Roadmap for Answer Writing 1. Introduction Define social accountability: Capacity of citizens to hold government and service providers accountable. Explain the link between social accountability, democratic governance, and service delivery. Mention that social accountability mechanisms encourage transparency, citizen participation, and government responsiveness. 2. Improved Governance Explanation: ...
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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Model Answer Introduction Social accountability refers to the ability and capacity of citizens to hold the government and service providers accountable, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of the people. It plays a critical role in enhancing democratic governance and improving service deliveryRead more
Model Answer
Introduction
Social accountability refers to the ability and capacity of citizens to hold the government and service providers accountable, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of the people. It plays a critical role in enhancing democratic governance and improving service delivery by empowering citizens and promoting transparency.
Improved Governance
Social accountability fosters a constructive relationship between citizens and the government by enabling citizens to access information, voice concerns, and demand accountability. For example, the Right to Information (RTI) Act allows citizens to obtain information from public authorities, promoting transparency and holding public officials accountable for their actions.
Increased Development Effectiveness
Social accountability pressures governments to be more responsive and transparent in delivering public services. Social audits are one such tool that evaluates the effectiveness of development projects. By assessing whether these projects align with the needs and priorities of the communities they serve, social audits contribute to better governance and more effective delivery of services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Empowerment and Citizen Engagement
Social accountability initiatives help citizens understand their rights and entitlements, thereby enabling active participation in governance. Citizen Report Cards empower individuals to assess public services, leading to improved government responsiveness and better service delivery.
Poverty Reduction
Social accountability mechanisms can contribute to poverty reduction by improving pro-poor policy design and service delivery. A notable example is Participatory Budgeting in Kerala, which has significantly enhanced rural infrastructure and helped reduce poverty in these areas.
Improved Service Delivery
As citizens become more aware of their rights, their demand for quality and timely service increases. This puts pressure on public officials to improve performance. The Citizen Charter provides citizens with clear information about their rights and the level of service they can expect, increasing accountability in service delivery.
Conclusion
Social accountability is a critical tool for improving democratic governance and service delivery. By empowering citizens, promoting transparency, and ensuring government responsiveness, it deepens democracy and strengthens governance.
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