Keyword : Governance

Bihar’s famous aloo and infamous democratic farce play out as state slips

As one gets down at Patna airport, a billboard featuring Bihar chief minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi and agriculture minister Narendra Singh greets you with a bizarre proclamation – ‘bring o

Delhi war raises issues of decency in governance & insulating officials

The powerful have to have a necessary quality, restraint. But in the Delhi drama, most lacking aspects are restraint and decency in governance. The tussle between Delhi chief ministe

Blunt Ratan Tata speaks of flaws in governance in India

Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has questioned the basic of governance and sought to redefine it in the post-liberalisation India. He was also at pain to explain how weak enforcement of rule

India wants digital revolution and m-governance in every hand: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while calling technology as simple and a brilliant way to serve people, he declared that India is yearning for a digital revolution and m-governance is about governanc

M-governance is about monitoring big time announcements

"Digital India" meet on July 1 turned out to an investment meet as the captains of the industry announced in 150 seconds allotted to each one of them how much investment they are going to

Prime minister gets 55,000 calls on better governance

Prime minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged that 55,000 people had made phone calls to give suggestions on better governance. These 55,000 calls came from all parts of India, from Siachen in the

Budget in nutshell: Governance and ease of doing business

* A Task Force has been constituted for rationalisation of human resources in various Ministries. * Comprehensive review and rationalisation of Autonomous Bodies.

Budget in nutshell: what Jaitley proposes for affordable housing

* 100% deduction for profits to an undertaking in housing project for flats upto 30 sq. metres in four metro cities and 60 sq. metres in other cities, approved during June 2016 to March 2019 and co

Budget in a nutshell: Financial sector reforms

* A comprehensive Code on Resolution of Financial Firms to be introduced. * Statutory basis for a Monetary Policy framework and a Monetary Policy Committee through the Finance Bill 2

Farmers to be introduced to online agri-wholesale market on April 14

Finance minister Arun Jaitely, presenting the budget 2016-17 on Monday, said that the national agriculture marketing (NAM) e-platform will be launched on the birth anniversary of Dr. Baba Saheb Amb

Budget 2016 neglects interests of farmers, say activists

A panel of civil society activists campaigning for right to food, education, rural employment, maternity and pension entitlements, has said that the 2016-17 budget does not serve the interest of fa

Under Modi rule, RTI rejection rate goes up

Major findings from the aggregated statistics: Trends in RTI statistics reporting: Only 2,030 public authorities under the government of India regis

Governance Now journalist wins TB reporting award

Special correspondent Sonal Matharu’s incisive reportage on how tuberculosis and silicosis are silently killing people in a Jharkhand village (

Employment a top priority for Tamil Nadu voters

Agriculture loans, employment and electricity for agriculture are the three top priorities for rural voters in Tamil Nadu. This was inferred from a survey conducted by non-political organisation, A

Delhi tops in essential infrastructure, Odisha at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in k

Mizoram tops in social protection, Bihar at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in k

What Chennai voter wants: above all, the odd-even scheme!

When people of Chennai go out to vote for the next state government on May 16, what will be the issues top most in their minds? Curiously, they will be thinking less about jobs, ‘good governa

Manipur tops in women and child development, Jharkhand at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the publi

Manipur tops in preventing crime and maintaining law & order, Haryana at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance and came out with ‘Public

Meghalaya tops in delivery of justice, Jharkhand at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in k

Arunachal Pradesh tops in preservation and conservation of environment, Uttarakhand at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance and came out with ‘Public

Kerala tops in transparency and accountability, Arunachal Pradesh at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance and came out with ‘Public

Delhi tops in fiscal management, Himachal Pradesh at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance and came out with ‘Public

Gujarat tops in economic freedom, Meghalaya at the bottom

The Public Affairs Centre, a not for profit organisation, assessed states and union territories using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance and came out with ‘Public

Mis-governance in Mathura

The Uttar Pradesh government has acknowledged its failure of operational lapses for the violence that erupted in Mathura on May 2. That, however, is not enough. An armed clash that broke out betwee

Delhi CM`s urban leadership fellows programme launched

The Delhi government has launched an initiative that provides an opportunity to young leaders from across the country to work within the state government to address pressing urban challenges.

India still to go a long way in achieving global nutrition targets

Over the last decade, momentum around nutrition has been steadily building: in 2012, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the 2025 Global Targets for Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition.

Inflation hits people, prices of pulses go sky high

That time of the year has come again when basic commodities try to shrug off their ‘basic’ tag. Providing sudden unrest to the public’s budget, this trend is invariably seen every

Disclose ministry progress card every month: Cab sectt

The cabinet secretariat has issued a circular asking ministries and departments to disclose monthly reports of work done by them. Acting on a central information commission (CIC) dec

Good governance as basic human right

We must discuss the fundamental issues of governance affecting the day-to-day life of the people, find out the drawbacks and try and show the way forward, believes justice HL Dattu, chairperson, Na

RTI activism: A few fearless, good people

Bhupendra Vira, a 60-year old RTI activist, was killed in cold blood in Mumbai. His chilling murder shows the severity of threat faced by RTI activists across the country, with those being exposed

Case for synchronising election cycles

Since public memory is woefully short, it may not be common knowledge that general elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held simultaneously initially – in 1951, 1957, 1962 an

Possibilities and challenges of simultaneous elections

The debate over holding simultaneous elections in the country, i.e. conducting both general and state elections at the same time, has of lately taken flight. Last year, the Standing Committee on Pe

1,87,974 RTI cases still pending: Study

As many as 1,87,974 right to information (RTI) cases in the 16 information commissions were pending till December 2015, reveals a study. While there is a logjam in the disposal of appeals and compl

Simultaneous polls will reduce expenditure

Prime minister Narendra Modi made the suggestion for holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections at the all-party meeting ahead of the parliament session. The Standing Comm

The pawn is gone: Najeeb Jung quits

Najeeb Jung, a key player in the battle between the Narendra Modi government at the centre and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal government, sprung a surprise and quit as lieutenant governor on Thursda

J&K RTI Act: Poor state of affairs even after eight years

The J&K Right to Information Act (J&K

Reform first, privatise later: Bibek Debroy to railways

Before privatisation and corporatisation, the Indian Railways need to undertake major reforms including commercial accounting, decentralisation and human resource among others, said Bibek Debroy, e

Civil services day: Administrating administration

Civil services day observed on April 21 every year is according to the government “an occasion for the civil servants to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizens and renew their commitm

Good grassroot governance

The success of a democracy is dependent on informed and active citizens. Over the years, a lot of emphasis has been laid on promoting citizen participation in local governance. Many platforms have

RTI rejection rate high in public sector banks

Ever since the Reserve Bank of India-appointed P J Nayak Committee submitted a report blaming RTI as one of the constraints on the governance of public sector banks (PS Banks) in May 2014, Commonwe

Automation replacing workforce; fighting malnutrition; new mental health law

At Raymond Limited’s modern textile facility in Vapi, whenever a supervisor has to check up on the looms, he doesn’t go walking around the factory floor asking the workers. He just look

Beyond either-or, a new mode of governance

Several myths surround empowerment of women. A popular, cultural myth in India is that women cannot handle money and power, just as men cannot take care of children. However, when women are asked w

What India needs to do to finally become a superpower

For the past 25 years, India has been rising in stature. It is continually called an upcoming superpower but has been unable to reach the promised status. India’s importance in the world is m

It’s absurd. But, its the big babu’s order

From asking whether a woman employee is a virgin to ordering rakhi to be tied in office, some orders confirm your suspicion that everything is not all right in government offices. No wonder governa

Governance in India: 70 years and counting

India began her tryst with destiny almost seventy years ago, in the midnight intervening 14th and 15th August 1947. The country the British left behind was but a collection of over 600 native state

Chennai looks at integrated governance

 Chennai’s public health system would work ‘more intelligently’ during natural disasters or spread of diseases, said an official.  Public health measures durin

Experts should govern India, not elected officials: Pew

Roughly two-thirds of Indians say a good way to govern the country would be experts, not elected officials, making decisions according to what they think is best for the nation. India is one of onl

Modi’s popularity linked to his handling of domestic issues: Pew

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s growing popularity can in part be traced to public satisfaction with his handling of domestic issues, said Pew Research Centre in its latest report.

Indians want more military force in Kashmir: Pew

When it comes to dealing with the disputed border regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian public favours an aggressive stance, said the Pew Research Center, a US based think-tank. A

What a possible jolt in Gujarat can mean for governance

As of writing, there are only leads, and the gap between the BJP and the Congress is somewhat increasing. Yet, it looks like a close battle – not what all the exit polls had forecast.

On Good Governance Day, let’s consider the case of half of India!

Seventy years of independence and the questions and issues raised have not changed and the most astounding fact is that neither are the answers! So this Good Governance Day (December 25), as a woma

A tale of two verdicts shows Modi is no control freak

 It is the story of the exoneration of A Raja and the conviction of a metaphorical raja (Lalu Prasad used to call himself a raja of Bihar) that reveals a complex web of governance in India.

Let the youth help in governance

 India is the largest democracy and the second largest populated country in the world. One-third of its population belongs to the youth in the age group of 15-29. Youth is a transition period

A third of chief ministers have criminal cases: ADR

A staggering 35 percent out of all 31 chief ministers analysed from state assemblies and union territories 11 chief ministers have declared criminal cases against themselves, said Association for D

Chief secy controversy yet again exposes AAP’s political immaturity

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for all its talk of high ideals, had an image problem right from its inception: that it was a motley crew of politically naïve people. When the going was good, this

A people’s bureaucrat

In a country where a sense of entitlement comes naturally for a bureaucrat, if a civil servant – especially a veteran – displays even little bit of humility it is sure enough to garner

If you’re happy and you know it...

Finland has emerged as the world’s happiest country, as per the World Happiness Report 2018. The report has ranked 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 countries by the happiness

Reforming governance key to progress on SDGs in India

“Our ministry of rural development in the government of India is the nodal agency for SDG1 – ‘end poverty’. We have two main schemes in the ministry – Mahatma Gandhi N

Back to the business of governance, with economy as top priority

The elections, acrimonious as ever, are over. The results, predictable as ever in hindsight, are out. Now the elected leaders should get down to delivering what people have asked for. The election

The greatest challenge for any government

Shouting vengeance at all and sundry while wriggling out of holes of our own making seems to be our very special national characteristic. Some recent instances are illustrative of this attribute. A

How India can make cities better, liveable

The rankings for Indian cities in the latest Global Liveability Index, prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), should not have come as a surprise to us: the two cities that feature in th

Mumbai civic body invites urban designers to improve five streets

To redesign and make its streets safer and inclusive in a studio project, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has invited urban designers to join hands with its engineers so as to cr

PM to youth: with new decade, your time has come

The new year and the decade will be the time when India’s millennials will start contributing to the nation, Prime minister Narendra Modi has said in the outgoing year’s last broadcast

Delhi elections: accounting for intangibles away from banal nationalism and hyper nationalism

The party that came into existence on the intangible timeworn issue of corruption, transparency and increasing public investment through public savings is going on winning elections in Delh

Seeking religious aid in governance in India

India is known for its old and rich culture, and religion forms a substantial part of it. In India it is hard to find people who categorise themselves as atheists, unless we refer to the matrimonia

Control and execution of functions by city governments

Importance of strengthening city governance  Cities in India contribute to about 60% of the economic output of the country, acting as the engines of economic growth [

COVID-19 demobilisation: Lessons for public governance

Demobilization, like its predecessor – demonetization, is another decision gone bad in implementation.  In both instances a careful public administrative action through its governance sy

Collective role of women elected representatives: A powerful instrument for good rural governance

Local governance is the base of rural development and comprises of mechanisms, process, and institutions through which citizen and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, me

Editor as the dictator

There’s so much denial around Narendra Modi in the media that we should be glad his opponents concede he exists in flesh and blood! It’s been nearly 13 years since Modi t

This Maharashtra district set up oxygen plants just ahead of the curve

Nandurbar, a tribal and hilly district in Maharashtra with a population of 20 lakh, is an unlikely contender for setting a precedent for the rest of India, but under the leadership of district coll

Aadhaar and surveillance as governance

Shivangi Narayan’s ‘Surveillance as Governance: Aadhaar, Big Data in Governance’ is a valuable addition to the literature on the new identification system that is changing the

Citizens Charter: How this less-known law empowers us

When consumer rights and RTI activist Mohammad Afzal was shifting to a new residence in a different area, he required changes in various documents. He decided to take the help of the Citizens Chart

Want to learn the art of politics? There’s a course for it

Twenty-five youngsters with dreams of becoming political leaders – or of contributing meaningfully to governance processes – have begun their exciting journey, in a formal setting of an

If Rahul is in race to prove himself a better Hindu, our efforts have paid off: Ram Madhav

Ram Madhav, a member of the RSS National Executive, has said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi proudly proclaiming to be a better Hindu is a welcome step and the opposition’s newfound claim t

Curious case of a mysterious Siddha Purusha of Himalayas

On February 11, 2022, a 190-page SEBI final order was issued in relation to governance issues at India’s largest stock exchange, National Stock Exchange (NSE), particularly during the tenure

Role of civil society organisations in governance and CSR

India has the largest share of the deprived and the marginalized among the 1.3 billion-plus, out of the 7.9 billion-plus inhabitants of the world, who are said to be living without shelter or basic

Good Government Index 2022: Miles to go before we sleep?

The Singapore-based Chandler Institute of Governance recently released its Good Government Index 2022. The Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) measures Government capabilities and outcomes across

A blueprint of India’s economic future: From a former RBI governor

From Dependence to Self-Reliance: Mapping India’s Rise as a Global Superpower By Bimal Jalan Rupa Publications, 184 pages, Rs 695 Bimal

How Antyodaya Saral is simplifying everyday life in Haryana

From obtaining an electricity connection to a driver`s licence, ration card, or old-age allowance, delivery of government schemes and services is an aspect of governance that impacts citizens at va

Bangladesh civil servants start training at Mussoorie centre

A two-week capacity building programme in the field administration for civil servants of Bangladesh was inaugurated at the Mussoorie-based National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) on Tuesday.

Azim Premji: An ‘Iconic Indian’ who is extraordinary businessman, philanthropist

Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals Who Inspired the Country By Sanjeev Sanyal and Rajesh Singh Rupa Publications, 360 pages, Rs 695  

Cleaning-up drive: Govt earns Rs. 254 crore from scrap disposal

Over Rs. 254 crore has been earned so far from disposal of scrap during a short period of three weeks of the ongoing Special Swachhta campaign 2.0, while 37.19 lakh square feet of space has been cl

Celebrating the Ganit of Protein!

“Why is the child growing?” is the question that bothers a lot many in the administration. The answer, to be honest, is to be discovered via science, and less via what we call ‘ef

Public grievances disposed, files weeded, space freed… and Rs. 17.50 crore earned

In pursuance of the decisions taken in the National workshop on 23.12.2022, DARPG published monthly report on “Secretariat Reforms” for January, 2023. The Report is available at

Corruption and Common Man: What needs to be done?

India has the highest overall bribery rate in the Asian region at 39%, and at 46%, the highest rate of citizens using personal connections to get work done, according to Transparency International.

The importance of Governance in ESG paradigm

The journey of ESG is a bridge from ‘qualitative change’ to a ‘measurable value’. ESG is the consideration of E-S-and-G non-financial issues, alongside financial factors, wh

Governance plunges new depths in Mumbai, Maharashtra

There has been a steady decline in governance in Maharashtra – sad for a state once known for its good administration. Political instability is only one of the factors. Nothing illustrates th

30 ministries, depts record 100% e-Receipts in April 2023

In pursuance of the decisions taken in the National workshop on December 23, 2022, DARPG published monthly report on “Secretariat Reforms” for April 2023. Key highlights

Enhanced MCA21 V3 Portal Paves the Way for Improved Corporate Governance

Corporate governance has always been a critical issue for businesses in India. As part of its ongoing digitalization drive, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) recently launched the latest vers

“India is one and indivisible”: Recalling Sardar Patel’s inspiring words

A Plain, Blunt Man: The Essential Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Edited by Urvish Kothari Aleph, 328 pages, Rs 799

Mumbai traffic: Let’s use some simple math

Two level of roads not enough, BMC to have triple traffic jams through underground junctions There is no shortage of short-sighted traffic experts who believe that creating

Lord Ram in the 21st century

India is celebrating the reinstating of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, his birthplace, after almost 500 years of politico-legal struggle. At the same time, politics is inevitable in a modern democracy; ironi

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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