Abstract
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 paper reflects on the structural
and functional framework of the Indian Statistical System, and how instrumental
the various government ministries have been in introducing and facilitating the
increasing availability of data for public welfare and information. Arguments are
drawn from closely studying governmental initiatives about Open Government Data
(OGD) and other policies that form the nucleus of data transparency and dissemination.
The second section discusses the role of State governments in data collection and
distribution vis-à-vis Centre-State relations under the Indian data governance profile.
Substantial data asymmetry has been identified among the States which is further
explained within the framework of Panchayati Raj and grass-root governance. The
last section of the paper focuses on the limitations prevalent in statistical governance
and provides holistic recommendations to amend the existing gaps in the system.
Introduction
This
chapter is set in context to Indian statistical data particularly, and how functional
the central and the state governments have been about data dissemination for public
transparency and better governance since the official statistical system forms an
important part of a country's institutional framework. The centrality of data for
governance is reflected in the origin of the word ‘statistics’ which denotes a crucial
role in managing state affairs. Credible data provides a shared understanding between
the government and its citizens about the understanding of the reality of the state
of affairs in a country (Muralidharan). Data dissemination in Government is primarily
releasing information obtained through recorded data for its users, to ensure smooth
governance. Statistical data, to define, refers to the collection, organization
and analysis of information to make inferences, decisions, or conclusions about
a particular phenomenon or population.
Under
the able leadership of P.C. Mahalanobis who is also regarded as the pioneer of the
Indian Statistical System India set up the Central Statistical Unit in 1949, which
was later converted into the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in 1951. Alongside
this, the Department of Statistics was also established, which presently serves
as the Statistics Wing of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI). High-quality data allows the government to understand problems of development,
which was imperative for a country like India right after independence. At present,
the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is the nodal ministry
of the Government of India (GoI) concerned with aspects of coverage and quality
of statistics that are regularly released (Kumar) and the surveys conducted by the
Ministry are based on scientific sampling methods. To understand the statistical
system of India, the understanding of the functioning and distribution of administrative
powers between the Centre and the states is important. The Union, State, and Concurrent
Lists, as specified in the Indian Constitution, serve as the basis for the administrative
function division between the Central Government of India and the State Governments.
As per the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, which are subject to periodic modifications,
the duties are distributed among the different ministries and departments at the
Centre. Any authority (Central Ministry or Department or State Government Department)
that is in charge of that subject based on its listing in the Union, State, or Concurrent
Lists is typically in charge of gathering statistics on that subject (Ministry
of Statistics and Programme Implementation).
Assessing the Role of the Central Government in Data Dissemination
Statistical
data is a public asset, both in terms of accountability of the elected representatives
and enabling a deeper understanding of the distribution of public goods and services.
The Central government plays a crucial role in collecting and disseminating economic
data in India. Government bodies like the MoSPI, Ministry of Labour, NITI Aayog,
and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) collect and manage a major part of economic
data. In 2012, the Union Ministry of Science & Technology introduced the “National
Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP)” to facilitate access to Government
of India-owned shareable data (along with its usage information) in machine-readable
form through a wide area network all over the country. To enable this, the Open
Government Data (OGD) Platform (www.data.gov.in), which is an integrated repository of datasets, documents, services,
tools and applications of various Ministries/Departments was launched in October
2012 for public use (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation).
Keeping
in terms with the spirit of a welfare state whose fundamental characteristic is
inclusivity, India has always strived towards inclusive development instead of unchecked
development, with the intention to empower the people at the bottom of the pyramid
by raising their income and attempting the overall welfare of the society. As explained
above, administrative powers are distributed between the Centre and the States,
with certain subjects falling under the concurrent list. According to the Ministry
of Statistics and Programme Implementation, data usually flows from the States to
the Centre, except for subjects where state-level operations are integral to the
centrally-sponsored schemes. By and large, state-wise results flow to the Centre,
which is then aggregated to obtain national-level data on a particular subject.
However, large-scale data collection of the nationwide population rests with the
Centre, including the Population Census, Economic Census, Annual Survey of Industries
and the like Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
In
1999, shortly after India underwent liberalisation and opened its markets to the
world, the need for a stronger and more open public data system was felt. A new
data-dissemination policy was introduced by the Union Ministry with the major objective
of collecting data from various sources and integrating them into logical subject
areas in such a way that the information available can be comprehended and used
by non-technical decision-makers in the market as well as the common masses, thus
making way for inclusive and accountable governance. The need for converting raw
data into reports and the introduction of query tools to facilitate a better understanding
of key challenges of the specific industries as well as the national problems was
also suggested by various committees, to keep up with the market forces of the other
countries (Bhattacharya). This project of creating a data warehouse became difficult
to realize for the MoSPI and while the RBI became one of the earliest central banks
to build a centralised system for economic data for the country, the MoSPI failed
to reposition itself into, what can be called, the government’s analytical hub (Bhattacharya).
In the absence of any centralised data system for
assembling statistical data of the country, individual industries went on to create
their portals to share data and the need for integration of these data sets was
felt yet again by late 2000. This led to the spearheading of a new data policy by
the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2012 whose approval finally led to the
introduction of India’s nascent open data system. This is not to say that this was
the only factor leading to an open data system in the country. The introduction of the Right
to Information (RTI) in 2005 had the provision of releasing suo-moto non-sensitive
information to the public. With the help of the National Data Sharing and Accessibility
Policy and the act's provisions, an Indian Civic Community of open data enthusiasts
persuaded local, state, and federal government representatives to strive towards
opening more datasets to the general public. Through their campaigning, some data
flow was created for the recently established data.gov.in site, which was intended
to be a single, unified location for viewing public data. Although data consumers'
original expectations were not met by the data.gov.in portal, it did encourage government
departments to make more datasets available to the public. As of 2020, the public's
interest in collective data that has been suitably anonymized and secured has been
acknowledged by the Kris Gopalakrishnan Committee Report on Non-Personal Data Governance
Framework (Saxena). To facilitate safe data-driven development and provide access
to non-personal data, it proposed a data-sharing architecture. The proliferation
of the internet and digitalization in India has equipped numerous private and non-profit entities with the necessary
infrastructure and capabilities to gather, store, and evaluate dynamic real-time
data that can be beneficial for governance.
One of the most prominent areas where Open Government Data
(OGD) has been instrumental is in addressing the monumental problem of data inaccuracy
in India. (Write et al.,) mentions that while the RTI enables the dissemination
of public data and information to the public, it does not guarantee the accuracy
of data. Several civil society organisations and individuals have heavily complained
about unreliable public data and according to the 2018 World Economic Report, India
accounts for the most unequal country in terms of income, second to Russia (Kumar
et.al.). This is a strong reflection of the failure of several welfare policies
carved out by the Indian government over the years to combat inequality and disparity
among various socio-economic classes present in the country. One of the main reasons
for this is the insufficient data which governs these developmental schemes. Muralidharan
explains how often bureaucrats and governments take a “blind shot” at designing
public goods and services since they are mostly oblivious to the ground realities
of the citizens and their actual needs. Another reason is the unavailability of
actionable data. Input data denotes the distribution of policies or aids, but the
impact made from it and people’s lived experience of those services mostly go undocumented,
which accounts for actionable data. While there is just sufficient input data, there
is not enough actionable data to analyse the impact of the welfare or developmental
schemes, resulting in a vicious loop that lacks feedback from its very own users.
of government departments and organisations. In many cases, not only extracting
data is a difficult feat to achieve for non-governmental organisations and civil
society, but examining the authenticity and reliability of data becomes an additional
task. This is where Open Government Data (OGD) can be of great help. For starters,
(Write et al.), mention again that a comparison of open data sets across websites
and departments will result in easier cross-checking of data for accuracy. In actuality,
access to government data is sometimes provided through digital means, but at a
cost. This applies to data that ranges from corporate records kept up to date by
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA21 MMP) to the Indian e-Gazette, which is
the official source of all national legislation as well as the electronic form of
the official repository for all notifications from the central government. Although
certain fundamental data from the National Sample Survey is freely accessible, individuals
must pay for any significant research. The Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MetiY) introduced the India Data Accessibility and Use Policy in 2022
intending to “radically transform India’s ability to harness public sector data”
for large-scale transformation in society (Gupta). Drawing on a rather critical
yet urgent need of the hour, the policy envisages sharing and maximizing access
to all sorts of non-personal data with the help of existing open data portals as
well as inter-government data sharing (Desk & Desk). Under this policy, the
India Data Council (IDC) was also introduced which comprises the India Data Officer
and Chief Data Officers of both the state and central governmental departments.
In its official policy, it laid down the provisions for open data, stating that
all governmental/departmental/ organisational data should have public access unless
it is classified or has personal information of its users. They have also facilitated
an extensive framework for government-to-government data sharing, high-value data
sets, integrated data portals as well as data anonymization and privacy preservation
(Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India).
The Digital India Initiative, another flagship program
of the GoI, was introduced in 2015 to transform India into a knowledge economy and
digitally transformed society. The main aim of the initiative is to promote the
digital literacy of the citizens and make digital data accessible to the public,
thereby catapulting transparent governance and making digital resources accessible
worldwide. Juxtaposing digital literacy and data dissemination, data accessibility
and aware citizens are two direct results of this program (Welcome to Common Services).
Although this initiative brings with it, its share of criticisms against the digital
divide and asymmetry in its functionality, one timeline which has proven beneficial
is during the COVID-19 pandemic. Garg et al., write about Participatory Disease
Surveillance (PDS) which is a tool used for the self-reporting of communicable diseases
by citizens to ensure proper statistical data to analyse on public health as well
as timely intervention of health experts. With the provision of real-time capturing of data, PDS in India during
the COVID-19 pandemic not only ensured to mapping of the location of the diseased
but also served as a constructive platform to cross-check data with the government
of laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus.
The official document
of the National Statistical Office (NSO) of the Five-Year Vision 2019-2024 envisages
the implementation of real-time monitoring of the Indian economy by using metadata,
policymakers, ensuring better investment in Research and Development (R&D),
Human Capital Management, increased user engagement and the like. It is indeed a
matter to gauge on how the NSO brings in the functional changes to ameliorate the
problems that have been bugging the process of transparent data collection and dissemination
process.
The State Statistical
System at the State level is a near replica of the system at the Centre. It follows
the pattern of a laterally decentralised system divided into major Departments under
the various Ministries of the State Government. Data collection, compilation, processing
and preparation of results are carried out by the states for most sectors, of which
agriculture and labour are of primal importance Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation and the Centre uses state-wise results for all-India-level
Statistics. At the apex level lies the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES)
which is formally responsible for coordinating the statistical activities in the
State (Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation) The DES displays somewhat
consistent statistical activity. They calculate the estimates of the State Domestic
Product and Retail Price Index Numbers, publish statistical abstracts and handbooks
of the States, annual economic reviews or surveys, district statistical abstracts,
and State budget analyses, among other statistical activities pertinent to the State.
India has mostly standardised the statistical work programme of the States' DESs.
“Their publications include state-specific statistical handbooks and abstracts,
yearly economic reviews and surveys, budgets-in-brief, budgets classified by economic
and functional factors, estimates of the state's gross domestic product, district
statistical abstracts, development indicators of social and economic aspects, municipal
yearbooks, and reports derived from the tabulation and analysis of sample survey
data, including the NSS matching sample survey” (https://desagri.gov.in/en/). The State Statistical System is majorly concerned
with micro-level planning and organisation as the policies and services born out
of this data concern only a particular population, geography and concern. This data,
is therefore, more crucial in the sense that proper collection and dissemination
of it can not only lead to the suitable formation of state policies but also help
draw an accurate picture of national problems and their challenges.
However, the State Statistical
System (SSS) is plagued with problems and asymmetry. Democratic decentralisation
was formally established in India in 1992 with the advent of the Panchayati Raj
System, by introducing the 11th and 12th Schedules of the
Indian constitution. These two schedules were born out of the 73rd and
74th Constitutional Amendment Act(s) that specify the powers and function
of the Panchayats and Municipalities. However, even before that, the Block Statistical
Organisation (BSO) was created almost fifty years ago to ensure statistical data
for community development programs. The BSO enabled the establishment of statistical
units under the supervision of the DESs on the lowest possible rung of the administrative
ladder. Still, to much dismay, the work done by the BSO remains largely unimpressive,
with very little coordination between the DESs and the BSO (Barman). Although the
introduction of Local Self-Governance created ample opportunities to revive the
BSO, much work has not been done to ensure its functionality and usefulness. The
lack of a clear roadmap for navigating the challenges of data collection and distribution
from the grassroots level to the concerned State and Union Ministries remains a
struggle. The ODG portal of the GoI is highly suggestive of data asymmetry across
the States. While Telangana is the only state with a dedicated ODG portal, most
states showcase a rudimentary template of data access (Saxena).
Another arena where the
statistical system forms the central requirement is mapping the rural-urban divide
and the welfare policies encircling it. Government intervention is essential for
the redistribution of income when it comes to the welfare of the poor. According
to Rawls's (1971) difference principle, a just society should place its policies
in such a way that it benefits the least well-off section of the society, that is,
the welfare of the least fortunate group should be prioritized by society. (Sen)
has explored poverty, inequality, and entitlement in great detail, both theoretically
and empirically. The government has taken a leading role in policing for the
betterment of the underprivileged. Two well-known examples of policy initiatives
on inclusive growth are poverty alleviation programs like the Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA). These are admirable initiatives aimed at maximizing growth benefits for
economic well-being. However, these schemes rely heavily on data and play an important
role in calculating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country as well. With
time, government departments have fully computerised their data, enabling them to
capture and digitalise highly disaggregated data. The Rangarajan Committee (2001)
also recommended data consolidation using data warehousing technology. Besides,
it also recommended the appointment of a professional statistician as the secretary
of MoSPI, which was duly implemented. Despite these changes, the Indian Statistical
System was hit by a major blow circa 2015 when the country's annual GDP figures
did not match the other economic indicators present. The main argument was that
the revision in the economic barometer that changed was not transparent enough.
(The wire) The MCA-21, an e-governance initiative introduced by the Ministry of
Corporate Affairs (MCA) was used to record company filings. Still, the way formal
company filing proxies were used to calculate informal sector growth was announced
faulty. This was followed by MoSPI’s refusal to open up its methodological practices
and database for public scrutiny remained an obstruction to verify the gaps in the
statistical dissemination framework in India (Bhattacharya).
Limitations/Suggestions
It has been well-established that India does not lack adequate
policies and governmental bodies to overlook its statistical system. The presence
of the MoSPI, NSO, NDSAP, DES, OGD platforms and the like are enough to testify
about India’s growing concern about data transparency and accessibility. The problem
remains elsewhere. Despite adequate measures being in place, India’s home and global
performance has remained under par. One of the many reasons is the political tensions
back home, especially between the Centre and the states. Political instability during
the 1990s severely affected the statistical governance goals followed by several
tensions of a coalition government, to date. The need of the hour is to establish
proper channels of coordination among states so that high-frequency data reaches
the designated portals/departments for use and analysis. Officers and staff members
of all government departments should be imparted regular training on data collection
and storage, required technical skills and above all, awareness about the importance
of statistical data on the institutional framework of a country.
The second limitation lies in technological deficiencies.
Despite making magnificent advancements in other sectors, India has failed to realise
its technological potential in this sector. Government departments need to make
full use of emerging technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) in capturing
and storing data. The abundant availability of cheap internet can facilitate digital
data collection, and proper use of AI and remote sensing can enable real-time data
collection and analysis without the hassle of personnel being physically present
at every site, in certain cases.
Thirdly, there is an urgent need for active citizen participation
in the statistical framework process. The government should join hands with private
organisations, civil society, NGOs and self-help groups to collect data. The active
collaboration between organisations especially with proper reach in the rural parts
of India and the government will draw benefits in assimilating quality data from
the grass-roots. Besides, outsourcing the data collection and management process
to a third party will have two direct benefits: it will act as a good source of
cross-checking of data with the government departments and secondly, limited intervention
of the concerned departments will obstruct the risk of under simplifying the problems
recorded. The advent of several voluntary data reporting practices by concerned
citizens has opened up more platforms for the government to strengthen its data
sets.
Lastly, the census of India was last conducted in 2011, which needs to be conducted as more than a decade has passed. Consequently, a vicious cycle of data production delays and the ensuing accumulation of the most recent data backlogs is created. The private sector is far more prepared and producing data faster than the public sector in this era of digital information (Bhattacharya). This has made the argument between the state and the market even stronger. India is the only country with this kind of bureaucratic complexity; no other developed or emerging economy has it. In this era of PPP, as India makes its way into the top five economies of the world, it must take a serious look at the structural and functional setup of its statistical system, since it forms the base of its economy.
India: Data Governance Profile
1.Vision
And Policy Intent
Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally
empowered society and knowledge economy.
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog's Strategy for New India includes the vision of “data led governance and policy making” with all policy interventions and decision- making
based on evidence and real-time data. This requires:
•
Collecting
data for new measurable parameters using latest technologies;
•
Improving
efficiencies in processes related to existing data collection by government departments and agencies;
•
Expanding warehousing facilities for storing and integrating data;
•
Making
data available for industry practitioners, academicians, researchers, etc., wherever
feasible; and
•
Integrating data analysis and interactive data visualization
into all policy formulation.
Aspirational Districts and Blocks programme, a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog, relies on real-time data collection for ranking indicators to foster competition, accountability and providing targeted support.
2. Data Management: Policies
rules & institutionManagement:
The National Statistical Commission was constituted with effect from 12th July 2006 with a
mandate to evolve policies, priorities and standards in statistical matters.
National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy
(NDSAP).
The National Policy
is expected to increase the accessibility and
easier sharing of non-sensitive data amongst the registered users and
their availability for scientific, economic and social
developmental purposes.
Department of Science
& Technology (DST) would be the Nodal Department for all matters connected with overall
co-ordination, formulation, implementation and monitoring of the policy.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, (MEITY) is working towards the promotion of e-Governance. MEITY has published a draft National Data Governance Policy which proposes the establishment of an “India Data Management Office” responsible for developing rules, standards, and guidelines for non-personal data to catalyse the data and AI based innovation ecosystem under this Policy.
3. Data Custodians and data stewardship
The Collection of Statistics Act 2008 is the principal legislation for the collection of economic, social, demographic, scientific
and environmental data.
The Central Statistical Office (CSO) is the statistical arm of Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI). Its functions include:
• Acting as the nodal
agency for planned
development of the statistical system.
• Coordinating
the statistical work in respect of the Ministries/Departments of the
Government of India and State Statistical Bureaus (SSBs),
• Advising
the Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India on statistical
methodology and on statistical analysis
of data.
• Compiling and releasing
official statistics.
• Organizing
and conducting periodic all-India Economic Censuses and large-scale all- India sample surveys.
• Evaluation of sampling design in respect of surveys conducted by
the National Sample Survey Organisations and other Central Ministries and Departments.
• Liaison with international statistical organizations.
4. Data sharing,
accessibility and Integration
The National
Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP) streamlines data
dissemination and
provides access to standardized published government data sets from across
India's extensive administrative landscape ina user-centric manner. NDAP allows
users to easily search, merge, visualize, and download datasets.
To implement the
National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), an Open Government Data (OGD) Platform has been developed by the National
Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics & Informational Technology. The
Open Government Data platform provides open access by proactive release of the
data available with various ministries/departments/ organizations of Government
of India. All datasets/resources including metadata published on the Open
Government Data portal (data.gov.in) are licensed under the Government Open
Data License-India which can be accessed here.
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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.
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.