Discuss the significance of administrative reforms in the Indian bureaucracy in the context of good governance. How have recent administrative policies impacted transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration? Critically analyze with suitable examples.
But, the recent policy of the Indian administration has been for transparency, accountability and efficiency of the public administration service delivery which has been partial success.
Positive Results:
Digitalization
The Digital India has brought about e-governance in this sense, which is in fact a step up in the way services are extended. Previously, in services such as passport applications, tax filing services, a lot of queues and personal interaction are eliminated through online mediums thus minimizing corruption.
-Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs): The DBTs enhanced accountability because payments of subsidies in cash directly to the beneficiary minimized corruption and leakages.
Citizen-centric Services: The feel of delivering public services led to the introduction of single window clearances and online complaints handling mechanism which increases accountability and transparency.
Adverse Consequences:
-Consolidation of Power: Some reforms have been observed as centralizing authority and rendering states and local bodies more subservient hindering efficient delivery of services and Local Decentralisation responsiveness to local realities.
-Digital Divide: It also means that through digital divide some part of society excluded from attaining online services and thereby the fruits of e-governance cannot be reaped as far as increase in transparency and accountability is concerned.
-Implementation Gaps: Often there are delays between the announcement of a policy and its implementation because of some bureaucratic hurdles and lack of sufficient resource.
All in all, while coming up with the recent policies, there are still challenges that exist. To realize efficiency, accountability , and transparency in public administration in India, these three pillars of strengthening implementation, the digital divide, and decentralization of power shall act as the supports.