GOOD GOVERNANCE - ETHICS

News: Good governance beyond motherhood and apple pie

 

Good Governance:

       The World Bank, in 1992, in its Report 'Governance and Development' defined Good Governance as "The manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country's economic and social resources for development."

       The concept of Good Governance is not new to Indian Society. In ancient India, the King was bound by 'Rajadharma'. Even epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana speak of principles of Good Governance followed by the king.

       Good Governance, thus, remains the key to a participatory form of government wherein those called upon to rule on behalf of the people are driven by a desire to give their all to make their lives more livable.

 

Features of Good Governance:

       Provision of good education facilities that offers greater employability.

       Infrastructure development like roads, railways, telecom, etc.

       Ensuring safety of public life as well as property.

       Provision of citizen centric services.

       Reducing inequalities in society.

       Enlarging the sphere of freedom of speech and expression, religion and employment.

       Creating a healthy business environment.

       Maintaining law and order.

       Providing choices to the vulnerable sections of the population to lead a dignified life.

 

Stakeholders of Good Governance:

The stakeholders involved in ensuring good governance are as follows.

 

       State - It comprises the different organs of the government such as legislature, judiciary as well as the executive. It also comprises the other actors like political executive and bureaucracy.

 

       Market - It includes the corporate sector, the organized as well as the unorganized, ranging from large corporate houses to small scale businesses.

 

       Civil society - It includes NGOs, pressure groups, trade associations, media associations.

 

Principles of Good Governance:

          The 8 good governance principles ensure that every individual has a rightful say in the decision making and the government is responsive to the present as well as the future needs of the society. The principles of good governance are:

 

1. Participation:

       Participation remains the key cornerstone of good governance.

       It can be ensured directly or through some intermediate institutions.

       It provides an opportunity to every individual to voice their opinion in the decisions of the government.

2. Transparency:

       The principle of transparency ensures that information related to the policy decisions are equally accessed by everyone.

       It also means that not only the information is accessible but is also provided in an easily understandable form through accessible media.

3. Rule of law:

       Rule of law implies that the legal framework in the country be enforced impartially.

       It also means protection rights of the vulnerable sections of the population.

4. Accountability:

       Accountability is the answerability of the government for its decisions.

       It facilitates the responsibility of the government to the public. Not only the government, but civil society and corporate groups too should be accountable to the public.

5. Responsiveness:

       The principle of responsiveness ensures that the services of government and institutions are available to the public within a reasonable time frame.

6. Consensus oriented:

       It ensures that decisions arrived at takes into account the interests of every stakeholder in the society.

       This ensures that the decision is accepted by everyone and is in the best interest of the whole community.

7. Equity and inclusiveness:

       Good governance should ensure justice, be it in terms of political, economic or social, for the community.

       It strives to bring about an inclusive society where everyone has the opportunities to climb the ladder of growth.

8. Effectiveness and efficiency:

       Good governance ensures that the processes and institutions produce results which meet the needs of the society by ensuring optimal utilization of the available resources.

 

Effective operation of the government remains the key to the success of everyone. In recent times when India is the third largest economy in the world, in PPP terms, and striving to achieve its goal of $5 trillion economy, there is a need to reformulate our national plan to give prominence to the Gandhian ideal of "Antodaya" in order to reestablish good governance in the country. Only when the institutions and processes become efficient and corruption free, can the country enjoy better per capita income, widespread literacy, decent health care, and a longer average life.