Mentors Comment:

Don’t get confused with the language of the question! To simplify it, here is the rephrased version:

• What ails the citizen centric administration of modern India?
• How to improve it?

Now the problem is given straightforward in the statement of the question: WE HAVE A MODERN ECONOMY BUT THE LAWS ARE QUITE OLD WHILE BUREAUCRACY IS NOT IN THE SYNC WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE MODERN TIMES AND ECONOMY.

So your discussion will revolve around this them which is given in CAPSLOCK above.

The first part of the discussion will entail the first bullet point, i.e. what is the problem in citizen centric admin of India? The first few points will be based on the points that I gave you: outdated law and old bureaucracy. Apart from that, red tapism, attitude, lack of accountability will be the key highlights.

The bigger focus of the answer will be the discussion on the second bullet point which is in short the way forward of the question.

For this answer, reading of report on citizen centric administration from 2nd ARC report is a must. It is anyway must for paper 2 and 4 of the GS but on this particular question, you will get great help from that report.

In the intro, discuss why India got heavy bureaucracy after independence how it became a problem later on. In the conclusion, do mention some of the steps that governments have taken for citizen centric administration like RTI, use of ICT and e-Governance etc. It will be positive for your answer.

 

Model Answer:

India being a newly independent country with huge task of poverty alleviation, illiteracy, infrastructure building demanded goal oriented, result oriented development administration. This administration would bring development closer to the people and empower them to realize their full potential. But even after sixty years, there seems to lack of urgency in the administration to bring faster, needed and citizen centric development to people.

Why this slow progress in administration:

• Colonial hangover where tendency was of centralization.
• Attitude where service delivery was seen as a favor than the duty.
• Lack of administrative development.
• Delay in the decision making.
• Politicization of administration.
• Lack of stability of tenure.
• Lack of Accountability
• Low levels of Awareness of the Rights and Duties of Citizens
• Ineffective Implementation of Laws and Rules
• Outdated rules in present context. The police law was enacted in 1861 and modern police administration follows these laws. IPC was also enacted
• The mindset of bureaucracy is still reeling of 20th century’s Indian demands.They still consider themselves as Bada babu or rulers rather than public servant. They are rule oriented rather than being result oriented.
• Hence they are not in sync with the modern economy or requirement of citizens.

How to get a citizen centric administration of 21st Century India:

• First of all, in 21st century India, rules of 19th century would not work. Hence a sound legal framework, in sync with today’s requirements, is needed.
• A dynamic society requires constant updating of existing laws as also enactment of new laws to meet emergent needs and challenges, so that the welfare, protection and development needs of citizens is fully met. IPC and police act should be amended.
• A modern economic society depends upon increasingly complex interactions among private entities and these interactions can be efficiently performed only if legal rights are clear and legal remedies for enforcing these rights are swift.
• A sound legal system and a robust institutional mechanism need to be buttressed by ensuring that competent and motivated personnel run the system in order to provide a vibrant citizen centric administration.
• For that accountability, efficiency and fresh ideas is required from the bureaucracy.
• Transparency and Right to Information are an essential pre-condition for citizen centric administration of 21st century India.
• Access to information empowers the citizens to demand and get information about public policies and programmes
• It makes the bureaucracy more accountable and helps to strengthen participatory democracy and citizen centric governance.
• The corrupt or inefficient bureaucrats should be identified and sent home through service rules and guidelines.
• With some precautions, lateral entry at certain specialist posts must be welcomed.
• Infuse more and more technology into every touch point where a citizen interacts with the government.
• Progressive interventions to make administration more result-oriented.
• Further empower the citizen through citizens’ charter and strengthening citizen centric decision making.

Recent developments like simplification of IT Returns, GST, RTI, opening up of some posts for lateral entry, use of ICT in various sectors of economy by governments, changes in the outdated laws through law commission and amendments, facilitation of e governance in rural India etc show that governments have been moulding Indian administration to the tune of 21st century citizens and economy.

Principle of good governance demands that development administration must bring transparency, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, participation in the administration. Fulfillment of these principles would lead to the bringing citizen at the core of development where 21st century Indian administration would be working to serve the need of the citizens according to latest rules and latest mindframe.