Abstract
"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 schools, healthcare, safety, and courts. The reasons for these shortfall
are pinned on weak state capacities, where ‘inefficient and ineffective use of resources’
and not ‘want of resources’ impede. Consequently, there is a need to move from the
traditional bureaucratic approach to a more agile model of governance where the
ability and performance of the state apparatus matters.
The genesis of the change driving policy and programs
at the state level stems from the "3i framework" -Ideas, Interests, and
Institutions that work together to affect governance. Even the best of beneficial ideas struggle to
gain traction if these ideas are not aligned to the interests of powerful stakeholders,
who often prioritize personal or group benefits over the public good. Innovative ‘Ideas’ are born to address ‘Interests’
(of some or many) and ‘Institutes’ are crafted to fructify these ideas. For instance, during India’s journey to freedom,
the dominant ideology “of the people, for the people and by the people”, led to
the adoption of democracy and birth of ‘constitution of India’ that changed Dominion
of India into the Republic of India – as a result of which several institutes were
curated.
While India had initially established robust institutions,
however, over a period of time there has been a gradual corroding of their autonomy
and effectiveness, which has substantially eroded state capacities too. A sizeable
discussion is therefore dedicated to the role of institutions described as the "rules
of the game" which govern and shape all interactions within a society. A comprehensive
analysis of the crucial role institutions play in the development of a country is
the mainstay. Unquestionably, good ideas
that have a vortex of social interests must be ‘sheltered’ and ‘delivered’ through
formidable institutes that should boast of autonomy and efficiency. Unfortunately,
the majority of the state institutes at present are encumbered with bureaucratic
inefficiencies, inadequate capacities, corruption, and political interference. Therefore,
there is an urgent need for reimagining of institutions to enhance their efficiency
so as to not go out of tune with changing needs that seek both efficiency and creativity
at the state level. Inspired by these thoughts , the present paper advocates for
transforming traditional bureaucratic structures into more agile, innovative entities
capable of addressing contemporary challenges effectively. For doing so, it proposes
a prudent amalgamation of innovative tools and technologies to help states to respond
better to the dynamic needs of their populations, ensuring that public services
are delivered in a timely and effective manner. The study also insists that an informed
decision-making can also be achieved through implementation of robust data analytics
systems that can provide valuable insights and strategic planning ideas at all levels
of government in areas that may need improvement. Consequently, the study not just
proposes establishing newer institutions but also building up of data exchange Digital
Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance data-driven decision-making at state level.
Background
It is widely accepted that the contemporary governance
landscape has been shaped by post-independence socio-political dynamics as well
as the legacy of colonial administrative structures. Understanding the evolution
of state governance in India is critical in order to identify the root causes of
current inefficiencies. Therefore, before proceeding, it is imperative to demystifying
the complexities of state government functioning in India by revisiting its definition,
responsibilities, and sources of funding as delineated in Indian constitution.
Apart from other references to Union Government and Parliament,
Article 12 of the Constitution of India defines ‘State’ as encompassing the legislative
and executive organs of the State Government, such as State Governments and State
Legislature. Additionally, all local authorities fall under this definition, including
municipalities (urban) and panchayats
(rural), as well as district boards and improvement trusts. Furthermore,
both statutory and non-statutory authorities are considered part of the State including
the Commissions and Lokpal and Lokayuktas. As per the Seventh Schedule of
the Constitution, there are sixty-six (66) subjects on which only the state governments
can legislate such as Police, Public Health and Sanitation, Agriculture, State public
services and so on. There are also fifty-two (52) items on the Concurrent List which
both the Union and state governments can legislate such as Education, Forests, Criminal
law and so on. The burden of these responsibilities falls on state institutions
involved in both policy-making and implementation.
The State
Secretariat serves as the central administrative unit of the state government,
encompassing various departments such as Health, Home, and Education, each headed
by a secretary. Directorates are
specialized agencies under different departments, like the Directorate of Education
(DOE). District Administration
is led by the District Collector (DC), responsible for implementation at the district
level, supported by Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and Block Development Officers
(BDOs). Specialized bodies include Public
Service Commissions1 and Development Authorities such as Delhi Development Authority
(DDA) who focus on urban planning and development. Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) such
as State Housing Boards and State Electricity Boards manage essential services.
Regulatory Boards like the
State Pollution Control Board and State Food Safety Authority ensure compliance
with regulations.
These institutions are established by state governments
based on their specific needs and are integral to policy formulation and implementation
and funded through various sources, including Own Tax Revenue (State GST, Taxes
on Vehicles, Land Revenue, etc.), Central Tax Transfers (share of states in Central
GST, IGST, Corporation Tax, etc.), Grants in Aid (from Centrally Sponsored Schemes,
Finance Commission, etc.), Public Debt Receipts (market loans, issuance of special
securities to Public Sector Banks), Public Account Receipts, and Non-Tax Revenue
(dividends and profits from PSUs, mining receipts, etc.).
Despite such a clearly defined structure, roles and
autonomy the lackadaisical performance of Indian state's in routine public service
delivery such as education, healthcare, public safety, and judicial processes, has
been empirically validated to be woefully inadequate in the literature (for instance
, Chakrabarti, & Sanyal, 2015)2. Even Muralidharan (2024)3
voraciously submits that Indian state performs well in "mission mode"
(specific, time-bound projects) but struggles with everyday governance and service
delivery. This weaknesses in public service delivery often stem from inefficient
and ineffective use of resources rather than a mere lack of them and also because
of lack of creativity to evoke untapped possibilities for resolving citizens’ concerns.
Therefore, it is very important to understand various
challenges that inflict state institutions in India and why there is such a large
gap between what the citizens aspire from these institutions and what is actually
delivered at the grassroots? For this, apart from relying on anecdotal understanding,
a summarized overview of literature was deemed crucial.
Review of Literature
Academic literature is replete with various systemic
challenges that significantly hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of states
in India such as ‘bureaucratic inefficiency’, identified by rigid hierarchical structures
and red tape (Muralidharan et al., 2020)4, ‘corruption’ that has undermined
public trust and has been diverting resources away from essential services (Malhotra,
20145, Transparency International, 20206) and so on. As if
this was not enough, states reek with outdated ideas as bureaucratic culture is
averse to riskier advents and hence end up stifling creativity to resolve state
issues through active participation of employees (Banerjee & Duflo, 2019)7
or communities (Malhotra, 20178; Singh, 20199). Additionally,
many states struggle with inadequate funding, which limits their ability to implement
and sustain development projects (Chaudhuri, 2021)10 and ‘political interference’
that prioritises politically motivated goals over long-term strategic planning (Singh,
2019)11 and motivates data manipulation to distort facts. Research study
by Kingdon and Muzammil, (2009)12 specifically
provides empirical evidence to accentuate how political factors influence education
outcomes and teacher performance in some of the Indian states. In fact, there are many more studies (for instance Debroy, & Bhandari,
200313) that have relied on empirical evidence to incisively accentuate
the significant variation in states’ performance across key development indicators
viz. health, education, and infrastructure due to prevailing issues including
bureaucratic bottlenecks, and political meddling contributing to poor service delivery.
Even the archaic data collection and storage technologies
hinder effective data-driven policy formulation at the state level (Malhotra et. al, 201814, Muralidharan et
al., 2020)15. Inefficiencies and disparities in resource allocation too
have been lamented that has considerably affected public investment in infrastructure
across Indian states (Deininger & Jin, 2008)16. In yet another study
by Rao (2000)17, an empirical analysis of the fiscal performance of Indian
states brings forth challenges related to revenue generation, expenditure management,
and fiscal discipline. Needless
to say, because of all varied reasons as poor bureaucratic capacities and systems,
distorted financial discipline, political interference and so on, a glaring chasm
is building up between the state's actions and the citizens’ aspirations. Significant
investments in various sectors of governance (education, health, finance and so
on) are unfortunately not translating into impressive performance of state machinery. Therefore, weakness is not due to a lack of resources but rather the
inefficient and ineffective use of those resources. There is indeed empirical evidence
(for instance, Devarajan, Swaroop, & Zou, 1996)18 that despite having
ample resources, the countries that are poorly governed and regularly combat with
issues such as inefficient use of resources more often than not experience weak
public service delivery. A similar study in the context of African states may also
be referred and analogously applied in the context of Indian states (Collier, 2000)19
to provide further scholarly basis for the argument that improving governance and
resource management is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of public services.
Addressing state level ineptitudes indeed requires completely
out-of-box, creative approach to resource and data management so as to boast of
a responsive and agile state institutional framework, aptly understood under the
umbrella concept of ‘Reimagining Institutes’.
Need for Reimagining Institutions
India needs to boost its government's ability to
keep growth going and speed up its development trajectory. This calls for a fundamental
rethinking of governance and administrative reform and evolve-to-respond to the
changing needs of a growing nation. It has now become imperative to revisit state
action and align it with the aspirations of the populace. A paradigm shift towards
building responsive, capable state through reform and inventiveness can help shift
from a rather bureaucratic scenario to one that is more decentralised and effective.
A supportive environment for risk-taking and learning from failures needs to be curated
through state level institutes. Multi-faceted approach including
capacity building, policy reforms, transformational governance models, and accountability
of public officials are essential to improve the functioning of institutions. Additionally,
fostering a culture of inclusivity and transparency can help bridge the gap between
state actions and public aspirations.
The time is now ripe to not just focus on public
spending but on realigning state institutes to focus on data and evidence; to shift
from the traditional bureaucratic approach to a more dynamic, performance-oriented
governance model. There is a need to enhance
state capacity to celebrate data and digital more intrinsically; it requires newer
strategies of public service delivery rather than pumping more resources on physical
infrastructure in the state. Public Service Delivery, is the basic responsibility
of any democratic, made possible through its state machinery.
Effective use and deployment of digital technologies,
and co-creation of a sustainable digital architecture with citizens, will go a long way to safeguard equitable,
transparent and efficient public service delivery in the state (Malhotra et al, 2020)20. And when
all the states shall revamp themselves in the new digital and data driven avatar,
the nation state too shall bloom. After all institutions and their environments
are interconnected parts of the entire big system (Bertalanffy, 1968)21.
With the lofty aim of Viksit Bharat @2047 looming close, this clarion
call to ‘break the ground’ is indeed very well-timed and totally aligned to the
theory of "arrow of time’s” (Layzer, 1975)22. The theory guards
that the unrelenting forward motion of a society (or a nation) might shove it on
an unpredictable and unstoppable march towards uncertainty. The weight of unresolved
issues of the past always cast a long shadow over its future. Therefore, a nation
or a society must keep doing course-corrections to reach its highest levels of development,
else chaos might prevail.
Some of the Recommendations
i. Establishing State Statistics Commission (SSC): Data analytics is the way toward transparency and accountability within
government (Scott & Carrington, 2019)23. Time is indeed ripe in India
to pull out a new leaf in governance whereby decision-making may be completely reliable
and real-time emanating from granular data and not anecdotal reasons or biases.
For doing so, State Statistics Commission (SSC) must be established at the state
level to provide technical guidance as well as mechanisms to build capacity in data
collection, analysis, and use in providing evidence-based governance. Some of the
activities include district-level annual surveys, a high-capacity call centre, and
administrative data quality improvement. The commission would also back the formulation
of a dedicated data analytics unit in the planning departments to aid decision-making
and strategic planning through data. This commission shall support different government
departments within the state. This is expected to professionalize and depoliticize
handling of data within the government and to engender a culture in which decisions
are driven more by data than by opinions. It would have the commission develop a
strong statistical infrastructure that others in the states would emulate and significantly
turn towards more informed and effective governance at the state level.
ii. Establishing Human Resource Commission (HRC) : Review of Literature affirms that the strategic management of talent
is essential throughout the levels of the organisation to sustain success (for instance,
Lawler III , 2008)24 and that coherent human resource practices should
align with organizational strategy for enhanced performance and commitment (for
instance, Pfeffer, 1998)25. Indeed, integrated and strategic human resource
management is important in enhancing organizational effectiveness. These principles
also uphold the need for institutionalising a sturdy Human Resource Commission (HRC).
Taking cue from these theoretical frameworks, HRC would help state institutions to enhance the capacities of its human resources
and further rationalize strategic management of human resources across government
functions. This particularly includes the
need for conducting recursive capacity building endeavours as well as recruitment
of skilled personnel. Potential leaders within the state bureaucracy must be inducted
or timely identified and then nurtured be recursively undertaken through specialized
leadership development programs. All such inputs would be streamlined through the
proposed State Public Human Resources Commission (HRC). “Accelerating India's
Development" makes a case for a State Public Human Resources Commission to
come to grips with the current fragmented and inefficient system of public sector
personnel management in India. The proposed HRC would merge the roles being played
at present by various institutions for more coherence toward human resources, including
the adoption of integrated systems for managing personnel data, competence mapping,
and the development of competency-based career progression. HRC would particularly
ensure oversight of key issues of recruitment, training, promotion, and performance
management. It would also subsume the functions of pay commissions in relating compensation
more directly with performance outcomes. In addition, the commission would handle
public personnel disputes through an administrative tribunal that might ease litigation
by reducing court backlogs. Indeed, there is a general consensus in practice as
well as in the related literature, on the imperatives of strategic, integrated HR
management for organizational efficiency and effectiveness, including in government.
iii. Establishing State Public Finance Commission (PFC): The concept of a State Public Finance Commission (PFC) is an important
initiative in terms of ensuring better governance over public finances, looking
beyond mere quantification to the quality of revenue and expenditure. This assumes
significance because most state financial institutions suffer from the inadequacy
of a single strategic umbrella and are usually episodic, hence inefficient in public
expenditure and the quality of revenue collection. The PFC would oversee a more
analytical and evidence-based approach to public spending, enhancing cost-effectiveness
and scrutinizing procurement to ensure value for money. As with the Congressional
Budget Office in the USA, the PFC would have the capacity to generate independent
analysis of major financial proposals, therefore giving a more stable and accountable
financial governance structure. This suggestion of establishing PFC borrows elements
from various scholars (including Allen & Tommasi, 200126; Lienert,
200327) who hold the view that an integrated financial management system
is crucial for enhancing fiscal responsibility and effectiveness in governance and
that establishment of coherent institutions of fiscal for sustainable financial
behaviour is a prerequisite for its success.
iv. Ensuring Co-Creation of the State
Policy Making: Random-sample deliberation, as articulated by literature (such as Landemore
, 202028; Guerrero, 2014)29 , involves creating deliberative bodies of citizens
selected randomly from the voter registry to engage with governance processes such
as budget allocations and policy formulations. This procedure tries to reduce money's
action in politics, to ensure fair representation without quotas, and increase civic
engagement. Several scholars (such as Landemore,
202030; Malhotra, Anand & Soni, 202031) remind that the concept of open democracy as
a form of governance becomes more participatory if it includes more and more societal
interests and perspectives. Guerrero (2014)32
advocates for the same route, arguing random selection of decision-makers can help
overcome biases and limitations inherent in electoral processes dominated by money
and political influence. “Citizen assemblies" with randomly selected members,
proposed by "Accelerating India's Development," are expected to redress
various systemic deficits in the process of Indian democracy, such as the surging
role of money in politics, underrepresentation of the marginalized, and low citizen
engagement. This could become a very radical, innovative, and even transformative
model of governance that is both more inclusive and representative by fundamentally
rethinking the role of ordinary citizens in political decision-making.
v. Creating a State Level Data Exchange DPI: Last but not the least the potential for data-driven
growth is immense. However, this potential remains largely untapped due to fragmented
data ecosystems related to several sectors, which are further lying scattered across
various states. The present databases pertain to mostly one single activity or a
group of activities but not for the entire district for all the governance sectors
in the state. Therefore, there is a need for building a unified Data Exchange DPI
in Governance at the state level. This Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) could
be understood as a network of interconnected digital systems, tools, processes to
provide essential services to the entire populace in the country. In India, noteworthy
example of DPI Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for seamless digital transactions,
that has been celebrated across the globe as a digital tool for ushering in economic
growth and financial inclusion for one and all, despite the diversity and expanse
of the country. Coupled up with Aadhar
as a DPI for digital identification and ‘Digi locker’ as a private space in public
cloud, Indian citizens have been empowered to securely access public services in
‘faceless’, ‘paperless’ and ‘cashless’ mode (Malhotra, 2016)33. India
has already built a state-of-art digital infrastructure as ‘India stack’ and there
could not have been a better time than this to leverage it to build a data exchange
DPI - one for each state. A unified , state level data exchange for all the districts
in each of twenty- eight (28) states and eight (8) Union territories of the country
would help to centralize governance data
related to key sectors, such as Agriculture & Allied Sector, Commerce &
Industry, Human Resource Development, Public Health and so on. Appropriate creation
and use of such a DPI will help to curate a robust framework for monitoring progress
and identifying governance gaps in various sectors at the district level for the
identified indicators. This would also help to empowering local bodies to espouse
evidence based decision making that could in return strengthen decentralisation
of decision-making in the country.
Conclusion
Effective institutions are crucial for aligning interests
with broader societal goals and ensuring that good ideas are implemented effectively.
India’s developmental trajectory is at a crucial point where the key to unlocking
its vast potential is revamping the state institutions. Essentially, there is a
need to inculcate a systemic approach toward institutions so that development takes
the right path: to be more effective, more equitable, and more sustainable. Therefore,
aligned with India’s Vision Viksit Bharat@2047,
the proposed set of recommendations in this chapter that encompass the idea of co-creating
state policy framework, establishing three core commissions for statistics, human
resources and finance and designing a state level data exchange DPI - all blend
together to strengthen the state institutes for efficient deliverance of public
goods and services to its citizens. On balance, even the best policies and ideas
will fail to realize their potential if robust institutes are not conceptualised
and implemented. This study, therefore, may be deemed as a call to action for policymakers,
scholars, and citizens to engage in the urgent task of building a more robust state
apparatus. The need to strengthen the institutes as the core building blocks of
state capacity is not just as an administrative necessity but is now a moral obligation
to ensure equity, justice, and prosperity for all Indians in Viksit Bharat@2047. Such a radical transformative approach of ‘reimagining
institutes’ would not just elevate the nation to a developed status by the year
2047, but would also potentially serve as a transformative model for other developing
countries too.
Endnotes
1.
State Public Service Commission,
State Election Commission, State Information Commission, State Finance Commission,
State Human Rights Commission, State Education Board, and State Medical Council.
2.
Chakrabarti, R., & Sanyal,
K. (2015). Public Service Delivery in India: Challenges and Way Forward. Economic
and Political Weekly, 50(9), 44-52.
3.
Muralidharan, K. (2024). Accelerating
India's Development. Penguin Publishers
4.
Muralidharan, K., Niehaus, P.,
& Sukhtankar, S. (2020). Accelerating India's Development: Challenges and Policy
Solutions. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(1), 29-52. Malhotra, C. (2014).
"Role of Social Media in Promoting Transparency in an Open Government Era in
SAARC Countries with Special Reference to India In W. Gilles, I. Bouhadana (eds.)
Gouvernances publiques, 2014. Paris: IMODEV.
5.
Transparency International. (2020).
Corruption Perceptions Index 2020. Transparency International.
6.
Banerjee, A., & Duflo, E.
(2019). Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems. PublicAffairs.
7.
Charru Malhotra (2017). Co-Creating
Good Governance using Emerging Technologies. ELETS e-Gov. URL- http://egov.eletsonline.com/2017/08/co-creating-governance-using-emerging-technologies/
8.
Singh, N. (2019). Governance
in India: A Policy Perspective. Oxford University Press.
9.
Chaudhuri, S. (2021). Public
Finance and Public Policy in the New Century. Sage Publications India.
10.
Ibid 6.
11.
Kingdon, G. G., & Muzammil,
M. (2009). The Political Economy of Education in India: Teacher Politics in the
States. Oxford Review of Education, 35(1), 39-58.
12.
Debroy, B., & Bhandari, L.
(2003). State Performance and Capacities in India. New Delhi: Academic Foundation.
13. Charru Malhotra, Rashmi Anand and Shauryavir Singh (2018). Applying Big Data Analytics in Governance to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs. In U.M Munshi.& N. Verma (Eds), India In Data Science Landscape Towards Research Standards and Protocols Singapore, SG: Springer International Publishing AG. URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-7515-5_19
14.
Ibid 2.
15.
Deininger, K., & Jin, S.
(2008). Determinants of State-Level Public Investment in Rural Roads in India.
Journal of Development Studies, 44(6), 802-821.
16.
Rao, M. G. (2000). Public Finance
in India: Issues and Concerns. Economic and Political Weekly, 35(8/9), 553-566.
17.
Devarajan, S., Swaroop, V., &
Zou, H. (1996). Does Governance Matter? Yes, No or Maybe: Some Evidence from Developing
Countries. World Bank Economic Review, 10(2), 219-243.
18.
Collier, P. (2000). The Quality
of Governance: "Second-Generation" Civil Service Reform in Africa.
Journal of African Economies, 9(1), 132-156.
19.
Charru Malhotra, Anand. R. &
Vivek Soni (2020). Creating Public Services 4.0 - Sustainable Digital Architecture
for Public Services in India. Indian Journal of Public Administration (IIPA,
October 2020).
20.
Von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General
System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. George Braziller.
21.
Layzer, D. (1975). The arrow
of time. Scientific American, 233(6), 56-69.
22.
Scott, J., & Carrington,
P. (2019). Data analytics for better governance. Oxford University Press.
23.
Lawler III, E. E. (2008). Talent:
Making People Your Competitive Advantage. Jossey-Bass.
24.
Pfeffer, J. (1998). The Human
Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Harvard Business School Press.
25.
Allen, R., & Tommasi, D.
(Eds.). (2001). Managing public expenditure: A reference book for transition countries.
OECD Publishing.
26.
Lienert, I. (2003). A comparison
between two public expenditure management systems in Africa. International Monetary
Fund.
27.
Landemore, H. (2020). Open Democracy:
Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century. Princeton University Press.
28.
Guerrero, A. (2014). Against
elections: The lottocratic alternative. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 42(2),
135-178. DOI: 10.1111/papa.12044.
29.
Ibid 27
30.
Ibid 20.
31.
Ibid 28.
32. Charru Malhotra et al.(2016). ICT4D: Innovating Governance to be more Citizen-Centric using ICT. Management in Government: Journal of Administrative Reforms, XLVI(1), DARP&G, Government of India, New Delhi (pp. 1-14. 10) ISSN: 0047-570X
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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.
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.