Poor governance in India: Serious drawbacks part-1
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary.
Governance relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. In the case of business or of non-profit organization it relates to consistent management, cohesive policies, processes and decision-rights for a given area of responsibility.
In terms the government "governance" is what a "government" does. It might be a geo-political government (nation-state), a corporate government (business entity), a socio-political government (tribe, family, etc.), or any number of different kinds of government. But governance is the kinetic exercise of management power and policy, while government is the instrument (usually, collective) that does it.
The term government is also used more abstractly as a synonym for governance, as in the Canadian motto, "Peace, Order and Good Government". The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put "governance" means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). As said, governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance. In fact, Governance is linked with collective decisions, and, hence, it falls within the domain of Welfare Economics, and most of the theories of Welfare Economics are highly useful for Good Governance.
We shall look at the kind of governance that has existed in India, and that exists even now. Governance can be bad, and it can also be good. Bad governance is regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Good governance has 10 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. Besides, it is also linked with education, healthcare and hygiene. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.
1. Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives.
2. There are several role players and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community
3. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law.
4. Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.
5. Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all role players within a reasonable timeframe, and that that it creates an effective response all over.
6. Good governance means that processes and institutions produce effective and efficient results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.
7. A society’s well being depends on equity and inclusive issues that ensure that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.
8. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.
9. Good governance also requires that the majority of the nationals are literate, not only at the minimal level, but at the optimal level. Education has to be quality-oriented, and not only quantity-oriented.
10. Healthcare and Hygiene are the basic instruments on the supply side of the economy.
