Good Governance and Citizen Centric Administration

History of Good Governance in India:

• The Arthashastra, written by Chanakya, discussed the idea of good governance and mentioned some good qualities of a king. Chanakya stated that “in the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness, in their welfare his welfare.”
• According to Mahatma Gandhi, Swaraj should be followed by Su-raj, which refers to excellence in governance.

Objectives of Good Governance: 

• Providing an environment in which all citizens can develop to their full potential.
• Providing public services effectively, efficiently and equitably (without class, caste and gender discrimination).

Pillars of Good Governance in India (4Es):

1. Ethos: Ethos of service to the citizen).
2. Ethics: The governance structure should be based on ethical values such as honesty, integrity and transparency to generate a trust among citizens.
3. Equity: In good governance, every citizen should be treated equally on equal terms. Similarly, extra attention is needed for the weaker sections.
4. Efficiency: Citizens should get the government services as early as possible and without any hassle.

Dimensions of Governance in India:

According to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances’ report “State of Governance – A Framework of Assessment,” there are five dimensions of governance (DARPG). These are as following:

• Political dimension of Governance: The quality of political discussion, the use and abuse of political power, the behaviour of people and institutions who represent the public, power decentralisation, and citizen trust in the political system are all discussed in this section. It has following major components:

⇒ Exercise of franchise

⇒ Profile and conduct of Political Representatives

⇒ Conduct of political parties and legislature

⇒ Quality/functioning of Political Executive

⇒ Political Decentralisation

• Legal and Judicial dimension: This dimension seeks to analyse states ability to maintain law and order, protect human rights, and facilitate access to and delivery of justice. It has five basic components:

⇒ General conditions of Rule of Law and Internal Security.

⇒ Accessibility, approachability and citizen friendliness of the police.

⇒ Safeguard of basic rights.

⇒ Police Administration and functioning.

⇒ Access to Justice and Judicial Administration

• Administrative dimension: This aspect of governance assesses the government’s ability to provide fundamental services to citizens while effectively managing human, financial, and technology resources. It has following components:

⇒ Citizen orientation, responsiveness & transparency and use of IT

⇒ Managing human resources

⇒ Financial management

⇒ Basic delivery of services

⇒ Corruption perception, vigilance and enforcement

• Economic dimension: This dimension pertains to the ability of the state to create a conducive climate for business in all sectors and ensure macro -economic stability. It has following components:

⇒ Fiscal Governance

⇒ Support to the Primary Sector

⇒ Business Environment

• Social and Environmental:  The state’s ability to care for society’s most vulnerable members, the role and quality of civil society, the media, and environmental governance are all addressed in this area of governance. This dimension has three key components:

⇒ Poor and Vulnerable section people’s welfare

⇒ Civil Society and Media’s Role

⇒ Management of Environment