Independent Regulatory Authorities: Contours of the Debate and Experience
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556118783050 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
64(3) 358–372
© 2018 IIPA
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0019556118783050
http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ipa
Independent
Regulatory Authorities:
Contours of the Debate
and Experience
Dolly Arora1
Abstract
Taking note of the rapid growth of independent regulatory authorities and
emerging evidence of significant variation in their design features as well as
functional expression of independence across nations and within nations,
sectors and levels of government, this article argues that regulatory discourses,
including their institutional design and functionality, need to be understood in
their specific political economy context and in the framework of larger goals of
social justice and sustainable development, taking care of accountability, equity
and environmental concerns that invite urgent attention. This would require a
reopening of the debate on the parameters for evaluation of regulatory goals and
design issues in the public domain involving all stakeholders. Rather than debating
the extent of independence accomplished, one needs to consider the framework
of regulation and the mechanisms which can address the challenge of competing
rights claims in unequal power contexts.
Keywords
Regulatory state, reforms, parameters, public administration, governance, India
in comparative perspective
Introduction
With the growing economic and technical complexities that followed industriali-
sation, the increasing experiences of market failures and the rising social concerns
voiced across the globe, states assumed greater welfare responsibilities and
expanded regulatory jurisdictions. However, with growing encounters with
1 Professor of Political Science, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, India.
Corresponding author:
Dolly Arora, Professor of Political Science, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi
110002, India.
E-mail: aroradolly@hotmail.com
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