GOVERNANCE :ISSUESGOVERNANCE :ISSUES AND CHALLENGESAND CHALLENGES

OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMETO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF

CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION.

TO GIVE STUDENTS SOME IDEA ABOUT ISSUES LIKE DEVELOPMENT,ADMINISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

TO GIVE STUDENTS SOME GLIMPSE ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNANCE

TO AWARE THEM ABOUT VARIOUS GOVERNMENT INTITAIVES IN IMPROVING GOVERNANCE

THE PAPER WILL PROVIDE THE STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE AND INSIGHT OF GOVERNANCE.IT WILL HELP THEM BECOME MORE INFORMED AND EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLE AS CITIZEN

AREAS TO BE COVERED 1. GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE:CONCEPTS

2. GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

3. ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

4. LOCAL GOVERNANCE

5. GOOD GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES IN INDIA:BEST PRACTICES

1. GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE:CONCEPTS

WHAT IS GOVERNANCE?

ROLE OF STATE IN THE ERA OF GLOBALISATION

STATE, MARKET AND CIVIL SOCIETY DEBATE

CHALLENGES TO GOVERNANCE

WHAT IS MEANT BY GOVERNANCE?

Governance refers to "all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through laws, norms, power or language.

It relates to "the processes of interaction and decision-making among the actors involved in a collective problem that lead to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of social norms and institutions.

GOVERNMENT VS GOVERNANCEA government is a formal body invested with

the authority to make decisions in a given political system.

Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented).

The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other sectors of society.

Governance determines who has power, who makes decisions, how other players make their voice heard and how account is rendered

GOVERNANCE AND GLOBALISATIONThe Liberalisation and Globalisation

process is supposed to give primacy to market in meeting the needs of the people. So much so, the role of Government in the economic life of the people logically should come down which leads to reduce of government staff and machinery.

This further leads to diminishing the role of state and increased role of market forces in delivery of goods and services.

CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNNACEThe downsizing of the government and the

withdrawal of the state from certain areas of operation provide space for, and make way to, the civil society.

The civil society comprising various organizations of people meant to provide services is an outgrowth of the inadequacy or even the failure of the state to deliver some public goods and services on a scale required and at reasonable prices.

NGOs, which are another important constituent of the civil society, they have gone into a series of areas starting from organising the poor and looking after the welfare of the old, disabled, widows, and street children to provide health and education facilities, drinking water, better sanitation and such other basic needs in the rural and urban areas.

CHALLENGES TO GOVERNANCE

CorruptionCriminilastion of PoliticsRedtepismRacial ExclusionNepotismPopulation BurdenReligious Fundamentalism.

WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY THIS CHAPTER???IN UPSC NEW SYLLABUS G.S PAPER 2

DEALS WITH GOVERNANCE AND ISSUES.IN MAINS 2013 and 2014 MORE THAN 50

MARKS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM THIS TOPIC

IN PUBLIC ADD.MORE THAN 25 MARKS EVERY YEAR FROM THIS TOPIC

IT MAKES US WELL INFORMED ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

HELPS US IN DECISION MAKING AND PROACTIVE ROLE IN GOVERNANCE OF COUNTRY.

2. GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

CHANGING DIMENSIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCE

CHANGING DIMENSIONS OF DEVELOPMENTThe objective of India’s development strategy

has been to establish a socialistic pattern of society through economic growth with self-reliance, social justice and alleviation of poverty

India initiated planning for national economic development with the establishment of the planning commission

While the reasons for adopting a centrally directed strategy of development were understandable against the background of colonial rule, it, however soon became clear that the actual results of this strategy were far below expectations.

Between 1950 and 1990, India’s growth rate averaged less than 4 per cent per annum and this was at a time when the developing world, including Sub-Saharan Africa and other least developed countries, showed a growth rate of 5.2 % per annum.

The surge in oil prices triggered by the Gulf War in 1990 imposed a severe strain on a balance of payments already made fragile by several years of large fiscal deficits and increasing external debt.

Foreign exchange reserves dropped to $1.2 billion in 1991, barely sufficient for two weeks of imports and a default on external payments appeared inevitable.

The reform process began in earnest only in July 1991. It was only in 1991 that the Government signaled a systemic shift to a more open economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of Government.

The reforms of the last decade and a half have gone a long way in freeing the domestic economy from the control regime. 

In the post-reform (since 1991) period, India has done well in some indicators such as balance of payments, resilience to external shocks, service sector growth.

Significant accumulation of foreign exchange, Information technology (IT) and stock market, improvements in telecommunications etc.

GDP growth was around 8 to 9% per annum . Investment and savings rates were quite high 32 to 36%.

The focus now is on inclusive growth whereby fruits of development are enjoyed by all people.

DEMOCRACY THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCEGood governance is the process whereby public

institutions conduct public affairs, manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption, and with due regard for the rule of law.

Democracy is also basically about citizen participation, rule of law, rights of citizens. Democracy and good governance are interlinked.

Democracy leads to good and effective governance

According to the United Nations, Good Governance has following eight characteristics. 

Consensus orientedParticipatoryFollowing the rule of lawEffective and efficientAccountableTransparentResponsiveEquitable and inclusive

Why Do we Need to Study this?MAKES US AWARE ABOUT ECONOMIC

POLICIES OF COUNTRY AND ITS POST INDEPENDENCE DEVELOPMENT

GIVES US IDEA ABOUT GOOD GOVERNANCE IMPORTANT FOR ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS

PAPER3 OF UPSC IS ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEARLY 80-100 MARKS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EVERY YEAR

ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCEHUMAN –ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONPARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE

3.ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

Environmental Governance is a concept in political ecology and environmental policy that advocates sustainability (sustainable development) as the supreme consideration for managing all human activities—political, social and economic.

It views natural resources and the environment as global public goods, belonging to the category of goods that are not diminished when they are shared

Key principles of Environmental Governance include:

Embedding the environment in all levels of decision-making and action

Conceptualizing cities and communities, economic and political life as a subset of the environment

Emphasizing the connection of people to the ecosystems in which they live.

Promoting the transition from open-loop/cradle-to-grave systems (like garbage disposal with no recycling) to closed-loop/cradle-to-cradle systems (like permaculture and zero waste strategies).

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

Human Environmental Interactions can be defined as interactions between the human social system and (the “rest” of) the ecosystem.

People modify the environment for their purposes and obtain benefits (Ecosystem Services) from it. 

These Ecosystem Services are essential for human well-being and include for example the provision of resources like water, timber, food, energy, information, land for farming and many more. Obviously by using these resources people affect the environment in a lot of ways.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT"Sustainable development is development

that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts:

the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and

the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."

Why to study this paper??MOST IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR ANY

COMPETETVIVE EXAM IN CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

IN UPCS PRE 20-30 MARKS FROM ENVIRONMENT

IN MAINS ONE FULL TOPIC ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN GS3 PAPER

FOCUS OF WORLD IS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE SO LOT OF SCOPE FOR FUTURE STUDIES

4. LOCAL GOVERNANCEGrassroot democracy is must for

participative democracy and informed citizenship.

Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi was great advocate of grassroot democracy

Constitution of country under Article 40 emphasises for Panchayti Raj system.

LOCAL GOVERNANCE

73rd and 74th amendment acts were landmark acts in the development of local governance.

These acts have led to the empowerment of women as over one million women have been elected.

It has led to the strengthening of democracy and increased people’s participation particularly of underprivileged sections of society.

WHY THIS UNIT??IT MAKES US AWARE ABOUT LOCAL

ISSUES AND THE GRASSROOT LEVEL GOVERNANCE.

IT ENHANCES OUR PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE OF COUNTRY.

ONE OF THE BASIC TOPICS OF CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS.

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNANCE MAKES CITIZENS MORE DEMANDING AND ARTICULATE ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS

5. GOOD GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES IN INDIA :BEST PRACTICESPUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY

E-GOVERNANCE

CITIZEN CHARTER

RIGHT TO INFORMATION

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERYPublic service is a service which is provided by government to

people living within its jurisdiction, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing provision of services.

Statutory laws which guarantee time bound delivery of services rendered by the Government to citizens have been passed by many states and they also provide mechanism for punishing the errant public servant who is deficient in providing the service stipulated under the statute.

 Some of the common public services includes issuing caste, birth, marriage and domicile certificates, electric connections, voter’s card, ration cards, copies of land records, etc

Government is increasingly focus on improving the service delivery. Digital India campaign, E-governance are seen to be means of improving service delivery and cutting corruption and time.

RIGHT TO INFORMATIONLandmark act in ensuring transparency and accountability

of governmentBulwark against corruptionCitizens become part of government functioning by having

more information about the process of government functioning.

CITIZEN CHARTERA citizens' charter represents the commitment of the

organisation towards :

Standard, quality and time frame of service delivery.

Grievance redress mechanism.

Transparency and accountability

Most of central departments have come out with citizen charters

E-GOVERNANCE E-governance is the applicatio of information and communication

technology (ict) for delivering government services, exchange of information communication transactions, integration of various stand-alone systems and services between

Government-To-Customer (G2C), Government-To-Business (G2B), Government-To-Government (G2G)

As well as back offices processes and interactions within the entire

government framework .

Through e-governance, government services will be made available to citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner.

E-Governance is the future, many countries are looking forward to for a corruption free government.

The essence of E-Governance is to reach the beneficiary and ensure that the services intended to reach the desired individual has been met with.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYA company’s sense of responsibility towards the

community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates. 

The concept of CSR rests on the ideology of give and take. Companies take resources in the form of raw materials, human resources etc from the society. By performing the task of CSR activities, the companies are giving something back to the society.

CSR aims to embrace responsibility for corporate actions and to encourage a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders including consumers, employees, investors, communities, and others.

Section 135 of the Companies Act OF 2013 has made CSR mandatory for companies.

The threshold limit for applicability of the CSR to a Company i.e.

(a) net worth of the company to be Rs 500 crore or more;

(b) turnover of the company to be Rs 1000 crore or more;

(c) net profit of the company to be Rs 5 crore or more.

Why this unit?MAKES US AWARE ABOUT

CONTEMPORARY ISSUESWHAT IS LATEST IN THE GOVERNANCE

OF COUNTRY?ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS

ASKED BY UPSCIN MAINS 2013 DIRECT QUESTIONS ON

CITIZEN CHARTER ,CSR ETC WERE ASKED

CORE AREA OF PAPER 4 IN UPSC (ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE)

IMPORTANT FOR DAY TO DAY KNWOLEDGE ABOUT COUNTRY