Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Start with writing in brief about the mechanism of social audit.
• Elaborate how an independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service.
• Conclude suitably.

Answer

Social Audit is the audit of a scheme jointly by the Government and the people. A social audit helps to narrow gaps between vision/goal and reality, between efficiency and effectiveness. MGNREGA was the first Act to mandate a Social Audit by the Gram Sabha.

Social Audit informs and educates people about their rights and entitlements. It provides a collective platform for people to ask queries, express their needs and grievances (jansunwai). It promotes people's participation in all stages of implementation of programmes. People's involvement makes things credible and inclusive and as a result the ethical conduct of the schemes/authorities/organisations also increase. It also brings about transparency and objectivity in government schemes and authorities become accountable to the public at large.

In judiciary also Social Audit plays an important role

• Social auditing uses participatory techniques to involve all stakeholders in measuring, understanding, reporting and improving the social performance of an organisation. This way people will understand and become aware about the judicial structure and proceedings. This will also help in making judiciary more interactive and understandable to common people, thereby improving its performance and accountability.
• Social Audit can help make judiciary reach the masses and spread awareness about it. It can help judiciary proactively take up cases of disadvantaged/vulnerable/marginalised sections of society which need help and attention.

Even though social audit has been of great importance, it still needs awareness to increase its reach among the masses. Administrative and political cooperation is required for the better functioning of SA. A legal backing or a national law should also be considered.