Sunday, February 21, 2016

IMPACT OF CIVIL SERVICES IN DELIVERING GOOD GOVERNANCE


In today’s world,it is important for every nation to find efficient ways to find out how the economic growth can be accelerated and how benefits of growth and development can flow to the citizen in an effective manner. Governance issues and policies come to the centre stage while working out strategies for the above.The onus is on  civil servants to strengthen the public administration and delivering good governance.However ,while working as part of policy making ,it is important to understand the relationship between political executive and civil service.

The civil services provides an great opportunity that is full of challenges, opportunity to act as key player in the national growth process. Civil services has to maintain high moral and personal norms,honesty, incorruptibility.This not only bring good governance agenda on the centre stage but also enhances the reputation of all india services  as a steel frame which serves the country for its growth and prosperity.

The aspiration and expectations of citizens from the government system are of delivering of good services  of the highest order and thus the role of the civil servants becomes crucial and they need to work for the greater interest of the society and nation as whole.It is also necessary to address the widespread corruption and other issues which causes inconvenience faced by the people while availing public services.

The independence of civil service in giving advice in policy formulation and performing responsibilities is an important issue which has affected the operation of civil services in recent years.During the initial years of independence, relationship between the political executive and civil servants was of trust and non-partisan nature.But as the time passes,the relation between them turns into a master slave nature.

Delivering good governance is the prime responsibility of the civil services.But they face numerous problems and challenges while doing so.Some of the solutions to the challenges that bureaucracy faces today are as follow:-

  • The temptation to bypass the institution or to violate the process that institution expected to work through, needs to be strongly resisted.
  • Rules,regulations,institutional guidelines through which they need to operate to be constantly adapted according to the changing circumstances. This is critical to good governance.
  • Sufficient and accurate data collection and its critical analysis is the key in policy making.data is analysed and to get information which is used to expose certain ways that can lead to insights and it is insights which become the bedrock of strategy.
  • Fully aware through the knowledge and develop an analytical skill to assess and understand the issues is crucial for civil servant in decision making process.
  • Good governance is the fundamental right of the citizen and hence bureaucracy needs to identify the gaps in public service delivery and implementation schemes and suggest the changes to the government.
  • Bureaucratic sensitiveness  towards the needs of the poor especially SC/ST and minorities and other marginalized sections of the society and effective implementation of the programmes centred towards  their welfare is necessary to built an egalitarian society.

Some of the norms of conduct mentioned above will need a strong political will and consensus.Political class need to discuss all the needed reforms and their readiness to act on it as Sardar Patel had advised more than five decades ago.


This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

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