Indian Journal of Public Administration

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Editorial
Book review: Iqbal Chand Malhotra & Maroof Raza, Kashmir’s Untold Story: Declassified
Iqbal Chand Malhotra & Maroof Raza, Kashmir’s Untold Story: Declassified. India: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019, 202 pp. £22.50 (hardback). ISBN: 9789388912853.
Central Vigilance Commission: A Perspective Based on Historical Indian World View and Statecraft
Central Vigilance Commission is the apex integrity institution of the nation. It was formed by the government on the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee by way of a Resolution on 11 February 1964. Over the period, unparalleled services have been rendered by the Commission to the nation in the field of anti-corruption. However, a far more important role played by the Commission is that it has grown from strength to strength, while many other institutions of national importance kept falling apart during this time. Its functioning has instilled a great degree of trust amongst the common public, and needless to say that this trust is the life blood of a democracy. The Commission is however, faced with an uphill task of fighting corruption raising its head in view of a fast-developing economy in a society which is becoming complex day by day. The Commission is an institution which will be looked up to in the decade to come. Its functioning will be closely scrutinised and criticised. Though much has been written and recorded on the Commission, a perspective about the Commission from the angle of historical Indian world view and statecraft is not available. This is a curious gap in the body of knowledge as the Commission’s formation draws a lot from ancient Indian world view and statecraft. The article attempts to bridge this profound gap in the literature relating to the Central Vigilance Commission.
Book review: Sudhanshu Ranjan, Justice vs. Judiciary: Justice Enthroned or Entangled in India?
Sudhanshu Ranjan, Justice vs. Judiciary: Justice Enthroned or Entangled in India? New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, 2019, xiv + 384 pp., ₹995 (Hardcover). ISBN: 978-0-19-949049-3, 0-19-949049-X.
National Cadet Corps (NCC): Its Role in Integrating North Eastern Region (NER) with Mainstream India
To the North Eastern Region (NER) of India, lie the unexplored states of the Indian Union. This region holds a unique place in the federal structure of India. This article attempts to scrutinise the diversity of NER, along with the potential of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) as a medium to change, uplift and assimilate it with pan India. The article aims to comprehend how NER can accommodate the regional identities and cultural affinities with Indian mainstream identity through the intervention of NCC at college and university level. The methodology of this article is based on secondary resources such as published books, journals, web pages, reports, newspapers and online sources. The article is analytical and descriptive in nature based on thematic approach.
Current Challenges in Diffusion of Solar Power in India
The Rise of the Panchayati Raj Institutions as the Third Tier in Indian Federalism: Where the Shoe Pinches
The idea of forming a two-tier federal structure in India gathered considerable momentum after the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League came together through a Pact in 1916. But the concept of the third tier which was mooted in the Constituent Assembly through the incorporation of panchayats in the Directive Principles of State Policy after detailed deliberation began receiving attention after the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution in 1992 which coincided with the paradigmatic shift in the policy of the Indian State. This Act signified in clear terms the intention of the State to strengthen the process of third tier federalism in India. This article seeks to critically examine the process of evolution of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as a new tier in the Indian federal system, excluding the Fifth and Sixth Scheduled Areas. An attempt has also been made to analyse despite constitutionalisation of PRIs where the shoe still pinches and wherein lies the ray of hope.
Book review: Ram Sewak Sharma, The Making of Aadhar: The World’s Largest Identity Platform
Ram Sewak Sharma, The Making of Aadhar: The World’s Largest Identity Platform. New Delhi, India: Rupa Publishers, 2020, 240 pp., ₹595.00.
Exploring Leadership in the Frame of Prescriptions and Systemic Expectations: A Case of Government Boys Secondary School in Delhi
The words autonomy, power and leadership have always been debated, especially when it comes to government setup where roles and responsibilities largely are top-down. The article explores leadership practices and autonomy exercised by the school leader within the frame of prescribed roles and responsibilities and accountability structures. The study is a case of Government Secondary School in Delhi, India, and follows a qualitative research design. Document analysis for studying the prescribed roles, and ‘shadowing of principal’ to understand the practiced roles, were the key aspects of research design. The article takes a dig at the prescribed roles and responsibilities that limit the school leader to being an administrative head. It further makes a case wherein the school leader, through the creative use of leadership agency, redefines school leadership as an action to influence quality of teaching–learning at school rather than a bureaucratised position that manages the day-to-day affairs.
Urban–Rural Dichotomy in Planning: Review of Legal Framework in Four States of India
Current urbanisation trends in India show a quantum jump in number of ‘census towns’, which are not statutorily declared as urban areas, but have acquired all characteristics of urban settlements. Sizeable number of such census towns are not located near any Class 1 city. Lack of proper and timely planning has led to unplanned growth of these settlements. This article is based on a review of planning legislations, institutional framework and planning process of four states in India. The present article analyses the scope and limitations of the planning process adopted in the rapidly urbanising rural areas of these states. The findings reveal that states are still following a conventional approach to planning that treats ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ as separate categories and highlights the need for adopting an integrated territorial approach to planning of settlements.