Good Governance Day 2024 | 25 Dec 2024

Source: PIB 

Why in News?  

Good Governance Day is celebrated on 25^th December to raise awareness among citizens about government accountability and effective administration. 

• The theme for 2024 is “India’s Path to a Viksit Bharat: Empowering Citizens through Good Governance and Digitalisation.” 
• It was started in the year 2014 to honor the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 
• The birth anniversary of Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya is also observed on 25th December. 

What Initiatives were Launched on Good Governance Day 2024? 

• New iGOT Karmayogi Dashboard: It allows Ministry/Department/Organization (MDO) leaders and state administrators to monitor the progress and effectiveness of their entities more efficiently. 
• 1600th iGOT Karmayogi Course: It aims to create a learning ecosystem for government employees, promoting continuous development and lifelong learning. 
• Viksit Panchayat Initiative: It aims to strengthen PRIs' ability to deliver quality services, ensure effective governance, and empower Panchayat leaders with essential skills. 
• CPGRAMS Annual Report, 2024: It underscores the progress made in enhancing the effectiveness of public service delivery through a robust grievance redressal mechanism. 

What is Good Governance? 

• About: Good governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented that are necessary to achieve the goals of development. 
  • According to the World Bank report titled “Governance and Development, 1992”, Good Governance is the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development. 
  • The true test of 'good' governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.  
• Key Attributes: According to the World Bank, good governance has 8 major characteristics.  
  • It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. 
    • Participatory: Gender-inclusive participation is vital for good governance, whether direct or through representatives or institutions. 
    • Consensus Oriented: Good governance involves mediating societal interests to build consensus on the community's best interests and sustainable development goals. 
    • Accountable: An organization or an institution should be accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. 
    • Transparent: Transparency means decisions are made according to rules, with information accessible to those affected by them. 
    • Responsive: Institutions should serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.  
    • Effective and Efficient: Good governance ensures processes and institutions meet societal needs while efficiently using available resources. 
    • Equitable and Inclusive: A society's well-being depends on including all members, especially vulnerable groups, in opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being. 
    • Rule of Law: It requires fair, impartial legal frameworks, supported by an independent judiciary and a corrupt-free police force. 

• AB Vajpayee and Good Governance: His tenure saw transformational initiatives like the Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and the National Rural Health Program that transformed governance in the country. 

What is the Significance of Good Governance? 

• Economic Growth: Initiatives under good governance provide equal rights and protection to both men and women in the workforce that could boost India’s GDP by USD 770 billion by 2025. 
• Social Development: SWAYAM and Skill India empower marginalized groups with education and employability skills. 
  • Aadhaar integration prevents leakages while direct benefit transfer (DBT) eliminates middlemen in welfare schemes. 
• Strengthening Democracy: Platforms like MyGov allow citizens to voice their opinions and e-Governance helps reduce corruption. 
• Accountability: The RTI Act, 2005 ensures citizens' right to access government information for transparency, while the PFMS tracks fund flows to ensure accountability in public expenditure. 
• Reducing Inequality: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) promotes financial inclusion for the unbanked population. 
  • MGNREGA provides guaranteed wage employment to rural households. 
• Building Trust: The e-Courts project digitizes court processes for efficiency and accessibility, while CPGRAMS offers a platform to address citizen grievances. 

What are Initiatives for Good Governance in India?  

• Good Governance Index 
• PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) 
• Right to Information, 2005 
• National e-Governance Plan 
• e-Court System 
• Public Financial Management System 
• Mission Karmayogi 
• What are the Hurdles with Good Governance in India? 
• Corruption: Corruption costs India 0.5% of its GDP annually and hampers the business environment for investors and organizations, according to the World Bank. 
  • India ranked 93^rd out of 180 countries on the corruption perceptions index for 2023. 
• Lack of Accountability: Lack of accountability erodes citizens' trust in the government, leading to political apathy, lower voter turnout, and diminished civic engagement, weakening institutional legitimacy. 
• Criminalisation of Politics: Politicians with criminal backgrounds weaken efforts to ensure justice and equal treatment for all citizens. 
  • The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) reports that 251 (46%) of the 543 newly elected 18^th Lok Sabha members have criminal cases, with 27 convicted. 
• Ineffective Implementation of Laws: India's anti-corruption laws, like the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 are criticized for ineffective enforcement, causing public disillusionment. 

Way Forward 

• Decentralization: Power is concentrated with central and state governments; local bodies like municipalities and panchayats need more functional and financial authority to ensure good governance at ground level. 
• Ethical Standards: Ethical values like integrity, accountability, and selflessness, as recommended by the Nolan Committee (1994), should be instilled in public servants. 
• Gender Equality: Promote gender equality to encourage women’s participation in socioeconomic sectors, ensuring the needs of all society are met. 
• Whistleblower Protection: More protection should be provided to whistleblowers who expose corruption in government ministries/departments.