Good Governance 3

Governance
In
India
CREATE BRAND MARKET
www.creatingdemand.org Copyright 2013-2014 Presentation by: Sachin Bansal
Democratic governance

“Good governance is perhaps the single most
important factor in eradicating poverty and
promoting development.”
- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Section I: Changing Contours of Governance
‘Why attempts at reforms did not succeed’.
Section II: The Judiciary and the Civil Society
Section III: What can be done? Ancient wisdom
beacons!
Introduction
Introduction Good governance

 India did not discard the British system of governance
after Independence. Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel
thought it prudent . Mahatma Gandhi and many others
disagreed.
However, hindsight does raise a question whether India
committed a mistake in the name of pragmatism and
prudence.
The bureaucracy adapted reasonably well to the new
role of administering economic development and worked
in tandem with the political leadership.
Democratic governance for development was the
clearly stated goal. However, in spite of a good beginning
things went awry. WHY?
Changing contours of the Government
www.creatingdemand.org
Changing contours of the Government Democratic gove
Copyright 2013-2014 Presentation by: Sachin Bansal

The theorem that power corrupts has been validated in
India.
The need for administrative reforms was felt
continuously.
 Setting up of Administrative Reforms Commission in
1966
 Management Orientation in Rajiv Gandhi’s Period
The Age of economic reforms

NDA Government
The NDA Government, when it came to power,
launched its own agenda of reforms. Interestingly the
new government accepted the need for economic
reforms initiated by the previous government and pushed
it into the second generation with greater vigor, the
‘swadeshi’ opposition from within BJP and outside,
notwithstanding.
 The Conference of Chief Secretaries on ‘An Agenda
for an Effective and Responsive Administration’ in
November 1996 inaugurated by the Prime Minister A. B.
Vajpayee was one of the landmarks of the efforts of NDA
Government on the administrative reforms front. A
national debate was called to elicit the views of different
sections of Indian society.
 The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
Grievances (DARPG) prepared a comprehensive
document containing a 9-point action plan.

The 9-point action plan talked of a citizens’ charter and an
accountable administration;
 An effective and speedy public grievance redressal system;
Empowerment of elected local bodies in rural and urban areas
and decentralized delivery of services;

Review of the laws, regulations and procedures;
 Transparency and right to information;
 Access of the public to information from public offices and
creation of facilitation counters;

 Code of ethics for public services;
 Action for tackling corruption and cleansing the administration;
and stability of tenure and a scheme for civil services boards.
Yet, the Government has not really moved beyond framing
rules and regulations.

Why do recommendations for reforms not result in
reforms in practice? There is no dearth of analyses.
A good amount of literature has been produced on
‘Good Governance’ .To quote just one here by [Basu
(1998), p. 673]: “The paradoxical absence of any long-
term impact of the administrative reforms … can only be
explained by our preoccupation with forms, facades,
intentions and rituals…. Whenever decisions involve
replacing any old system for the new, inertia continues to
operate strongly against such change. This has been the
fate of committees and commissions and task forces
appointed from time to time – many of whose reports are
either not read or not considered for years.”
Nonetheless, the disease is more complicated than the
diagnosis suggests.

 The Supreme Court and state high courts have been a
cornerstone of India’s democracy.
 The ray of hope is that the judiciary has so far
maintained its independence.
 It has occasionally adopted rather an activist role to
help defend the citizens’ fundamental rights, safeguard
environment and other public goods, and has tackled
cases pertaining to accountability and corruption in the
executive.
The synergy of courts, civil society, and reform-minded
people including retired judges has effectively advanced
these causes.
While the public at large has appreciated the judicial
activism, some sections of the power elite do not agree
with the approach. A lively debate is on as regards the
judicial activism.
Judiciary & Civil Society
Judiciary & Civil Society Rights

Yet, all is not well with the judiciary.
 Undoubtedly, the delay at the doors of justice is
extremely worrying. ‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’
 In addition, the cost factor plays its role of the villain of
the piece. Even if ‘satyameva jayate’ (the truth must
ultimately win) is true, it is too costly to afford.
 Further, it is known that court justice and rule of law do
not reach the remote areas.
Worse still, reports in the media regarding the
undesirable acts of lawyers, judges and other officials of
judiciary are turning out to be too many and too serious to
be ignored.
The suspicion that the courts of justice too may not be
above board is gaining ground.

Civil society organizations and social movements might
be making minor ripples, not major dents.
Indeed, all is not well also with the organizations that
stand for social cause. Some of these organizations are
genuine and effective. Of the rest, some suffer from
dysfunctions of the government type, some from
dysfunctions of the private sector type and some others
from both the types.
In view of their size and numbers and the above listed
problems the need for professional management of these
organizations is being increasingly recognized.
Some of these organizations have already gone for
professional management and with good results in terms
of improved efficiency and effectiveness [Indian
Management, “Theme / Non Profits”, (April, 2003), pp.
35-51]

Why does all this happen? Analysts agree that it is
primarily due to lackadaisical attitude of the politicians,
bureaucrats, and others. Proper attitude/mindset is sine
qua non of good governance. What can be done to mould
the mindset? Behavioral scientists, particularly those
concerned with improving performance of managers in
the corporate sector, have discovered that although there
is a genetic component to attitude but nurture also can
play a role. Based on extensive researches, modern
behavioral scientists claim that mindset can be changed.
They have tried to operationalize the rather abstract
concepts of mindset and attitude in terms of what is
known as emotional intelligence (EI). For an excellent
reference, see Daniel Goleman [1998].
What can be done
What can be done Analysis

EI has five components:
 Self–awareness – defined as the abiity to recognize and
understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their
effects on others. Its hallmarks are self-confidence, realistic self -
assessment, and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
Self-regulation – defined as the ability to control or redirect
disruptive impulses and moods; the propensity to suspend
judgement – to think before acting. Its hallmarks are trustworthiness
and integrity, comfort with ambiguity, and openness to change.
Self-motivation – defined as a passion to work for reasons that go
beyond money and status; a propensity to pursue goals with energy
and persistence. Its hallmarks are a strong drive to achieve,
optimism, even in the face of failure and organizational commitment
.
Empathy – defined as the ability to understand the emotional
makeup of other people; skill in treating people according to their
emotional reactions. Its hallmarks are expertise in building and
retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity and service to clients and
customers.
Social skill – defined as proficiency in managing relationships
and building networks; an ability to find common ground and build
rapport. Instruments to measure emotional intelligence quotient (EQ)
empirically are now available although these are expensive.

What can be done

An encouraging aspect of the EQ is that it can be enhanced
through proper training. But, there is a caveat.
Attitude is born in the neurotransmitters of the limbic system of
the brain. The limbic system governs feelings, impulses and
drives.
The other part of the brain is neocortex that governs analytical
and technical abilities. The focus of most of the training
programs, workshops, conferences and seminars intended to
improve efficiency and effectiveness of governance has been the
neocortex. Thus, such programs would develop technical and
analytical ability, increase awareness and knowledge, improve
grasp of concepts and logic.
However, they would bring little change in the mindset and
attitude. In fact, the programs that operate on neocortex might
even be counter-productive. The interventions that aim at
attitudes, feelings, impulses and drives should be specially
designed to operate through the limbic system.
The task is not easy and requires individualized approach,
motivation, extended practice and feedback.
What can be done

It may be apt to mention here that what the behavioral scientist
have discovered through modern scientific methods was also
visualized in Shrimadbhagavadgita.
 Arjuna tells Krishna:“Chanchalam hi manah Krishna pramathi
balawaddridham. Tasyaham nigraham manye vayoriva
sudushkaram.”(Mind is volatile and too powerful to mould. It is
like changing the direction of a mighty wind).
 In response, Krishna agrees with Arjuna, but exalts
him:“Asanshayam mahabaho mano durnigraham chalam.
Abhyasen tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grihyate.” (No doubt,
mighty one! the mind is volatile and difficult to mould. However, it
can be moulded through right practice with detachment).
 The DARGP Document referred to above desired a strong
message to be conveyed that
‘administration is for the people and not for the public servants
themselves’, and that ‘public servants should realize that
efficiency will be measured not in terms of what the services
purport to offer, but in terms of public satisfaction’.
What can be done

Those could be conveyed effectively, as explained above, only
through programs that operate on limbic system and not on
neocortex.
The Document talks of code of ethics and value systems. The
programs aimed at enhancing EQ would convince the
participants that these codes are meant to improve their own
performance and thereby their prestige in society. That is
possible only through motivation (not preaching or lecturing) and
extended practice and feedback.
Indeed, the task is enormous in view of the number of
behavior therapists with the kind of rare psychological expertise
required of them, the amount of time and money involved.
It would also be quite useful to involve spiritually oriented
secular individuals/ organizations in the process.
Some psychologists have also started talking about spirituality
quotient (SQ) on the lines of EQ as a determinant of success in
practical life.
What can be done

Quite a few individuals/organizations are busy on their own
initiative and in their own way to train people in self-awareness,
self-regulation, self-motivation (where craving for money and
status are considered obstacles rather than motivators in self-
development) and empathy. And they are effective. Patanjali’s
Yoga-Darshana [undated] consists of a highly developed science
and art of emotional intelligence.
 Quite a few other scriptures scientifically deal with the subject.
Modern methods developed in the West and the ancient Indian
wisdom can be judiciously combined.
Secularism and spirituality are not antonyms.
Werner Heisenberg, a great German scientist whose principle
of uncertainty brought revolution in the world of physics said to
one of his Indian students in 1975, “You know, in the West we
have built a large ship. It has all the comforts in it, but one thing
is missing: it has no compass and does not know where to go.
Men like Tagore and Gandhi and their spiritual forebears found
the compass. Why can this compass not be put in the ship so
that both can realize their purpose?”
What can be done

While the Indian leaders are busy building the ‘ship’, they do
not seem to bother about the compass. “Anekachittavibhranta
mohajalasamavritah Prasaktah kamabhogeshu patanti narake
ashuchau” (Confused by numerous alternative thoughts,
enveloped in the mesh of delusion and addicted to the
enjoyment of sensuous pleasures they fall into foulest hell) says
Shrimadbhagavadgita [Chapter 16, Shloka 16].
Is it that the addiction to sensuous pleasures and unending
efforts to amass material wealth to afford the multitude of
sensuous pleasures is the real problem!
What can be done

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Enhancing business profitability

SACHIN BANSAL- Chief Explorer
INDIA : +91 97111 90192
sb@creatingdemand.org
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Good Governance 3

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