Good Governance in India: Issues and Challenges

This Paper aims to sketch the concept of good governance especially in Indian context. The basic impact of good governance over the countrymen has also been elaborated herein. As a matter of fact the challenge for the society as a whole is to create a system of governance that promotes and supports human development –especially for the poorest and most marginal. Good governance, according to the author, means securing justice, empowerment, employment and efficient delivery of services. The paper deals with these subjects in detail and also analyses administrative and political faultiness. It identifies criminalization of politics and corruption as two major challenges. It also highlights shifts in meaning and content of national values of the freedom movement particularly those of nationalism, democracy, secularism, non-alignment, and mixed economy and its impact on the nitty gritty of administration as well as on the intellectual buildup of the organs of the Indian State. The paper lists several areas of concern that need to be addressed energetically and calls for synergy of efforts between government, the market and the civil society. Innovations are generally taking place. There are, however, two areas that need special attention by innovators, namely, economic empowerment of women and livelihood programmes based on local resources and upgraded skills. The need is to formulate a national strategy that accords primacy to the Gandhian principle of ‘antodaya’ without sacrificing growth and by making instruments of State accountable for good governance.