Current tools on Good Governance : 1.The development and promotion of new innovative capacity-building tools is among the Centre’s priorities. These tools take inspiration from the best of Ancient practice in Bharatham and enable the reinforcement and evaluation of local authorities’ capacities in a variety of areas. The tools are regularly revised and updated. 2. All interested bodies are encouraged to use the tools, provided that the copyright is respected, qualified and certified by the Centre experts are used, and the Centre is informed. The Centre can provide assistance in the tools’ adaptation, implementation and training of national experts.

OPINION
      31/03/2019
               1745.

SUB : Current tools on Good Governance  :

1.The development and promotion of new innovative capacity-building tools is among the Centre’s priorities. These tools take inspiration from the best of Ancient  practice in Bharatham and enable the reinforcement and evaluation of local authorities’ capacities in a variety of areas. The tools are regularly revised and updated.

2. All interested bodies are encouraged to use the tools, provided that the copyright is respected, qualified and certified by the Centre experts are used, and the Centre is informed. The Centre can provide assistance in the tools’ adaptation, implementation and training of national experts. 

REF : WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE : United Nations Economic and Social Commission and the Pacific.

1. Introduction : 

Recently the terms "governance" and "good governance" are being increasingly used in development literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms that ensure "good governance" are undertaken. This article tries to explain, as simply as possible, what "governance" and "good governance" means. 

2 . Governance :

The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put "governance" means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international  national governance and local governance.

Since governance is the process of decisionmaking and the process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision.

Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other actors may include influential land lords, associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, finance institutions political parties, the military etc. The situation in urban areas is much more complex. Figure 1 provides the interconnections between actors involved in urban governance. At the national level, in addition to the above actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc. may play a role in decision making or in influencing the decision-making process.

All actors other than government and the military are grouped together as part of the "civil society." In some countries in addition to the civil society, organized crime syndicates also influence decision-making, particularly in urban areas and at the national level.

Similarly formal government structures are one means by which decisions are arrived at and implemented. At the national level, informal decision-making structures, such as "kitchen cabinets" or informal advisors may exist. In urban areas, organized crime syndicates such as the "land Mafia" may influence decision-making. In some rural areas locally powerful families may make or influence decision-making. Such, informal decision-making is often the result of corrupt practices or leads to corrupt practices.

3. Good Governance :

Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

4. Participation :

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Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand.

5. Rule of law :

Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.

6. Transparency :

Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media.

7. Responsiveness : 

Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. 

8. Consensus oriented :

There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the  goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community.

9. Equity and inclusiveness : 

A society’s well being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.

10. Effectiveness and efficiency : 

Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.

11. Accountability :

Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and the public and to their civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law

12. Conclusion :

From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality. 

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NOTE : THE REPORT CARD OF NDA  GOVERNMENT :  2014 - 2019. 

I. Modi’s good governance and economics have been blended with good politics : Arun Jaitley : 26 May, 2018 : The Print

II. From scam-free governance to economic stability, how Arun Jaitley sees Modi’s governance.

III. The NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to  complete five  years in office. 2019 is the election year.

1. The Change :

The preceding ten years of the UPA rule had unquestionably witnessed the most corrupt Government since Independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi created transparent systems through legislative and institutional changes which have given this country a scam-free governance. Unlike the UPA, the Prime Minister is the natural leader of both his party and the nation. We have witnessed a journey from indecisiveness to clarity and decisiveness. India has transformed from being a part of the “fragile five” to the “bright spot” on the global economic scene. A regime of policy paralysis has been transformed into one of decisions and actions. India, which was on the verge of becoming a “basket case” has today been transformed into the fastest growing major economy in the world and is likely to hold that position in the years to come. The country’s mood from despair has transformed into hope and aspirations. Good governance and good economics have been blended with good politics. The result of this has been that the BJP is more confident, its geographical base has become much bigger, its social base has expanded and its winnability has hugely increased. The Congress is in desperation without the perks of office. From the dominant party of Indian politics, it is moving towards the “fringe”, its political positions are not of a mainstream party but one usually adopted by “fringe” organisations. Fringe organisations can never hope to come in power. Its best hope lies in becoming a supporter of regional political parties. State level regional political parties have realised that the marginalised Congress can at best be either a junior partner or a marginal supporter. Karnataka had witnessed a telling example of this. A regional political party whose base at best is confined to a few districts was able to extract a Chief Ministership of the Congress to which the Congress meekly surrendered. It had even lost its bargaining capacity. It is today putting on a brave face in Karnataka where the losers are masquerading as a winner.

2. Scam-free Governance :

Prime Minister Modi has institutionalised a system where discretions have been eliminated. 

Discretion lead to abuse of power because they can be misused. Allocations of contracts, natural resources, spectrum and other Government largesse which were being distributed through discretions, are now allocated through a market mechanism. Laws have been changed. Leaders of the industry are no longer seen repeatedly visiting the South Block, the North Block or the Udyog Bhawan. Environmental clearance files don’t pile up. FIPB has been abolished.

For cleaning up the economy, India has to transform from a tax non-compliant society to a tax-compliant society. The enactment and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, the impact of demonetisation, effective tax compliance are all steps against black money, steps which are formalising the Indian economy. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has changed the lender-creditor relationship. The creditors no longer have to chase the debtors. If you cannot pay your creditors, you have to exit through a statutory mechanism.

3. The Social Sector Priority :

For the first time in history, the poor and the marginalised are holding bank accounts as part of the world’s largest financial inclusion programme. The MUDRA Yojana has made cheaper credit available to the weak and the marginalised. The biggest beneficiaries of this have been women, SC/ST, minorities and other weaker sections. Rural roads with a hugely increased expenditure are a success story. That every village must be connected with road and electricity, affordable rural housing, toilets and gas connections in all homes, are intended to change the quality of life in villages. The Crop Insurance Scheme and the Government’s decision that farmers must get 50 percent above cost are steps intended to eliminating agricultural distress. The UPA Government had sanctioned Rs.40,000 crores under MGNREGA but with budget cuts spent only Rs.29,000 crores. Today that expenditure has been doubled. Under Food Security Programme, the expenditure has been increased to Rs.1,70,000 crores to ensure cheaper food-grain availability to the eligible. On the healthcare front, the destiny of India’s poor will change when 40 percent families at the bottom of the ladder will get a treatment upto rupees five lakhs for hospitalisation at the cost of the Government scheme.

4. The Economic Management :

During the UPA Government, India had fallen off the global radar. In its initial years when the world economy was booming, India grew on the strength of global tailwinds. When the global situation became challenging, the UPA’s decisiveness and performance collapsed. The last two years of the UPA had witnessed substantially lower growth rates. From the very first year of NDA, India is the world’s fastest growing major economy with the highest GDP growth rates. This is also the global projection for the next few years.

The Current Account Deficit (CAD) saw an unprecedented 6.7 percent deficit in the year 2012-13. The NDA has consistently maintained a CAD of under 2 percent on an annualised basis. The poor economic management was visible when under the UPA fiscal deficits remained alarmingly high. The Government was spending more and earning less. We witnessed fiscal deficits of 5.8 percent, 4.8 percent and 4.4 percent in the UPA’s last three years. Having inherited the mess, the NDA, year after year, has brought it down to 3.5 percent and shall, this year, try and deliver a 3.3 percent fiscal deficit. The UPA’s economic management was such that even when fiscal deficits were high, expenditure cuts of over rupees one lakh crores were done in order to make fiscal deficit optically look slightly better. Cut in expenditure means cut in growth. During the NDA years, Revised Estimates of expenditure were always been higher than Budget Estimates. The UPA provided India in its last years an inflation figure upto 9 percent and at one stage even crossed into double digits. The NDA has tried to contain inflation and on most occasions has remained within the target of 3 to 4 percent. The poor economic management of the UPA resulted in the high cost of borrowing for the Centre and the State Governments. The bond yields had touched an incredible 9.12 percent in April, 2014. We have been, on an average, able to contain it between 6 to 7 percent with a low of 6.3 percent on one occasion and rarely in the 7 percent range only when global factors impacted either the currency or the crude prices.

From the last year of the UPA, the infrastructure expenditure to this year has increased by 134 percent during the current year. The Congress President must remember that taxes don’t go into the pocket of the Government. They go back to the people for better infrastructure, better social sector expenditure and poverty reduction programmes. The social sector expenditure has seen a substantial increase by both the Central and the State Governments. The road sector programmes has witnessed a 189 percent increase between the last year of the UPA and the current year of the present Government. Resources are transferred to the States with 42 percent devolution of taxes, Finance Commission grants and assistance through the CSS schemes. Notwithstanding the perpetual grumbling, last year of the UPA witnessed Rs.5,15,302 being transferred to the States. This year the proposed transfer is 145 percent higher and will be at 12,62,935. crores. This is over and above what the States earn from the GST where they have been constitutionally protected with a 14 percent annual increase. The States independently levy their own taxes.

Institutional changes thus being enacted and implemented are putting the Indian economy on a far stronger wicket.

5. The Fifth Year Debate :

As we enter the fifth year of the Government, the NDA’s priorities are clear. This will be our year of consolidation of the policies and programmes which we have implemented. In our Prime Minister, we have a strong leader with a mass appeal. His capacity to change India’s destiny is globally recognised. His insistence on integrity, his indefatigable capacity to work, his clarity of policy and direction, his boldness in taking steps in larger national interest gives the NDA a natural political advantage. Clarity and credibility are hallmarks of the NDA Government.

The last few days have witnessed a discussion about a “fictional alternative”. A group of disparate political parties are promising to come together. Some of their leaders are temperamental, the others occasionally change ideological positions. With many of them, such as TMC, DMK, TDP, BSP and the JD(S), the BJP has had an opportunity to share power. They frequently change political positions. They have supported the BJP claiming that it is in larger national interest and then turned turtle and oppose it in the name of secularism. These are ideologically flexible political groups. Stable politics is far from their political track record. Some amongst this disparate group have an extremely dubious track record of governance. Some leaders are maverick and others include those who are either convicted or charged with serious allegations of corruption. There are many whose political support base is confined to either a few districts or to a particular caste. To rule a large country like India through coalitions is possible but the nucleus of a coalition has to be stable. It must have a large size, an ideologically defined position and a vested interest in honest governance. A federal front is a failed idea. It was experimented under Shri Charan Singh, Shri Chandrasekhar and by the United Front Government between 1996-98. Such a front with its contradictions, sooner or later, loses its balance and equilibrium.

Indian community in china

Remembering 1996-98 as perhaps one of the worst period of governance, the aspirational India which today occupies the high table in the world shall never accept an idea which has repeatedly failed. History teaches us this lesson. Aspirational societies with vibrant democracies do not invite anarchy. A strong nation and the requirements of good governance abhor anarchy. The political agenda for the debate this year appropriately will be Prime Minister “Modi versus an anarchist combination”. The 2014 election conclusively established that in the New India chemistry will score over arithmetic when it comes to deciding the country’s destiny.

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OPINION :

PEOPLE OPINION ON MODI GOVERNMENT 5 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE 2014-2019

India should choose Mr. Narendra Modi in 2019 as the Prime Minister elections because of his power of execution in timely manner and ability to take decision at the right time.

We have proofs of above qualities by seeing his following works done and decisions by his whole team.

Leadership skills: He is guiding force for every Indian; for a 1st time we have a PM who gives the message to bring society together in various ways using #MannKiBaat Program

- Honest & Inspiring personality

- For NaMo it is always "India First"

- Best of all the other Indian politicians

- ZERO bomb blasts in the country

- Inflation is below 5% for the most part of the last 5 yrs

- National Security (Arms Procurement, Additional compensation, OROP, International Relations)

- No corruption in 4.5 yrs; not a single scam only Development continues

- Infrastructure boost (Waterways, Metro, Smart cities & north-east connectivity)

- Welfare schemes for poor (JAM, Ujjwala, Housing, Toilets)

- Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme

- IMP: Improved India's image from a scam-tainted country to the vibrant nation; thanks to his foreign travel

- Jan Aushadhi stores for cheaper medicines

- 10% Reservation for economically weaker section 

- Declassification of Subhash Chandra Bose #Netaji files

- Sardar Patel Statue

- Khelo India initiative to find young sports talent (nobody thought about this before)

- Massive push for Direct Benefit Transfer initiative (saved taxpayers money from middlemen and reduced time for development work)

- Promoting Yoga and got 100s of countries to commit for International Yoga Day

- Swachata was made a mission and inspires society to take it forward

- Dismantling the nexus of corrupt NGOs - Banned all illegal NGOs

- Fake directors, shell companies barred from operation

- The biggest number of ED, IT & CBI raids on corrupt during 2014-2019

- Black money bill, enemy property act, RERA bill shows his fight against corruption

- NPA was a huge problem, Modi solved it using IBC (huge recovery happening from all loan defaulters). Properties of loan defaulters seized are massive; which never happened before

- A surgical strike on Pakistan & Bodo Militants who attacked our armed forces

- Naxal affected districts reduced

- Huge push for solar and wind energy; leading the world now in renewable energy production

- Agreement with countries like Switzerland, Mauritius, Singapore and other countries making it difficult launder Black Money.

  LAST WORDS :

1. THE PRESENT POLITICAL PARTIES IN BHARATHAM : EXCEPT BJP, ALL OTHERS ARE NONSENSE, UNFIT, INEFFICIENT, DIVISIVE AND MANY MORE EVILS ...
2. ALL POLITICIANS ARE FOOLS, FROM CONGRESS , COMMUNISTS, ...ALL FAMILY LIMITED COMPANIES;
3. WE NATION LOVING CITIZENS DO NOT WANT TO ELECT ANY NONSENSE TO RULE BHARATHAM, FROM 2019 ONWARDS ..

JAY HIND
JAY BHARATHAM
VANDE MATARAM
BHARAT MATA KI JAY