VAIBHAV SHARMA
Governance is the buzz word of today. You would have probably heard it from our Prime Minister or the NITI Aayog or in many of the government Slogans that have been given ample airtime across news channels in their discussions. Good governance is closely linked to the fight against corruption.
The true test of good governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights. Citing from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the concept of good governance has eight principles. Participation, Rule of law, Transparency. Responsiveness, Consensus oriented, Equity and inclusiveness, Effectiveness and efficiency and Accountability. But why all this attention? The answer lies in the role of governance in either making or breaking a society. Its potential to Either cure the ills of the society or become the very disease which can Destroy its fabric. Some might call this a bit too dramatic.But its role is Way too complex. Its relevance has been understood since the Beginning, as early as in the times of Kautilya, the author of Arthashastra, a 12 volume Sanskrit treatise which lays down the rules for governance to ensure a stable society.
Good Governance: the corner stone of society Let me explain why such a view on governance is not a mere Overreaction but settles closely with the present times. Imagine the Farmer’s plight who have lost their crop to drought or the Dalit community being treated as unequal. It is the trust of these people which sets up the Foundation of the very nation and this is exactly what governance Upholds. It achieves this by realizing the welfare state agenda and securing the fundamental rights of people.
Further, rule of law is essential for protecting the weak from the strong. Without objective governance this becomes a mere charade. The Manipur violence or the mob lynching cases like the Palghar incident are the example of failure of effective governance. Ultimately this will cause A slippery slope leading from mere broken window syndrome to national Security crisis. Moreover, without efficient governance government’s service delivery will be marred by wastage and delays. Roads will have potholes, air and
Water will be polluted and corruption will become the norm to attain Common services.
This today has led to increasing number of high-net- Worth individuals leaving the country who are unable to justify the tax they are paying for the services they are getting. The government will lose the moral right to demand tax, and people will reduce tax filings. Thus, shaking the very economic stability of the government. So whether be it for the vulnerable, the common person or the rich, everybody is directly or indirectly effected by the state of governance.
By Benefitting all and avoiding the above scenarios, governance can be attributed with the tag of being ‘Good’. If good governance is so important, what has been its status in India so far? Indian context TWO MAJOR EVENTS have shaped the post-independence Governance landscape of the country. First being the start of the Constitutional era in 1950. This transformed the police state to an, Aspiring welfare state injecting the values of justice and liberty in the Veins of the erstwhile colonial bureaucracy.
Second being the Participative and Competitive phase of 1990s. While the 73 rd and 74 the Amendment brought democratic decentralization, the LPG reforms thrust the market values of efficiency and economy into the governments Functioning. Since the past decade we have been witnessing the third such Revolution. While several steps have been taken, it will be better to look At them under common themes. Firstly, the clarion call of Minimum Government, Maximum governance stands out. From simple reforms like self-attestation of documents to Major decisions of repealing more than 1500 outdated central laws have Led to reduced red tapism. This combined with privatization efforts like That of Air India and right sizing of government is aimed for minimum
(The author is a student of Public Administration).

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