PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY, FEDERALISM AND PLANNING SYSTEM : ORGANIZATION AND WORKING
Chapter – 3
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
- After Independence in 1947, India aimed to constitute itself as a sovereign republic and modernize its administration through a parliamentary democracy.
- Over time, India has developed a consensual framework for democratic government and pursued strategies for good governance.
- Good governance is associated with an efficient, development-oriented, citizen-friendly, and responsive administration, committed to improving the quality of life for people.
- The chapter reviews and evaluates both the inherited British administrative systems and the strategies adopted by India for administrative development and good governance.
- The review also highlights the directions of reforms necessary in the public management system to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
THE INHERITANCE
- At Independence, India inherited from the British a monolithic, hierarchical administrative structure with a clear line of command from the Viceroy and Governor-General in Delhi to the farthest village.
- The purpose of this system was to maintain British interests in India, ensure government revenue, and maintain law and order.
- The administrative system that evolved during the 18th Century had five key features:
- District as the basic unit of administration, with the District Collector acting as a “District Maharajah,” controlling, directing, and coordinating all administrative activities in the district.
- Centralization as the principle of administration, with decision-making concentrated in key policy areas such as public finance, legal and judicial systems, education, health, and public works.
- The steel-frame of administration, consisting of a strong civil service, with the Indian Civil Service (ICS)occupying the top positions within central and provincial hierarchies.
- A system of elaborate rules and regulations to maintain control over decision-making power, particularly among Indian subordinates with varying levels of training, goals, and outlooks.
- A split system of Secretariat and Executive offices, separating policy-making from administration at both central and provincial levels.
- The system suited British interests, preserving the existing social structure and focusing on maintaining the status quo, particularly in rural society.
- The British administrative system did not focus on radical socio-economic changes, and its impact on the majority of Indian citizens was minimal.
- By the time of the transfer of power in 1947, the administrative system was ill-prepared to handle the massive developmental tasks and challenges of post-independence India.