Collaborative Governance For Viksit Bharat

Good Governance Through State,  Society And Markets

Source: Indian Express
GS II: Governance, Social Justice, Local Government

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Why in the News?

A recent article by former civil servant Amarjeet Sinha highlights the need for a new model of governance in India based on decentralisation, community participation and collaboration between the State, society and markets.

News in Brief

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• The article identifies six factors necessary for improving development outcomes at scale: decentralized community action, collaborative governance, women’s agency, technology, accountability and public trust, and professionals/community resource persons.
• It argues that local governments need greater authority, resources and professional support, while development outcomes should increasingly be validated by communities.
• The achievement of Viksit Bharat requires the State, civil society, communities and markets to work together to address complex and interconnected development challenges.

Community Participation and Better Governance

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• Decentralized community action can make governance more effective, particularly when development challenges involve several social, economic and institutional factors.
• Local governments and municipalities that perform well often have one thing in common: citizens are actively involved in the development process.
• Such institutions usually encourage community participation, cooperation between government officials and citizens, and greater involvement of people in decision-making.
• This also creates a sense of ownership among communities and strengthens accountability.
• A collaborative approach is particularly useful in addressing local problems that may not be fully understood or resolved through a conventional top-down administrative system.

Lessons from India’s Development Programmes

• India’s development experience also shows the value of collaborative governance.
• Programmes that have successfully involved communities in planning and implementation have often achieved wider and more sustainable outcomes.
• National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)
  • The National Rural Livelihood Mission is an important example of this approach.
  • Its success has been closely linked to the large-scale mobilization of rural women through self-help groups and community institutions.
  • Decentralized management and community participation have enabled the programme to reach beyond conventional administrative structures, including at levels below the block.
  • The participation of around 100 million women organized through nearly 10 million self-help groups reflects the scale of collective action created under the programme.
  • Beyond improving livelihoods and financial inclusion, these institutions have given rural women a stronger voice in local development and community decision-making.

Lessons from high-performing cities

• The experience of high-performing municipalities also points to the importance of involving citizens in governance.
• Interactions with municipal commissioners associated with the Swachhata Sarvekshan rankings found that community participation and collaborative governance were among the common factors behind better-performing cities.
• Whether in sanitation, urban development or public service delivery, government efforts are more likely to succeed when citizens participate actively.
• People are not merely recipients of services; their involvement in maintaining, monitoring and improving these services can strengthen accountability and produce better outcomes.

Pillars of Transformative Governance

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Women’s Collectives and Social Capital 

• Women’s collectives have emerged as an important source of social capital in India.
• They help communities organize themselves, access public services and raise local concerns.
• Their involvement can also strengthen the accountability of local institutions.
• When communities, particularly women, have a greater role in development programmes, governance becomes more closely connected to the realities of people’s lives.
• Their participation can improve awareness, livelihoods, access to services and monitoring of public programmes.

Technology and Human Instituions

• Technology has added another dimension to governance.
• India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, Direct Benefit Transfers and expanding banking access have improved the reach of public services.
• However, technology cannot replace capable institutions or human engagement.
• Digital systems can make service delivery more efficient, but complex social problems still require trust, local knowledge and continuous interaction between citizens and public institutions.

Role of Professionals and Community Resource Persons

• Local governance systems require trained professionals who can improve planning, implementation and service delivery.
• At the same time, community resource persons and frontline workers can connect public institutions with citizens.
• ASHA workers, for example, demonstrate how locally embedded frontline workers can strengthen trust and accountability in primary healthcare.
• The combination of professional expertise and community-level engagement can make public systems more responsive.

Strengthening Local Governments

• For decentralization to work effectively, local governments require more than formal responsibilities.
• They need adequate Funds, Functions and Functionaries.
• Panchayats and urban local bodies require autonomy, clear responsibilities and sufficient administrative and professional capacity.
• The constitutional framework provided by the Eleventh Schedule for Panchayats (Article 243G) and the Twelfth Schedule for Municipalities (Article 243W) can become meaningful only when local institutions have the resources and capacity to perform their assigned functions.

Accountability and Community Validation

• Measuring development outcomes should not be limited to administrative data alone.
• Community feedback and validation are equally important in assessing whether public programmes are actually improving people’s lives.
• The Panchayat Advancement Index can help identify gaps in local development,
• However, identifying a development deficit should also be accompanied by adequate resources and institutional support to address it.

Challenges to Collaborative Governance

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Complex Development Challenges

• Many households continue to face the risk of slipping back into poverty. Low-productivity jobs, inadequate wages and limited livelihood opportunities remain concerns in several parts of the country.
• Progress in some social indicators has also been uneven.

These are often described as “wicked problems” because they have multiple and interconnected causes. They require coordinated action across sectors such as education, health and nutrition.

Institutional Challenges

• Decision-making and financial resources often remain concentrated at higher levels, limiting the autonomy of local governments.
• Many Panchayats and urban local bodies also lack adequate skilled professionals, technical expertise and administrative capacity.
• Limited untied funds further increase their dependence on higher levels of government.
• Accountability is another concern, as administrative data may not always reflect the actual outcomes experienced by citizens.
• Short-term electoral and political considerations can also affect long-term institutional reforms.
• In addition, different government departments often work independently even when the issues they address are closely interconnected.

These challenges can weaken coordination and make collaborative governance difficult to implement effectively.

Way Forward and Conclusion

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The vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be realized through government action alone. Complex development challenges require a partnership between the State, Society and Markets.

The good governance emerges when institutions are closer to citizens, communities participate in decision-making, women exercise greater agency, professionals strengthen implementation, technology enables inclusion and public systems remain accountable.

India’s next phase of development must therefore move from merely expanding government programmes to ensuring citizen-centric, decentralized, and collaborative governance that delivers quality outcomes at scale.

UPSC Prelims and Mains Practice Question

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With reference to collaborative and decentralized governance in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution relates to the powers and responsibilities of Panchayats.
2. The Twelfth Schedule specifies subjects related to the powers and responsibilities of Municipalities.
3. Effective decentralisation requires the transfer of Funds, Functions and Functionaries to local governments.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d)

Mains Practice Question

Q. The complexity of contemporary development challenges requires a shift from centralized administration to decentralized and collaborative governance. Discuss in the context of India’s pursuit of Viksit Bharat. (250 words)

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