to develop themselves into lean and agile structures where the efforts of all individuals are gathered into the core direction of business. A benchmark of man-days may be used to measure the operational efficiency of all individuals in the operations of the company. If the output is less than 50% below the benchmark levels, the associated functions may be outsourced. The identification of manpower should be completely based on skills in the format listed in Figure 1. In the Figure 2, the levels of proficiency and grading have been used hypothetically to make a comprehensive sample of Job Description under the skill framework.
Job: Data Entry Operator
Educational Qualification: Level – 10 in Hindi, Science and Mathematics
Skill Qualification: Level – 5 proficiency in MS Office, Computer Typing Speed of 2500 key depressions, Level 2 proficiency in email operations, etc.
Selection Method: Skill Certification from recognised academic Institute or Industry of Level-12 or Industry expert having grade – 5
Figure 2: Skill based Recruitment
Thus, PSEs are required to work together with the National Skill Mission in the identification of all kinds of skills, behaviours, aptitude, etc. of the candidates for their jobs. It will help in understanding skill requirements vis-à-vis inventories available in the PSEs. The decisions on capacity building and utilisation of resources shall become more objective under the skill framework. Further, these skills can be populated and codified through a National Skill Grid as proposed by Aggarwal (2022b) in his research study.
The above process shall remove the wasteful activities in the recruitment process that are presently inclined to a rejection filter to reduce the number of applicants, rather than based on the appraisal of the right aptitude, skills, etc., of the candidate for the job. Also, it will reduce the lead time of recruitment and improve the productivity of the company manifold.
iii. Short-term Employment
In the study (Aggarwal, 2022a), it was found that 58 percent of the respondents proposed short-time employment based on 4-hour, 6-hour, or 8-hour per day duration. According to the survey, cost-efficient arrangements are needed through which the companies may accommodate the ever-increasing gig economy. Accordingly, it has been proposed to convert 10 to 20 percent of jobs in each PSE into short-term jobs of 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years duration based on the job requirements in the company.
Initially, the executive operations like data entry, data analysis, sales jobs, tele-calling, record-keeping, bill processing, etc., can be converted into short-term jobs based on each project. The jobs should be mapped to PSE’s pay scales, and the applicant may be offered initial pay in the said pay scale. However, experienced executives, irrespective of working in the private or public organisation, shall be provided pay protection at the level they join with the organisation. A replica regulation or policy may be created to mandate the same security in the private sector. However, no candidate shall be offered any pay above the pay-scale irrespective of the last pay drawn in the previous organisation. Further, no references shall be taken into account in deciding the pay of the individual from companies other than the last employer.
Further, the PSEs need to build a system to accept the gig economy on a pro-rata work basis. It will significantly reduce the cost of operations as well as improve the quality of work output. However, to make the system self-sustainable, the organisation may require job converters who are well-equipped in translating organisational needs into job requirements so that the processing of jobs by gig workers can be monitored on all aspects of delivery and quality.
iv. Digital Shield
In almost all operations, financial matters with the operational milestones, and the release of payments to vendors, suppliers, retailers, wholesalers, etc., require the approval of operational executives. Such crossover of functions attracts corrupt practices, and maximum illicit transactions are seen in construction works. Like the Income Tax Department process, a faceless system may be developed so that citizens, without meeting any officer, raise their grievances and the system allocates them randomly to an Assessment Officer, who then resolves the issues based on merit and within a time frame allocated by the internal digital monitoring system.
A similar Digital Shield is required to be built around PSEs if the Government wants to reduce the slippage of resources. A faceless virtual system is required where all vendors interact with PSEs, and the officers in the background are assigned randomly so that no malfunction can lead to corrupt practices. Further, anonymous complaint management processes may be built around this Digital Shield so that any malpractices get reported with the system, and protocols may be developed to take Suo-moto investigation and action to resolve the issues. The proposed system shall improve the quality of operations, reduce the chances of corrupt practices, increase human values of employees, and make PSEs more accountable.
v. Digital Monitoring
Like a common legislation, i.e., Companies Act, 2013, the government needs to bring a common digital monitoring system where the information collected from all industries, irrespective of their public or private nature, is captured by the central agency and used to drive policies that are conducive to nation-building. Thus, information from strategies, operations, accounts, etc., is required to be identified and captured through a centralized system known as the National Data Grid. The collected information may be pulled by the researchers to propose meaningful solutions and commercially viable products or services. Further, the regulators may monitor the compliance actions from all entities and undertake suo-motu action as per the protocol of the law. Further, the policy-makers may review the efficiency of operations and the level of contribution so as to develop enabling policies and facilitate the actions of economic agents in nation-building contribution.
7. Further Research
The possible approaches have been recommended in this paper to increase the contribution of PSEs in nation-building from the perspective of human resources only. The proposed solutions are technically feasible as per the research recommendations; however, they may require expert monitoring to implement the same. As PSEs have been contributing to nation-building through profit-taking, capital expenditure, and diversification of operations beyond international boundaries, further study can be undertaken on these parameters. More policy interventions can be included to undertake further research and draw additional solutions.
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This paper offers an integrated digital drone-based services solution for cities & towns, controlled through an integrated smart control room and/or where users may call in for support of required service, on a time-sharing basis; charged according to No of drones, payload, distances and time calculations.
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The transformation of the lives of rural women towards their betterment is a critical issue in the development process of countries around the world. Poverty, lack of financial awareness, minimal or no education, and women's disempowerment are reasons for the poor condition of rural women.
In India, the procedure of shifting the paradigm for good governance has been dynamic and continuing. A notion known as "good governance" includes a number of rules and procedures designed to guarantee the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of governmental institutions.
Administration of independent India drewn many transformations to get away from British colonial administration that propagates the colonial need such as maintenance of law and order, collection of revenue, tactics to hold the administrative power in British civil servants.
The twenty-first century should be an era of new forms of Governance different from what we have seen in the past. Due to widespread economic problems and fiscal constraints in the 1980's, governments around the world both rich and poor, concluded that government had become too big, too costly and ineffective.
The concept of ‘governance’ is not new. It is as old as human civilization. It has over the years gained momentum and a wider meaning. Apart from being an instrument of public affairs management, or a gauge of political development, governance has become a useful mechanism to enhance the legitimacy of the public realm.
In India, the paradigm of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is proving to be transformative as it attempts to balance the intricate relationships between sustainable resource utilisation, forest regeneration, and conservation. India, which has about 70 million hectares of forest cover, struggles to meet the socioeconomic demands of the people who depend on the forests while also protecting these ecosystems.
A long-term abutting weather situation that is particularly related to temperature and precipitation is called climatic change. Land-use changes, forest fires, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and natural disasters like volcanic eruptions are all possible contributing factors to this Climate shift (Reddy, 2015).
The Yamuna is a tributary of the holy Ganges. The main stream of the Yamuna River originates from the Yamunotri Glacier at Bandar Panch (38°59'N, 78°27'E) in the Mussoorie Ranges of the lower Himalayas, at an average altitude of about 6387 meters above sea level in the Uttarkashi district (Uttrakhand) increase.
The issue of governance has received serious attention of researchers, policy makers, administrators and the national as well as international community. The New Public Management (NPM) concept is focused on service, quality, performance management and risk management of governance processes.
The government provides services including healthcare, education, social support, and financial inclusion to the public. However, villagers and citizens in remote areas often struggle to access these services due to several constraints including inadequate infrastructure and inaccessibility.
Digital governance, in the context of the digital era, involves the use of information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance and transform the delivery of public services, improve government efficiency, and engage citizens in decision-making processes.
Since the majority of India's population relies on agriculture for their living, the sector dominates the country's economy. Agriculture only makes up less than 20 per cent of the nation's GDP (Ministry of Finance, 2018), emphasizing the sector's low-income production.
E-commerce and digital technology have transformed the way people spend and save. There is an evident technological growth in the world of finance which is referred to as financial technology or fintech. Financial technology (Fintech) refers to the technological innovations that assist in enabling or improving the access to financial services digitally through the internet, smartphones or computers.
Today we are living in an era of the ‘regulatory state’. The expressions ‘regulation’, ‘regulatory governance’ and ‘regulatory institutions’ have become the buzzwords of governance and are spread across social systems as well as state organisations and government strategies.
Participatory planning involves the intensive participation of local communities in analysing their current situation, envisioning a long-term collective future and attempting to attain this vision through collective planning of development interventions that would be implemented by different state agencies area.
Intrinsically, India is a republican country that is organised as a federation with a parliamentary democracy. Similar to the United Kingdom, the President serves as the head of state in name only; in contrast, the Prime Minister is the de facto executive, or real head of the government.
With over eight thousand years of experience and intellectual growth (Cameron (1968), Edwards (Gadd, 1971), Hammond (1971), Eisenstadt (1963, 1993), Olmstead ( 1948), etc.), public administration has undergone numerous changes and transformations over its long history, but it has never been so challenged as in the last thirty years.
A paradigm represents a framework, viewpoint, or collection of concepts that serves as a lens for understanding various subjects. In disciplines like science and philosophy, paradigms encompass specific theories, methodologies, and principles defining valid contributions within a field.
The field of public administration is experiencing a dramatic and rapid change. Locally and globally, some of the most significant trends that will have the role and function of public administrators is rapidly evolving as the needs and demands of citizens, governments and organisations influence their ability to create and implement policies.
Public administration in the 21st century is undergoing significant transformation, not just in advanced countries but also in various regions of the developing world, as the calls for transformative change grow louder. These changes are propelled by globalisation, liberalisation and the diversification of service provision.
In an era where administrative agility defines the efficacy of democratic governance, this chapter, “Techniques of Administrative Improvement”, offers a comprehensive exploration of transformative tools, methods, and strategies that are reshaping public administration in India and globally.
The rapid pace and interdependence of global, political, social and economic developments have necessitated a critical need for improved efficiency and effective public institutions, administrative procedures and sound financial management to confront challenges for sustainable development in all countries.
The evolution of Indian administration reflects a historical continuum shaped by civilizational values and transformative changes. Spanning the Mauryan, Mughal, and British eras, each phase contributed distinct institutional structures and governance philosophies.
As an initial output of the joint research between the Korean Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) and the National Academy of Governance (NAOG), this article provides overviews of the Korean and Mongolian legislative environment, governance and characteristics of the anti-corruption policies.
Administrative improvement is a strategic necessity in a fast-paced world. Techniques like O&M, Work Study, management aid tools such as network analysis form the cornerstone of efficient governance. MIS, PERT, and CPM tools equip administrators with the ability to anticipate challenges, and drive organizational success in an increasingly complex environment.
Street vendors are an integral part of the urban informal economy in India, providing essential goods and service that cater to the diverse needs of city residents. They operate in various capacities, from food vendors to artisans, and play a crucial role in enhancing the vibrancy and accessibility of urban life.
This paper examines the critical role of communication in driving India's economic growth within the context of its diverse societal structure and the rapidly evolving information age. It argues that effective communication is not merely a tool for disseminating information but a fundamental force shaping development trajectories.
One often wonders ‘what the government does’ and ‘why the government does what it does’ and equally importantly ‘what it does not do and why so’. According to Thomas R. Dye “public policy is whatever government chooses to do or not to do”, implying that government's actions and inactions both come into the realm of public policy.
Access to safe drinking water is not merely a fundamental human right; it is a cornerstone of public health, economic development, and social equity. In rural India, where water scarcity and inadequate infrastructure pose significant challenges, the quest for reliable water supply becomes even more critical.
This paper outlines the century-long history of Mongolia’s civil service training institution, the National Academy of Governance (NAOG), which plays a crucial role in meeting the contemporary needs of training and developing human resources within the civil service sector.
India stands at a crucial juncture in its quest for inclusive development that will bring prosperity across the spectrum. Large amounts of public funds are spent to address these issues, but their implementation and the quality of services delivered leave much to be desired.
India has committed to achieving developed nation status by the centenary of its independence, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including AI tapping into its vast human capital, and implementing policies that foster high growth while addressing enduring social and economic inequalities.
This article explores the value and statehood of Mongolia by utilising Woodrow Wilson’s categorisation of “Judging by the constitutional histories of the chief nations of the modern world, there may be three periods of growth through which government has passed in all the most highly developed of existing systems, and through which it promises to pass in all the rest.
This paper examines India's economic trajectory through the lens of its demographic dividend a substantial youth population exceeding 50% under age 25 within its 1.4 billion citizens. While this demographic advantage offers unprecedented economic potential, its promise is threatened by systemic challenges including inadequate education access, limited skill development, and employment scarcity, particularly in rural areas.
Remarkable technological and scientific progress has made the modern democratic State not a mere watch-dog or a police institution but an active participant interfering in almost every sphere of individual and corporate life in society in the changed role of a service state and a welfare state
Since the reform and opening up, China’s leadership training has experienced three stages of development: the initial stage of leadership training and development in the early period of China’s reform and opening up to the world (1978-2002), the rapid growing stage of leadership training and development in the period of fast growing economy and society (2002- 2012) and the innovative…
Accountability and control are essential for efficient, ethical administration in public and private sectors. Accountability ensures officials answer for actions and resource use, while control involves mechanisms to monitor compliance with laws and goals, promoting responsibility and preventing misconduct.
Healthcare in rural India presents unique challenges and opportunities. While global health metrics emphasize indicators like life expectancy, mortality rates, and healthcare infrastructure, they often fail to capture the socio-cultural nuances of rural communities
The “Internet plus” government service reform in China has progressed through three stages, namely one-stop service, one-window service, and companion service. This reform has become a significant example of reshaping the relationship between the local government and the public.
This paper explores the evolution of Indian welfare philosophy from Gandhi's nonviolent resistance to contemporary governance. It traces how the sacrifices of Indian revolutionaries fostered Sarvodaya and Antyodaya ideals, examining the philosophical underpinnings of these concepts in Advaita and dualistic traditions.
Like most other countries around the world, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh's education system has undergone a radical change from the beginning of March 2020 onwards. The study attempts to analyse teachers’, students’ and parents’ perceptions and experiences about the online education in the COVID-19 pandemic at the school level.
Health is a fundamental human right and a critical indicator of development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the importance of ensuring health and well-being for all individuals. A key objective of this agenda is to guarantee favorable health outcomes, underscored by the endorsement of a new declaration during the Global Conference on Primary Health Care held in Astana,…
In this article, published reports have been used for analysing state-wise status of SDGs achievements and their correlations with attainments in areas of poverty-reduction and other developmental indicators. Also, progress made by GPs on various metrics related to SDGs has been corroborated with other relevant metrics
Loss of governance reform efficacy is an identified entrenched institutional problem in systems. Reform, anywhere, is a sticky material because holders of powers and their cronies have rarely shown altruistic intentions of relaxing their profiteering grips over resources.
On September 1, 2023, a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind explored the possibility of something called One Nation, One Election in India and ever since this thing has come out in public, political parties all across the country have been fuming with anger.
This paper examines various initiatives taken by Government of India to promote collaborative governance in various sectors. With increasing needs and aspirations of the community for public services and the limited capacity of government to provide the same, the involvement of various stakeholders to deliver these services becomes important and necessity.
In the vast and diverse landscape of India, regional disparities in development have long posed significant challenges to achieving equitable growth and social justice. Recognizing the urgent need to address these disparities, the Government of India launched the Aspirational Districts Programme in January 2018.
A dynamic interaction between the recognition of human complexity in organizations and the pursuit of structural efficiency has shaped the evolution of administrative philosophy. The foundational works of Frederick W. Taylor, Max Weber, Mary Parker Follett, Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, Rensis Likert, Chris Argyris, and Douglas McGregor are critically examined in this essay, which charts the shift from traditional administrative…
In India, National Training Policy was formed in 2012, replacing the old policy of 1996. This was needed two reasons, new areas of administration given in the reports of second administrative reforms commission setup in 2005 and changing environment in different spheres of governance and new challenges of administration being faced by the civil servants.
India's emergence as a global services powerhouse in the 21st century marks a profound and transformative shift. This evolution, far from a mere economic change, is a strategic leap driven by its demographic dividend, technological advancements, and the burgeoning global demand for specialized services.
Public administration, as the executive arm of the state, has tremendous responsibilities to match the needs and aspirations of the citizens of the state. The systems have evolved over the years in almost every country as the politico and socio-economic environment of the respective country have changed.
Public administration is the cornerstone of modern governance. It refers to the organization, management, and implementation of government policies and programs, carried out by public officials and institutions. As a vital mechanism of the state, public administration not only ensures the effective delivery of services to citizens but also upholds the principles of accountability, transparency, and rule of law.
Tribal Sustainable Development through Evidence-based Policy and Planning: A major issue in post-Independence India has been a misreading of demands of tribal communities. What they have been demanding pertains to choice upholding their traditions and customs and having ownership over natural resources
As the Idiom of technological advancement takes its toll. The paper highlights a few poignant and emerging factors in the International Relations theorization. It was conservatively maintained by the defense strategists and the political leadership across the Global polity that foreign policy and the Diplomacy are greatly determined by the “given” of Geography and terrain
With the deepening of democracy, increased decentralisation, increasing social and political awareness, digital penetration, shifts in demography, demand for quality services by common citizens has been accelerating at a faster pace. In such a scenario, the role of State is critical for promoting equity in access to services.
"Accelerating India's Development" holistically looks at India’s growth trajectory since gaining independence – it rounds up all where it has done well including unity, upholding the integrity of its constitution, retaining democratic values at its core. It also does not mince words to convey where all the nation has faltered such as falling short in delivery of public services including…
Income and Employment Intensive Growth Agenda for India: The paper examines income and employment status in the Indian labour force to identify policy attention and follow up. The macroeconomic policies taken during last one decade are yielding positive results leading to expansion of manufacturing and services and structural transformation in the economy.
An Analysis of India's Social Welfare Programs: In a democracy, the state's role is to promote societal welfare. According to Aristotle, the state should not only ensure its survival but also improve the quality of life for its citizens. The state has a moral responsibility to its citizens. Modern views agree that the state should provide essential services like education,…
Digital Innovations in Social Protection: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions: The integration of digital technologies into social protection systems represents a transformative shift with profound implications for the delivery of welfare services. This chapter explores the evolving landscape of digital innovations in social protection, contextualising these developments within the broader framework of universal social protection and a systemic approach to welfare.
One of the most crucial aspects of our society is law enforcement, which deals with issues of law and order nationwide. It is an essential component of the state's legal system. The British government introduced a Police Act in 1861, which is still very relevant and based on policing.
India’s Vision for 2047 aims to transform the nation into a developed country, with healthcare being pivotal for this progress. Achieving universal health coverage and modernising healthcare infrastructure are essential for fostering a healthy productive population, which in turn drives economic growth and reduces poverty.
Several challenges linger in the Indian education system, like rote learning, the non-existence of practical skills among students, and disparities in access to quality education. To deal with the criticism for excessive curriculum and unreasonable focus on rote learning, this chapter examines the strategies comprising the building blocks to reform Indian schools.
Social development is expected to promote holistic improvement of individuals, institutions and their surrounding environments. Looking at the pace of development in India, the economy of most states requires strategic prioritization to accelerate improved well-being of the people. Accessibility to health, school education and public security are critical to the edifice of social development.
India is the largest democracy in the world inhabited by about 1.36 billion people over an area of 3287 thousand square kilometers according to an estimate for 2021 based on Census 2011. The Indian economy is characterised as a middle-income emerging market economy. In the last three decades the economy has faced three major crises, i.e., balance of payment crisis…
Neoliberal policies pursued by India since 1990s have created a space for private enterprises hitherto occupied by the state entities, unshackled the existing enterprises and introduced reforms to facilitate private initiative. This chapter looks into the ecosystem of the private sector in general and the developments in three specific sectors- urban mobility, water supply and housing, to draw lessons for…
This Chapter highlights the gradual transformation from Personnel Administration to Strategic Human Resource Management over the years in Government of India. However, there is still a long way to go. In this Chapter an attempt has been made to delineate the criticality to move towards Strategic HRM in Government of India to achieve India’s developmental goals.
Robust statistical data forms the cornerstone of an informed governance system. This paper studies the statistical system and data dissemination in the Centre and State governments in India, and the measures put in action to accelerate the data dissemination process. Arguing that the availability of high-frequency statistical data is a necessary condition for good governance, the first section of the…
In the Amrit Kaal (golden period) of independent India, the ‘citizen first’ approach guides public governance by deepening the outreach of service delivery mechanism so that international standards could be achieved in India@100. The goal can only be achieved by all inclusive governance involving stronger and effective local self-governments both panchayats and municipalities.
In modern societies, with the increasing role of the state in social and economic fields, emphasis on the quality of its governance is of prime concern to all. Indian bureaucratic system of governance is founded on the principle of rule of law, as the state power is divided amongst three chief organs, each has the its own quality under a…
This paper discusses the concept of good governance and its relations with the electoral politics in Indian context. It highlights the various strategies employed by the government and related agencies for the growth and development of the country. Major reforms pertaining to the country’s infrastructure, IT, administration, economy and public services are a few areas that have been explored in…
With the Indian government’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, marking hundred years of independence, it has become of highest importance to learn from the past, tenaciously work in the present and step towards the future with complete efficiency. In its 77 years of becoming a democracy, India has soared high with continuous transformations marked by both…
The vision of Viksit Bharat can be realised through Viksit States, and that the aspiration of Viksit Bharat should reach the grassroot level i.e. to each district, block, and village. For this, each State and District should create a vision for 2047 so as to realise Viksit Bharat @ 2047.