Indian Journal of Public Administration

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Latest documents

• Public Health in India: How Far are we from Universal Health Coverage?
• Book review: Rumki Basu, The United Nations: In the New Millennium

  Rumki Basu, The United Nations: In the New Millennium. Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd, 2022, 328 pp., ₹350 (Paperback). ISBN-10: 9393853177, ISBN-13: 978-9393853172.

• Two Supreme Court Judgments on the Fairness of Elections in India

  The commentary looks at the two landmark judgements delivered by the Supreme Court in recent months on the electoral process in India which is the lifelines of liberal democracy. The judgements deal with the appointment of CEC and other election commissioners along with the funding of elections. In the Anoop Baranwal case, The Supreme Court has tried to insulate the election commission from control of the government of the day in order to make it a neutral institution. In the Electoral Bond case, the court has tried to create a level playing field among political contestants during the election. But the judgements have not been able to plug all holes in the electoral process as many lacunae remains. The judgements of the Supreme Court will go a long way in ensuring free and fair election in India.

• Historical Analogies in Indian Public Administration
• Editorial
• Context-based Good Governance Approach: A Sustainable Solution for Water Crisis

  Water governance is a complex, multilevel process based on the socio-political and administrative systems. The sustainable use of water resources is the main challenge of the present-day global water governance. The top-down, technocratic approach to governance made the water crisis, the crisis of governance. Literature shows a radical change towards a more humanistic, situation-based strategy that can solve water issues. The article analyses the significant water challenges, which include governance, scarcity, sustainability and adaptability. The article focuses on the importance of considering good governance principles such as accountability, transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, inclusiveness and equity and citizens’ engagement in water governance, with particular emphasis on the context-based approach. The central argument is that the water governance system differs according to the context of governance, and the application of the good governance principle should follow contextual understanding. A major suggestion is that a context-based, good governance approach can be the sustainable solution to the water crisis.

• A Decade of Gender Budgeting in Karnataka: A Preliminary Review

  Understanding the necessity of gendering fiscal policies is a relatively new area in public finance research, which is now gaining momentum. The importance of gender differential impacts of the budgetary process is the highlight of the argument here, while a gender-mainstreamed society is the anticipated outcome. Based on the State gender-budget data of Karnataka (2007–2019), this article is an attempt to revisit the decade-long history of this exercise in the State. On the one hand, it attempts to reveal the good deeds of the practice in the State, and on the other hand, it highlights the lack of ‘gender concerns’ in the process. Using a framework given by Das, Thakur, and Sikdar (2006, Report of the gender budgeting study for West Bengal. Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability), this study applies a descriptive approach to review the process and magnitude of gender budgeting in Karnataka. The review reveals that the priorities of Karnataka’s gender budgets remain within the umbrella of ‘welfare approach’ that caters to practical gender needs, despite its institutionalisation and experience for a decade.

• Tackling Poverty Through Feminisation of Welfare Schemes
• Geographical Indicators as Tools of Economic Development

  A geographical indication (GI) defines a product as being from a certain place, when the product’s quality, reputation, or other attributes are largely related to its location. GI is a collective property, not a private one. It can be registered by an organisation representing the interests of a group of people in practically all nations. GIs helps in achieving and boosting rural development, environmental sustainability, consumer awareness and many other aspects. GIs are especially beneficial to agricultural product producers since they allow them to differentiate their products from common commodity items such as rice, coffee and tea, allowing them to get market access. A sturdy GI ecosystem has numerous advantages. It will automatically address the three contentious issues faced by India—poor pay for talent, low female labour force participation and urban migration. On the evolution side, some GIs have resulted in improved and superior uniqueness of rural employment.

• Nexus Between Citizens’ Trust and Good Governance in Public Institutions of South Asia

  Public institutions are essential for executing government policies. Citizens’ trust in public institutions is a crucial factor to consider when assessing the state of democracy. Working processes, trends, organisational principles, neutrality, approaches and impartiality are also used to assess an institution’s trustworthiness. Failing to satisfy any of these indicators can create distrust. Good governance is essential for every country to move forward and attain its development goals. For most countries in South Asia, governance is not in a good condition, with government institutions struggling to perform satisfactorily. In this situation, distrust may be fostered among citizens with limited conviction in democracy and diminish the reliability of public institutions. By taking these issues into account, this article uses secondary literature to evaluate the level of trust in the public institutions of South Asian States with a distinct emphasis on good governance.

Featured documents

• A Gist of Major Recommendations of Third State Finance Commissions and Their Implementation Status
• Pressure Groups: A Select Bibliography
• The Relevance of ‘Wednesbury Unreasonableness’ in the Light of ‘Proportionality’ as a Ground for Judicial Review
• Role of Civil Services in Ethical Governance: Hong Kong Civil Services
• Reforms in Direct Tax Administration in India (1991–2016)

  Tax policy and tax administration are inextricably linked. The success of any tax policy depends to a large extent on efficient tax administration which would necessitate minimising arrears of assessment and collection, pendency of appeals, tax avoidance and tax evasion and improve taxpayers’...

• The Importance of Cybersecurity and Protecting of Digital Assets and Understanding the Role of Cybersecurity Laws in Safeguarding Digital Assets

  In the technologically advanced landscape, companies increasingly leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance operations. However, this progression also amplifies the risk of cyberthreats. Cybersecurity emerges as a pivotal element for safeguarding digital assets, encompassing networks, financial...

• ‘5T’ Approach to Governance Transformation: Finding a Doctrinal Basis for Further Research

  Public management reform is a continuum that accommodates various reform approaches with the passage of time. The basic objective of such approaches is to transform governance by enabling the swifter and better delivery of public services to citizens. In 2019, the government of Odisha, a state in...

• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: An Ambitious Government Step Towards Ensuring Its Wide Reach

  This article is divided into three major segments. The initial section offers a concise overview of the requisite data protection laws in India, aiming to regulate and oversee the collection, processing and utilisation of personal data. The second section delves into an in-depth examination of the...

• Ecocentric Governance: Recognising the Rights of Nature

  Anthropocentric mode of consciousness has disturbed the internal cohesion and inter-relatedness of the natural world and is leading the world towards environmental devastation. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity and is the face of this crisis. In view of this, the paper argues ...

• Strengthening India’s Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Landscape: A Comprehensive Overview

  This article chronicles India’s cybersecurity and data privacy journey, from the inception of the Information Technology Act in 2000 to the latest Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023. Examining key legislative developments, committee formations and judicial interventions, it highlights...