This essay won the First Prize (under the College Category) in the Online Essay Contest conducted at this site as a part of the 60th Independence Day Celebrations in collaboration with the Mylapore Academy. Ms. Indushree R is a student of Elite School of Optometry, Chennai.
Can good governance contribute for National Development?
What is good governance?
The Governance Working Group of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences 1996 defines governance as
• Governance refers to the process whereby elements in society wield power and authority, and influence and enact policies and decisions concerning public life, and economic and social development.
• Governance is a broader notion than government, whose principal elements include the constitution, legislature, executive and judiciary. Governance involves interaction between these formal institutions and those of civil society.
• Governance has no automatic normative connotation. However, typical criteria for assessing governance in a particular context might include the degree of legitimacy, representative ness, popular accountability and efficiency with which public affairs are conducted.
India and good governance:
Kautilya, the successful minister and adviser to Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th Century B.C. in modern day Patna and the author of Arthasastra and, Thiruvalluvar, the revered poet of Tamil Nadu and the author of Thirukkural in the1st Century B.C., though lived thousands of miles away from each other and though were from different backgrounds and profession, shared the same wisdom when they wrote on governance:
"A wise leader (king) can make even the poor and miserable sections of his country happy and prosperous. If a leader (king) is energetic, his subjects will also be energetic. When there is rain, the world enjoys prosperity; when the leader (king) rules with justice, his subjects prosper; when the leader (king) serves his country, justice will defend his leadership.”
Mr.kalam’s words:
While being sworn in as the president of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, the visionary, said that a country needs to have the characteristics as enshrined in Thirukkural and quoted from the Kural:
“ Pini inmai Selvam Vilaivinbam Emam, aniyenba Nattirku vainthu”.
That is “The important elements that constitute a nation are:
• Being disease free
• Wealth
• High productivity
• Harmonious living and
• Strong defence.
More from kural on good governance:
Thirukkural gives s a lesson on good governance. It says there are three sources of income to the king: unclaimed wealth, taxes which subjects pay, and customs collection from foreigners. In Valuvar’s world, there were three channels of equitable distribution of wealth: Defence, Public works and Social service. These three cover the legitimate public expenditure for distribution. All the kurals are primarily addressed to the king, but many of them will be equally applicable to all people. In modern times, democracies have replaced Kingdoms and political parties and ministers have replaced kings. The qualities Thiruvalluvar attributes to kings are naturally expected to be found in our leaders: Ministers, MPs, MLAs, diplomats, planners, policy makers, public office-holders and so on.
Good governance and national development:
Where good governance has been lacking, progress – be it economic, social or ecological – has not taken place. On the contrary, in most cases stagnation at an already low level or even reversals has been the result. A number of sub-Saharan countries can serve as warnings in that regard.
Poor governance generates a social environment detrimental to development. In such cases external aid, whatever the amount or intention, has little effect. Indeed, it can even be harmful if it contributes to prolonging an undesirable state of affairs.
“Good governance” puts people into the center of development. “Where people grow, profits grow”: this well-tried business rule is applicable to development policy as well.
National Development:
The responsibility for development at the national level – that is, for the complex mosaic made up of economic, social, political, cultural and ecological components that must be put together under a specific set of conditions – lies first and foremost with the countries concerned.
Any improvement in the people's quality of life has to begin and be maintained “at home”. Of course, a favorable economic environment and fair conditions of competition and trade will make a country's efforts to that end easier, but “outside” players can only support and facilitate sustainable development – they cannot replace a country's own endeavors.
Its economic, social and political fabric is of decisive importance for a country's success in developing itself. That fabric depends, above all, on the nature of the development policy that the country has chosen to follow as well as on the quality of its government and authorities
Governance and development in India:
As Joseph Stighitz says, "We are coming to recognize that lack of development is often due to failures of collective action. The problem is not just predatory States, but States failing to provide the institutional infrastructure required for a sound economy. It is important that the State undertakes its responsibilities and does so effectively and efficiently". The State, besides ensuring that it performs its own functions well, also has a role to monitor other institutions in the country. The institutional arrangement in a society must be efficiency enhancing, not power and wealth preserving.
Our political system and administrative functioning are with many weaknesses and inadequacies, which are proving a handicap in providing satisfactory delivery of goods and services to the people. A few years ago, John Major, ex-British Prime Minister appointed a committee under the leadership of British Lawyer, Lord Nolan to draw up a charter of governance in public life. This committee drew up six principles under the charter:
1) Selflessness in service
2) Integrity in life
3) Objectivity
4) Accountability
5) Honesty
6) Leadership.
Leaders are expected to lead by their life examples and be more constructive rather than corrupt. They are called to become popular not by their money power, but by their easy access to the public and the alert performance of their duties.
What A.H. Hanson observed some 40 years ago about Indian Planning still holds true: "The men are able, the organization is adequate and the procedures are intelligently devised. Why then, have the plans, since 1956 so persistently run into crisis? For various reasons Indian planners have never treated the objective function with sufficient respect. Their tendency is to give themselves the fullest benefit of every possible doubt".
Today government is being gradually transformed into a company/a business enterprise. Can governance become a business? Our political system needs reforms, and the political process requires purification so that political will is strengthened to take necessary action against forces that generate black money, and sow the seeds of division, casteism, hatred and communal violence. There is a need for transparency at all levels.
Conclusion: good governance is answer for development!
If we are serious about development, then we must have to start preparing a population that is healthy and educated to participate in our economy. Secondly, we will have to mobilize resources: natural, human, financial and technological. Our country is fast developing technologically and the speed must be kept up and the technological growth must become people centered and used for the eradication of poverty. Poverty reduction also is possible with structural changes. A market friendly approach may be welcome but as Paul Streeten says, "Free markets are neutral institutions, which can work good or ill". In the words of Joan Robinson, "The Invisible Hand can work by strangulation". If the work of the Invisible Hand is to be made visible, then markets should become people friendly. Reforms are welcome, but with a human face. This can be done only with good governance and effective regulation. Governance must promote the empowerment of poor people so that they can participate strongly in the process of development. This is very crucial for combating poverty. The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan recently said, "Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development".
We need to formulate a pro-poor development strategy. In the words of Nicholas Stern, "The two pillars of this strategy are:
1) building an investment climate that facilitates investment and growth,
2) empowering poor people to participate in that growth.
The Government has an obligation to protect farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs, and to provide opportunities and incentives for investment and creation of new wealth. We need committed leaders who take positive action to initiate new order of things - economic stability, structural and institutional changes and research to eradicate poverty.
Economists like Kirit Parikh have predicted that ‘India could have a per capita income of US $ 30,000/- by 2047.’ American economist A.J. Rosenswerg expects ‘India's GDP to exceed that of Japan by 2025 and India to be the third largest economy in the world (after USA and China).’ Will their predictions come true?. It is said that if Indian economy grows at a rate of 6 per cent per annum on a sustained basis, it will take 14 years to reach the current level of China’s per capita income (around $ 850), 36 years to reach that of Thailand (around $ 2020), and 104 years to reach that of USA (around $ 27,000). Only the quality of governance has the answer.
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