A people-centric strategy that emphasizes collaboration and makes use of technology is necessary for the effective delivery of public services. Discuss. (150 words)
Model Answer Equality and Inclusivity Public services should be accessible to all citizens, particularly marginalized groups. Services like the Midday Meal Scheme ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds receive nutritious meals, promoting educational equity. Accountability and TransparenRead more
Model Answer
Equality and Inclusivity
Public services should be accessible to all citizens, particularly marginalized groups. Services like the Midday Meal Scheme ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds receive nutritious meals, promoting educational equity.
Accountability and Transparency
Public service providers must be answerable to the public, ensuring openness in their functioning. The RTI Act empowers citizens to demand information from government bodies, fostering transparency.
Continuity
Essential services, such as health care and security, should operate without interruption. The National Health Mission ensures continuous health services in remote areas, improving accessibility to basic health care.
Adaptation (Mutability)
Services must evolve with changing technological, economic, and social conditions. The Public Distribution System (PDS), by incorporating biometric authentication, has enhanced accessibility and minimized corruption.
Responsiveness and Grievance Redressal
Public services must respond promptly to citizens’ needs and grievances. The Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) allows citizens to file complaints regarding public services.
Challenges in Public Service Delivery in India
Despite these principles, India faces several challenges in ensuring effective public service delivery:
- Digital Divide: A significant portion of the population, especially in rural and low-income areas, lacks access to digital services. According to NSSO, only 38% of India’s population is digitally literate, limiting access to online public services.
- Corruption: Corruption at various levels undermines service delivery and misuses resources. For example, the MGNREGA scheme has suffered from ghost beneficiaries, which has affected its effectiveness.
- Lack of Creativity and Innovation: Excessive bureaucratic procedures stifle innovation. The absence of digitized land records is a major reason for land disputes, which account for a significant proportion of court cases in India.
- Political Interference: Political influences often disrupt bureaucratic functioning, causing inefficiencies. For instance, the arbitrary transfer of civil servants like Ashok Khemka has impacted the delivery of services.
Conclusion
Improving public service delivery in India requires addressing these challenges through enhanced digital infrastructure, transparency, innovation, and minimizing political interference.
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Answer: Public Service Delivery is the mechanism through which public services are delivered to the public by central, state and local governments. Public education, health services etc. are some of the examples of public services. This public service delivery, in order to be effective, demands a peRead more
Answer: Public Service Delivery is the mechanism through which public services are delivered to the public by central, state and local governments. Public education, health services etc. are some of the examples of public services. This public service delivery, in order to be effective, demands a people centric approach due to following reasons:
India being a welfare state, effective public service delivery is sine qua non. In order to establish effective people-centric approach, it needs to be built on coordination and leverage technology:
By taking a citizen-centric approach built upon improved coordination and use of technology, governments can better understand the needs of their citizens and translate those needs into targeted, effective service-delivery improvements.
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