Assignment A

Q1. Discuss the governance indicators across six dimensions.

Ans. The governance indicators across six dimensions

1. Voice and Accountability- Citizens’ Voice and Accountability are key governance indicators that
point out the ability of the citizens to exercise their freedoms and articulate their priorities, and to
hold concerned stakeholders responsible for their actions. This is measured through citizen
participation in democratic processes. For example, in the case of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), social audit has been used as a governance tool to monitor
the official records, quality of work, and to determine whether the allocated resources has been
utilised effectively at the village level.

2. Political Stability and Absence of Violence- Political stability represents strong political
institutions and predictable policies that foster economic stability, Consumer Price Index (CPI), social
investments, and the capacity of the government to cope with financial risks of any magnitude. With
regard to Absence of Violence/Terrorism, it is related to the government’s preparedness to terror
attacks and its ability to tackle mob violence.

3. Government Effectiveness- This refers to the perception of public service quality, such as,
efficiency in resource mobilisation, access to clean drinking water, affordable health care and
education, good infrastructure, food security, civil service integrity, etc.

4. Regulatory Quality- This is associated with monetary policies and regulatory framework that
promote business enterprises (micro and macro), simplified tax laws, stimulation of competitive
markets, subsidies, pruning of redundant rules, effective government to business interface etc. With
the introduction of economic reforms in 1991, India could boost its productivity and strengthen its
international trade and investment by improving on its economic, legal, and physical infrastructure.
For example, with the intention to promote a level playing field in the market sector, Government of
India established independent regulatory bodies by an Act of Parliament, such as, Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 1992 and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 1997.

5. Rule of Law- Rule of Law is the vital indicator which intends to maintain harmony in an open
society where private sector and civil society jointly work with the government to resolve complex
social problems. With the engagement of various stakeholders in public service delivery, the State is
expected to safeguard its citizens against arbitrary actions of the service providers and in
enforcement of rights and remedies. For example, to promote and sustain competition among the
service providers, and to protect consumer interests against unlawful practices, Competition
Commission of India (CCI) was established in 2003. CCI is entrusted to give its opinion on
competition issues when the matters are referred by any statutory authority. It can also take up
issues affecting the freedom of trade in Indian markets. For example, in 2018, based on the
complaints from Flipkart, Facebook, and several other companies in Indian market, CCI had imposed
a 136 crore fine on Google for manipulating its “dominant position” in the market by favouring its
own services and partners (Gupta, 2015).

6. Control of Corruption- It refers to the capacity of the government in handling and preventing
corrupt practices. Post-globalisation, the ministries and departments have had persuaded
organisations to automate processes that are vulnerable to corruption through Information and
Communication Technology (ICT). For example, the Unified Mobile Application for New-age
Governance (UMANG) launched by the Government of India is a single platform intended to access a
wide range of citizen-centric services across service providers without any manipulation.

Q2. Analyze through examples the stakeholder’s involvement in governance.

Ans. George Frederickson (1991) had put forth five postulates on the role of public in the realm of
public administration. These encompass public as interest groups, consumers, represented voters,
clients and citizens. According to this theory, public in general are viewed as passive recipients of
benefits rather than active participants. Frederickson argues that a general theory of the public must
be based on four requisite elements. These include the Constitution, the enhanced notion of
virtuous citizen, systems and procedures for responding to the collective and inchoate public, and
benevolence or public service in the greater good. The virtuous citizen is one who understands the
founding documents (the Constitution), takes individual moral responsibility, and exercises civility,
including forbearance and tolerance in discourse. Close links between citizens and government
create informed citizenry whose voices can be heard. Responsibility and accountability between
administrators and citizens improves governance which requires strengthening of institutions at
urban and local levels.

The introduction of National Forest Policy in the year 1988 and the subsequent introduction of joint
forest management in the year 1990 are the important milestones in the stakeholder participation in
the programme. It is implemented with the objective of reducing deforestation with the active
participation of local communities along with forest department. The afforestation programme links
the local communities by identifying their economic interest in the forests. This makes the local
communities as stakeholders to protect and work towards sustainable use of forest. This includes
the right to use of minor forest produce and sharing of timber harvest with forest department.
Minor forest produce include non-timber items such as resins, fruits, seeds, honey, medicines,
tobacco, betel leaves and bamboo. If the villagers fail to cooperate, the revenue sharing may stop
and the forest would be owned by the forest department. There is no transfer or lease agreement
with joint forest committees. The joint forest committees are formed at the village level. They are
responsible for managing the forest resources. The joint forest committees develop micro plans
relating to planting of trees, restoring of degraded areas and harvesting. Some studies carried out in
villages of Maharashtra and Rajasthan clearly show that women are important stakeholders in the
natural resource policy of the state. Women function close to the nature and they are involved in
various activities such as collection of firewood, fuels and food from the forest and domestic use.
The active participation of women in the joint forest committee meetings in the state of
Maharashtra explored the challenges in maintaining sustainable use of forest produce.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is an example of collaborative venture between central
government and Delhi government. It has apart from these two other stakeholders, the external
funding agency Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), consultants, contractors and
other agencies. The success of agreements reached among the stakeholders and the efficiency can
be considered as stakeholder satisfaction for all those involved in the collaborative venture (Ramesh,
2015).

Globally also there are several practices of engagement of stakeholders in several areas. In Quebec,
Canada, public, private and not for profit actors discuss and decide on management of water
resources at the basin level and jointly design the river basin management plans. There are several
engagement mechanisms indicating clearly the responsibilities ranging from information sharing and
empowerment to the autonomy of actors in taking informed decisions in water resources
management.

Assignment B

Q3. Discuss the theories of development.

Ans. The theories of development are

Modernisation Theory The main proponents of this theory have been W.W. Rostow, Emile
Durkheim, and Max Weber. According to this theory, all societies go through similar stages of
development for progress. Rostow (1960) gave five stages of development to become modern.
Society can be seen as ‘traditional’ in the first step. The second stage is called ‘pre-conditions for
takeoff’. The third stage is the ‘take off’. The fourth step is called ‘drive to maturity’. The fifth and
final stage is ‘high mass consumption’.

Dependency Theory It was proposed by Andre Gunder Frank in 1960s and 70s by rejecting
modernisation theory. According to him, underdeveloped countries were not primitive, but they
were exploited by the developed countries. Developed countries generally would provide obsolete
technology to these countries. It is difficult for developing countries to survive with outdated
technology.

World-Systems Theory It criticised modernisation theory. It insisted on exploitation-free world. It

Stand-Point Theory According to this theory, each one in this world would take a position to view
the world. Each social group in a society has a perception. The perception of one group affects other
individuals or groups. As per stand-point theory, the privileged class’s position in the society
provides limited understanding about the others in the same. It further added that the ruling groups
dominate subordinate groups.

Q4. Examine the factors responsible for changing role of bureaucracy.

Ans. Effective and efficient institutions form the backbone of a successful governance system. The
bureaucracy plays a central role in socio-economic development and nation building. In the recent
times, the role of bureaucracy has undergone a massive change due to a number of factors. The
changing role of the State in the contemporary context has brought about significant changes in the
profile of bureaucracy. The growing impact of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation,
increased complexity in administrative problems, influx of information technology and socio-cultural
upheavals are bringing in a lot of changes in the complexion of Indian bureaucracy. Consequently,
there have been persistent demands for a responsive, accountable and efficient administration. The
bureaucracy has to strike a balance between participation and accountability, competition and
conflict, user and citizen. The bureaucracy has to ensure that there is a suitable environment in
which rights of the citizens are protected, law and order is maintained, stability is provided and
efficient infrastructure is put in place to tone up the welfare services to the people.

In nutshell, the shift or change in the role of bureaucracy in light of the emerging governance
challenges can be understood under the following factors:
• Fast pace of globalisation.

• Rapid advancement of communication technology and problems relating to cybercrime and

• Advances in technology and mass-scale digitisation of government operations

• New tools of governance.

• Inclusive policies with a more sense of accountability and responsibility towards the excluded
sections of society.

• Participatory and engaged governance i.e., engaging the civil society for better governance since
citizens are the most important assets in governance.

• Building new skills and capacities.

• Internal and external security threats.

Q5. Write a note in brief on the forms of governance.

Ans. There are various forms of governance more important among which are political, economic
and social.

Political

Due to the global political and economic shifts, the nation states’ capacity to govern has been
limited. There is a general feeling that there is a ‘hollowing out’ of the State. This has resulted in
shifting of the power outwards to international financial markets, to global companies to be able to
move capital and other resources from one site of investment to another, and to supra-national
entities such as the World Bank or European Union. Power has also percolated downwards to the
sub-national level of regions and cities. However, this does not necessarily mean a decline in the role
of the State.

Economic

The neo-liberal political/economic regime of the 1980s and 1990s partly dismantled the conception
of the State as a direct service provider. The introduction of market mechanisms has led to a more
fragmented and dispersed pattern of service delivery and regulation that required new forms of
coordination. Economic governance requires removal of market distortions, setting appropriate
service standards, ensuring fair competition amongst the players and a level playing field, protecting
the interests of all concerned key stakeholders.

Social

Another form of analysis of governance is responding to complexity, diversity and dynamic changes
in society. Kooiman and Van Vliet (1993), link governance to the need for an interactive form of
governing. The purpose of governance in our societies can be described as not only about coping
with the problems but also dealing with the opportunities of complex, diverse and fragmented
societies. Complexity, dynamics and diversity has led to a shrinking external autonomy of the Nation
State combined with the shrinking internal dominance vis-à-vis social subsystems.
Assignment C

Q6. Discuss the conceptual framework of information and communication technology.

Ans. ICT is the use of technology in information processing and communication. It encompasses the
use of computers, and computer software to gather, convert, process, store, protect, transmit,
retrieve and present the information. Increasingly these activities also involve collaboration and
communication. The search for smarter, efficient and effective government through efficiency,
reengineering of service systems, performance management, transparency of government
operations, downsizing or rightsizing of the government workforce, strong emphasis on citizen
service with citizen satisfaction as a strategy are the buzz words in administration. Quick decision-
making, data based planning, effective implementation through quantitative techniques seemed to
clinch the issue in its favour. These changes forced the governments towards new techniques and
technologies for pursuing good governance agenda.

Q7. State the key elements of citizen’s charter.

Ans. The key elements of citizen’s charter are:

• Standards – setting, monitoring and publication of standards of service that the user can expect.
This enables citizens to understand what they can expect from the organisation and approach
accordingly.

• Choice and consultation – public sector should provide choice wherever available, in consultation
with those for whom the services are being made available.

• Courtesy and helpfulness – it should ensure that citizens receive courteous response from public
officials when they come to public offices.

• Putting things right – the charter has to ensure that the services are provided within the norms.

• Value for money – it is about efficient and effective delivery with minimum utilisation of resources.

Q8. What do you understand by financial decentralization?

Ans. Financial Decentralisation

It involves devolving powers with regard to taxation, funds and expenditure upon local bodies in
order to first improve the financial position and then giving them the financial autonomy for
planning and implementation as per the local needs. Devolution of funds upon the local bodies by
the State is important in order to augment financial capacity of the local bodies. In order to provide
the local bodies’ scope to prepare plans as per local needs, and then to incur expenditure, financial
decentralisation becomes important. The local bodies in India could not function properly because of
lack of funds. They had to depend on the devolutions and the grants-in-aid from the state
governments.

Q9. Explain sustainable development goals.

Ans. On, 25 September 2015, 193 Countries of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the
2030 Development Agenda. It identified 17 specific sustainable development goals. The Paris
Agreement on climate change also gave importance to limit the rise of global temperature. The
countries agreed to mobilise necessary resources to end poverty, fight inequality and address
climate change within the next fifteen years. The nations have been urged to work towards
attainment of these goals.

• End poverty everywhere.

• End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

• Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for
all.

• Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

• Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Q10. Bring out the challenges to inclusive and participative governance.

Ans. With the state and non-state actors around the world reinforcing on the agenda ‘inclusive and
participative governance for development’, contemporary governments have thus, renewed their
commitment towards sustainability. Nevertheless, the challenges are many in terms of caste, class,
gender, capacity building of elected representatives and other stakeholders. Despite Constitutional
amendments in governance, the local governments are not yet able to meet the resource needs
owing to the challenges as mentioned above.

Let us understand the issues and challenges given below:

 Gender Imbalance
 Lack of Citizen Awareness
 Lack of Adequate Capacity Building Training
• Geo-spatial mapping of resources at village level;
• Scientific collection of citizen feedback on public services at a large scale;
• Involvement of multiple stakeholders with the community;
• Documentation of governance innovations by local people; and
• Security and privacy of sharing of ward level data.