Abstract
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. To translate political equality of our democracy into greater
equality in access to essential services like safety and justice, just as examples,
are bottlenecks that remain to be removed. Improving trust among citizens, between
citizens and the State makes it easier for the state to implement complex reforms.
This calls for constructive civic engagement for nudging pro-poor policies and removing
elite bias, real or perceived. Moral imperative of catering to basic needs
of a large low-income population necessitates pro-poor policies to ensure that vulnerable
are not bypassed from fruits of growth. Economic strength is currency of power and
India’s low GDP per capita limits her ambitions of becoming an economic and military
power. Citizens cannot assume that the States function in public interest, just
like employers cannot assume that employees do their duties. Engagement creates
empowerment and empowered citizenry can make States act because they must.
Introduction
India’s large population, accounting for over a sixth
of humanity, unparalleled diversity, and early democracy makes the country a global
outlier. To accomplish the goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat1 i.e. developed
nation by 2047, India needs to focus on providing a roadmap for improving governance
and state capacity. This will enable the state to deliver essential services more
effectively for all Indians. In our democratic system, it is primarily through the
state that those disadvantaged can pursue greater equality. However, the Indian
state's weakness in delivering basic services limits our ability to translate the
political equality of our democracy into greater equality in access to essential
services like education, safety, and justice. ‘Democracy before Development’ has
given all Indian citizens the ability to make a claim on the state, but has not
by itself provided either the resources or political incentives to build the capacity
of the state. Effective democracy requires active citizenship, and the quality of
governance will reflect the extent and quality of citizen engagement.
Bhartiya Model of Development
The Article 1 of the Constitution of India states, "India,
that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”, signifying that both ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’
are equally official short names for the Republic of India. ‘Bharat’ has deep roots
in our civilizational history, as demonstrated by the proto-republic Janapadas and
Maha-Janapadas. Our age-old culture influences our approach to economic and social
development. The traditional role of community in trade, production, and investment
continues to underpin entrepreneurship, capital raising, and risk-taking. Balancing
individual rights and societal responsibilities has evolved over time. In ancient
India, Kautilya, for instance, synergized economic well-being and political administration
in the Arthashastra, with spiritual good in the backdrop. Essentially, the indigenous
or Bhartiya philosophy of development encapsulates the idea that 'the greatest happiness
of the greatest number' serves as the ultimate criterion for determining what is
right and wrong.
India has recorded steady growth despite domestic and
global challenges including the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic followed by
an oil price shock. Numerous ideas that have shaped Indian policymaking are increasingly
being embraced by developed nations across the globe. India's indigenous development
approach has continuously adapted, evolving with accumulated experience and shifts
in both national and global contexts. The Bhartiya development model encompasses
Antyodaya and Empowerment. Antyodaya implies caring for the most disadvantaged in
society, while empowerment affords everyone the opportunity to develop their talents
and enables income-generating capability.
India's distinct combination of a vast population, unparalleled
diversity, and early democratic roots places it uniquely on the global stage. This
uniqueness calls for indigenous or Bhartiya
solutions which often poses challenges for policymakers. While championing
indigenous ideas means navigating uncharted territory without established global
blueprints, foreign concepts risk rejection due to incompatibility, real or perceived,
with India's context. Specific proposals such as developing a robust data and measurement
framework or refining decentralized governance lack global precedents, raising concerns
about their efficacy and potential drawbacks.
India’s indigenous development strategy has evolved
with experience and changing national and international environments. For instance,
ancient Indian treatises like Arthashastra mentioned efficient revenue collection,
tax rates, and land utilization, leading to the golden period of ancient India.
In the 1950s-1990s, India adopted a mixed economy model emphasising self-reliance,
public sector dominance, and a focus on heavy industries and agriculture through
Five-Year Plans to promote economic growth and development. Post-1990s reforms involved
liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG), opening up the Indian economy
to foreign investments, reducing trade barriers, and encouraging private sector
participation. The service sector, especially in IT and software services, has undergone
significant growth.
Notwithstanding this, policymakers must focus on careful
innovation and experimentation, with iterative refinement based on ground-level
insights. Emphasizing state-level reforms encourages diverse approaches and generates
valuable data and feedback. While these initiatives are grounded in informed judgment,
their success is not guaranteed. For instance, the Aadhaar biometric ID project
exemplifies India's capacity for pioneering innovations. Despite initial challenges,
Aadhaar's widespread adoption and citizen satisfaction underscores its success in
reshaping service delivery and digital payments.
In terms of financial inclusion, more than 51 crore
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts, just as example, have been opened.
Further, improvement in the financial inclusion index (FI-Index) reflects a deepening
of financial inclusion across the country. The value of the index increased to 64.2
in March 2024 from 43.4 in March 2017, reflecting the steady rise in financial inclusion
alongside economic development. A unique feature of the FI-Index is the quality
parameter, which captures financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy,
consumer protection, and inequalities and deficiencies in services.
Private social organizations such as NPOs and NGOs are
essential in a democracy. These non-profit/non-government organizations provide
public goods undersupplied by the government. They supplement and support the public
in areas requiring a humane, personal touch at the community level. These organizations
provide emotional and social interaction for orphans, the disabled, the mentally
challenged, widows, and the aged. They are effective, efficient, and sustainable
inter-generationally. Therefore, the government’s role in the economy needs careful
crafting to ensure private initiatives and activities are not crowded out. The government
should move from ‘command and control’ to ‘plug and play’. This will go a long way
in achieving sustained and inclusive growth.
In essence, the Indian approach to inclusive development,
from a development economics perspective, is built upon three fundamental pillars
namely Market Economics, Empowerment, and Pragmatism. These include providing basic needs such as Food, Water, Sanitation (toilets),
Health, Fuel (cooking gas), Electricity, Housing to every citizen.
Citizen Centricity and Trust
Fostering trust both among citizens and between citizens
and the state is a virtuous cycle between enhancing state effectiveness in public
good provision, citizen engagement, and increasing trust in the government. An increase
in trust will, in turn, make it easier for the state to tackle more difficult problems
and implement complex reforms that require some upfront costs but can generate long-term
gains for all citizens of the country. For instance, there
was a food crisis in India when the US abruptly stopped shipment of key wheat supplies
in mid 1960s. Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then PM’s clarion call of eating cereals
only once a day was followed wholeheartedly by one and all, be it rich or poor,
man or women, child, young or old. No second question was raised by anyone. This
challenging issue could be tide over because of trust between citizens and the State. Conversely, three Farm laws had to be rolled back
in 2022 due to lack of trust between citizens and the State. This happened, despite
these three laws being pro-farmers as assessed by most agriculture economists of
National and international repute. These two contrasting real life instances abundantly
illustrate the impact and importance of trust between citizens and the State. In
short, if Citizens distrust the State, citizens will make it hard for the State
to implement even welfare oriented reforms. Civil society's effectiveness improves
when it collaborates with the state, and governments become more effective when
they build trust with citizens. Low trust also undermines advocacy for the poor,
harming our collective capacity to engage in positive-sum actions.
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. To translate political equality of our democracy into greater
equality in access to essential services like justice and safety, just as examples,
are bottlenecks that remain to be removed. This calls for constructive civic engagement
for nudging pro-poor policies.
India's subdued performance in service delivery is significantly
influenced by elite bias in policy and public spending. According to Bardhan (2004),
three elite groups viz. government employees, large landowners, and big businesses,
exercise disproportionate influence in policy making and disproportionately benefit
from public resources. Empirics show that such a state of affairs prevail not just
in India but around the world, albeit in varying degrees. Due to their greater access
to power, policies often reflect the preferences of these elites. ‘The police in
India are primarily geared towards serving the ruling class rather than the citizens’,
so says Prakash Singh, former DGP (UP). Such elite bias has compromised the effectiveness
of India's service delivery system. Constructive Civic Engagement is, therefore,
crucial to mitigating this bias in both policy-making and public spending.
‘Rule of law’ under the scheme of the Constitution
of India mandates everyone to be equal, no body is above the law and none below
it. Implicit in it is that not just elites,
but poor and middle class too can contribute to development. While poor can contribute by making them more empowered,
middle class by being more engaged in civic life and shaping public sphere by lobbying
for collective goods and governance reforms in areas such as environment, safety
and justice. Citizens can not assume that agents (the State) function in public
interest, just like employers can not presume that employees do their duties. Engagement
creates empowerment and empowered citizens ought to make Government act because
they must.
Pro-poor activists argue ‘State favours elites by
default…’, necessitating continuous pressure for pro-poor policies. They often pursue opportunities to enact pro-poor programmes, even without
conclusive data on effectiveness, due to the perceived pro-elite bias. In contrast,
local elites frequently resist well-designed welfare programs, fearing a loss of
control over the poor. Given such resistance, even efficiency-enhancing
welfare programs like MGNREGA would have never come into being without sustained
advocacy of CSOs. Weak public service delivery raises costs for businesses which
makes them less competitive.
While free-market capitalism promotes efficiency and
growth, it often exacerbates inequality by benefiting elites with financial, physical,
and human capital. This entrenches their power, undermines state support for the
vulnerable, and makes institutions more extractive. Global evidence indicates that
elite capture of institutions to maintain advantages is common, with similar dynamics
observed in India. Market-led growth can worsen conditions for the vulnerable unless
the state acts to broadly distribute growth benefits.
Efficient public spending can deliver significantly
more for the poor. Improving the effectiveness of public spending transcends a technical,
financial and moral imperative. CSOs should acknowledge that well-regulated competitive
markets are among the most effective tools for poverty alleviation, as evidenced
by transformative growth in China and India following market-based reforms in the
1980s and 1990s. The power of free markets lies in using market prices to allocate
resources and create incentives for efficiency and innovation. Societies that rely
more on free markets than on state control tend to experience higher economic growth
and greater human development.
Reforms: Agriculture
Agriculture is
the life blood of Indian economy and farmers its backbone.
Indian agriculture deploys 45.5 per cent of total workforce in the country, 60 per
cent of country’s total land area, 83 per cent of fresh water, yet it contributes
only 15.1 percent of GVA. Implicit in it
is that Agri-labour productivity in India is low at 21 percent compared to that
of non-agriculture. Surely, something is missing in the sector and it calls for
reforms. When LPG reforms were initiated in India in 1990s i.e. reforms were introduced
in tertiary and secondary sectors of the economy but kept the primary sector (agriculture)
away from those reforms. The fruits of reforms undertaken in tertiary and secondary
sectors trickle down to primary sector rather slowly. In an Economy, agriculture
lies at the bottom, manufacturing in the middle and services sector at the top.
If reforms are like launching the rocket, these ought to have been initiated and
fired from the bottom, not from the top.
Figure-1: Contrasting Approaches to Reforms, India & China
While non-farm sectors may offer higher growth rates,
agriculture remains crucial for inclusive growth, employment, renewable energy,
and sustainability. Therefore, reforms in agriculture sector have to be placed at
the core of development strategies. This will go a long way to accomplish the objective
of a "Viksit Bharat2" by 2047.
Reforms: Food Security
As the home to one-sixth of the world's population and
a burgeoning young workforce, India plays a pivotal role in global food security.
Food is peace. Hunger and food insecurity are key drivers
of conflict and insecurity. Hunger and conflict feed on each other. WFP too underscores
the importance of addressing hunger to prevent conflicts and create stability. SDG 2: Zero Hunger aims to “…end hunger and ensure access by all people to
nutritious and sufficient food all year round.” Our goal should be to create a world
where no one, particularly those in vulnerable situations or affected by crises,
goes to bed without bread.
Each grain of food saved from waste is as valuable as
each grain produced. Addressing avoidable food waste3 is critical to
food security. Food is often discarded by companies when surplus packaged goods
approach their 'best before' dates, by restaurants and caterers with excess but
usable cooked food, and by local communities. India should implement a 'No Food
Waste' (NFW) policy to channelize such food effectively. Promoting a Food Banking
Network (FBN) could significantly contribute to achieving zero hunger. Hunger is
not only a food issue but also a logistics challenge. The FBN would play a pivotal
role in providing safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all by collaborating
with companies, corporations, retailers, caterers, and restaurants to recover safe,
wholesome food (both cooked and packaged) that would otherwise be discarded. Leading
food companies should be encouraged to redirect their surplus inventory to the FBN.
This network would manage inventory, establish warehouses, and oversee shipping,
storing, and distribution. Aggregated food would then be directed to institutional
feeding programs and community-based organizations for distribution to those in
need. This approach would significantly alleviate hunger, increase awareness about
reducing food waste, and support the progressive realization of the right to adequate
food for vulnerable populations.
Reforms: Fertilisers Subsidy
Crops need a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium (NPK) for optimal growth. While urea (nitrogen) supports plant growth,
phosphorus accelerates blooming and stress resilience, and potassium is essential
for photosynthesis. Despite the recommended N:P:K ratio of 4:2:1, the existing ratio
has become skewed to 11:5:1 for the Kharif season 2023-24, resulting in an overuse
of urea. Overuse of urea—by a factor of 2.75 times—degrades soil fertility and causes
environmental harm.
Urea, the sole controlled fertilizer, is sold at a statutory
notified uniform sale price, while decontrolled phosphatic and potassic fertilizers
are sold at indicative maximum retail prices (MRPs). Although urea prices are fixed
with fluctuating subsidy levels, the subsidies for phosphatic and potassic fertilizers
are fixed, while their prices fluctuate. Urea has consistently been priced low at
Rs. 5,360 per tonne (due to subsidy), compared to approximately Rs. 27,000 per tonne
for DAP and Rs. 33,500 per tonne for muriate of potash (MoP). This misalignment
in fertilizer pricing policy has led to imbalanced fertilizer use, higher domestic
resource costs (DRCs) in urea production, increased greenhouse gas emissions, water
contamination, and reduced soil biodiversity, all of which negatively impact the
environment and ecology.
Fertilizer subsidies have more than tripled from Rs.
81,124 crores to Rs. 2,51,339 crores over the past three years (2019-20 to 2022-23).
Implementing Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) to farmers in lieu of subsidized fertilizers
would allow them to select the optimal fertilizer mix for their soil without being
affected by the distorted NPK price ratios. This change would also grant farmers
the flexibility to grow crops that do not require urea, addressing the current policy's
tendency to favour urea-dependent crops like wheat and rice over pulses, which require
other, more expensive fertilizers. This has led to a skewed crop production mix
that does not align with demand. A more efficient approach would be to provide direct
subsidies to farmers. With a gross cropped area (GCA) of 191.76 million hectares
and the government spending over Rs. 2.51 lakh crores on fertilizer subsidies in
2022-23, the annual subsidy equates to Rs. 13,090 per hectare. Based on this, if
a weighted average cash amount of Rs. 12,744 per hectare is transferred in a graded
system Rs.16,000 per hectare for small/marginal holdings and Rs. 8,000 per hectare
for large farms as outlined in Table-1—the total fertilizer subsidy bill could be
reduced to Rs. 2.44 lakh crores for 2023-24.
Table-1: Direct Cash Transfer in lieu of Fertilizer Subsidy, 2023-24
DCT would not incur any additional net expenditure from
the exchequer beyond the current level of fertilizer subsidies. It would enable
farmers to select the fertilizer mix best suited to their chosen crops, free from
the distortions caused by the current NPK price ratios. This shift would encourage
fertilizer manufacturers to develop new 'value for money' products tailored to specific
crops, soils, and agro-climatic conditions. Concurrently, farmers would transition
from chemical-based agriculture to organic and natural methods, enhancing local
fertilizer production, improving soil health, reducing environmental impacts including
GHG emissions, and optimizing the production mix within the agricultural ecosystem.
Soft and Hard Power of India
The terms 'soft' and 'hard' power are often used across
the world to characterize countries' ability to shape the global environment to
advance their respective National interests.
A country's 'soft power' reflects its ability to co-opt other countries to
be favourable to its interests by aligning values and culture. It is boosted by
building goodwill among other countries that can be tapped in times of need, and
used to further mutual national interests. In contrast, a country's 'hard power'
reflects its ability to coerce others to promote its interests. It is influenced
by factors such as total GDP, per capita GDP, tax to GDP ratio, and military strength,
which determine countries' ability to wage economic or military warfare and bear
the costs of doing so.
India owes her more soft power than hard power to the
broad appeal of India's democratic values, respect for diversity, and a tradition
of non-aggression, widespread popularity of Indian culture, movies, cuisine, and
classical rich music. In recent years, India's standing in the world has been steadily
rising. The combination of India's democracy, steady economic growth, large domestic
market, favourable demographics, vibrant innovation ecosystem, and highly successful
diaspora are both indicators of success as well as enablers of a bright future.
Together, these factors have contributed to India's growing international stature
as a key pole of a multipolar global order that can both drive global economic growth,
and contribute to the provision of global public goods like security, vaccines,
and mitigating climate change.
However, we also face several internal challenges-especially
in basic service delivery to all citizens. This challenge is so severe that ‘…the
majority of Indians outside a narrow elite face a broken ladder whereby they simply
cope but are not able to advance' to prosperity, reasons Krishna (2018). This broken ladder not only limits the potential
of the affected individuals, but also limits India's overall potential by not leveraging
the talents of over a billion people. This is why acting on the reform roadmap will
help India boost both its soft and hard power.
While India's context is unique, her governance challenges
are not. Many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) face similar issues including
public safety, access to justice, effective social safety nets, and job creation.
They also grapple with weak governance and state capacity.
India's soft power can be amplified by leading in the
development of digital public infrastructure. For example, the World Bank's ID4D
(Identity for Development) group, which assists countries in establishing digital
ID and public infrastructure, heavily draws from India's Aadhaar experience. The
World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS), which has formed the basis
for globally comparable measurement
of living standards, drew heavily from the Indian template. Muralidharan (2024)
reasons ‘Reflecting India's global leadership in this realm, the World Bank ID4D
group has facilitated learning missions for officials from various LMICs
to India in recent years’. By testing and refining such ideas, India can offer solutions
applicable to other countries, thereby enhancing her global goodwill and soft power.
One of practical constraints
to building India's hard power is her lower GDP/capita in relation to many other
powers. The best way to build India's hard power is to have faster economic growth.
Even if India grows faster than China for a few years, just as an example, China's
total GDP will grow much more during this period because their starting level is
four times higher.
Table-2: Projected Scenario of Economies of India & China
China's GDP will increase
by more than double that of India even if India grows twice as fast. So, the gap
between China and India is likely to grow in the near future. China's greater economic
growth results in a more substantial increase in their military spending. Bridging
this gap requires her to sustain annual growth over 8 per cent per annum for a couple
of decades.
Such a level of growth
for a few decades can be sustained if the productivity of over half our population
is augmented by carefully crafting investment in upskilling the skills of unskilled,
public safety, health, access to justice, prudently allocating key productive inputs
like land, water, credit. This will propel the country to fire on all cylinders,
enable us to push the frontiers, realise
our full potential and thereby boost India's soft and hard power in the world.
Conclusion
Bhartiya philosophy of development encapsulates the
idea that 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number' serves as the ultimate
criterion for determining what is right and wrong. Indian approach to inclusive
development is built upon three fundamental pillars namely market economics, empowerment,
and pragmatism. These include providing
basic needs such as food, water, sanitation (toilets), health, fuel (cooking gas),
electricity, housing to every citizen. To translate
political equality of our democracy into greater equality in access to services
like justice and public safety, just as examples, are bottlenecks that remain to
be removed.
‘Food is peace’, because hunger and conflict feed on
each other. Hunger and food insecurity are key drivers of conflict and insecurity.
Addressing hunger prevents conflicts and creates stability. While non-farm sectors may offer
higher growth rates, agriculture remains crucial for inclusive growth, employment,
renewable energy, and sustainability. India ought to implement a 'No Food Waste'
(NFW) policy and promote Food Banking Network (FBN). This could significantly contribute
to achieving zero hunger.
Growing citizens demand for better service
delivery makes it imperative to invest in building the state's capability to
deliver better services to the citizens. Internal reforms, punctuated with
proactive global engagement, are essential for shaping a conducive
international environment for India's progress. Citizens can not assume that
agents (the State) function in public interest, just like employers can not
presume that employees do their duties. Engagement creates empowerment and
empowered citizens can make the Government act because they must. India, then,
can realistically realise the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Network (FBN). This could significantly contribute to achieving zero hunger.
Acronyms : Trinity of Citizen, Society and State (Table)
Endnotes
1.
Indianised version of Developed India.
2.
Food loss occurs at the production, post-harvest,
and processing stages of the food chain whereas Food Waste
connotes what was originally produced for human consumption but then was
discarded or was not consumed by humans. This includes food that spoiled prior to
disposal and food that was still edible when thrown away. Food waste is more directly
linked with consumer behaviour. Loss implies a lack of control and therefore, a
lack of responsibility in contrast to waste which entails responsibility. Thus,
loss is inevitable, but waste is avoidable.
References
1.
Bardhan, Pranab K (2004). Scarcity,
Conflicts, and Cooperation: Essays in the Political and Institutional Economics
of Development; MIT Press.
2.
Krishna, Anirudh (2018). Broken
Ladder: The Paradox and Potential of India’s one Billion; Penguin Random House India.
3.
Mahbubani, Kishore
(2009). ‘Can Asians think?’, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia)
Pvt. Ltd., Singapore.
4.
Muralidharan Karthik (2024), ‘Accelerating
India’s Development’, Penguin Random House India Pvt Ltd., Gurugram.
5. Virmani, A. (2023). Bharatiya Model of Inclusive Development-Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas. NITI Policy Paper – May 2023. https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-06/NITI_policy-paper_BMID_2023- May.pdf
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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
"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.