Vision India 2025 - Issues of Governance

On Jan 12, 2012, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) held a round table discussion on the issues of governance. The discussion was held against the backdrop of an ongoing VIF project, Vision India 2025. A panel of eminent experts, including Mr. Vijay Kapoor, former Lieutenant Governor Delhi, Mr. Ajit Doval Director VIF, Ambassador PP Shukla Joint Director VIF, Ambassador Satish Chandra, Mr. CD Sahay, Mr. Trinath Mishra, among others, discussed a draft paper which was authored by Dr. M.N. Buch, Padmabhusan and a former civil servant. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Vijay Kapoor.

The discussion, which broadly covered the entire gamut of governance in India from a futuristic perspective, was kicked off by Mr CD Sahay, former Secretary R&AW and Distinguished Fellow at the VIF. He highlighted the broad objectives behind the foundation undertaking a project of this nature. It was succinctly highlighted through the discussion that while there is an overall need for reforms in the social, political, economic, and defence sectors, governance alone remains the keystone, which can ensure that reforms succeed in all other sectors.

It was brought out during the discussion that governance in India suffers from a whole range of systemic problems. The Director observed that over the past sixty years India has unmistakably moved away from system-based governance to personality-based governance. Looking over the horizon, he said that growing interplay between democracy and demography in India would further strain the issue of governance. He said that governance suffered from three sets of challenges: first, multiplication of the problem of governance; second, serious decline in the quality of people who govern, and finally, increasing political interference in governance. He laid emphasis on the fact that there is urgent need to prevent the system from decaying any further.

The discussants flagged their concerns about decision-making processes being unduly affected by unsavory political influences. It is unfortunate that legally empowered people are either hesitant to take decisions or they look over their shoulders while taking crucial decisions. There was general consensus across the table that civil services in India are in crying need for reform. The discussion also hovered around the weakened positions of Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers in an era of coalition politics, leading India being increasingly perceived as a soft state. In this context, the Westminster model of democracy and the weaknesses in the Constitutions were examined. While a major thrust of the discussion was on electoral reforms in India, the panelists were almost unanimous that government interventions in the execution of policies should be reduced to the barest minimum.

There was considerable back and forth on the issue of whether systems or individuals are the determinants of whether the governance is good, bad or indifferent. The general conclusion was that the system could be devised in such a way as to incentivise individuals to take the correct decisions in the public interest. It was largely agreed that decision-making process in India should be made IT-enabled, so that the process moves faster and in a more transparent manner. Another significant suggestion put forth by one of the panelists related to the need for educating the senior management level employees by holding regular workshops, making them aware of various legal provisions in the conduct of businesses. It was also felt that collective education of secretaries among various government departments would go a long way in inter-weaving the ministries.

The panelists made a number of key suggestions towards better governance which could find place in the final paper. However, it was largely agreed upon that recommendation made in the chapter on Governance should resonate with recommendations made in the other chapters of the ‘India Vision 2025’ document.

Report prepared by Mr. Sanjay Kumar