India at 2025-Perils, Promises and Prospects

India at 2025-Perils, Promises and Prospects

Indian society and polity is in a state of flux with a wide range of issues jostling for attention simultaneously- corruption, poverty, gender discrimination, lack of administrative transparency and accountability. While the country has rapidly progressed in terms of economic indicators, yet in terms of societal indicators, we continue to languish.

Democracy in India is severely compromised by the deep rooted social inequalities which prevail; democracy is not just about regular holding of elections and upholding of civil liberties but also stands for power being distributed equitably. While progress has been made in mitigating some of the aspects of social inequality, the model of development followed has given rise new issues of increasing economic disparity and unsustainable development. However, as recent experience has shown, Indian democracy offers space for popular movements to grow, allowing people to voice concerns on issues affecting them.

One of the key issues affecting governance in India is the lack of accountability of the Executive, which has undermined people's faith in the institutions of governance. The so called Iron Triangle of Business, Politics and Bureaucracy has resulted in poor governance and decisions which result in the exploitation of people and violation of their rights. The resulting disenchantment and alienation of large sections of the population has led to the revival and spread of Maoism. It is unlikely that in a little over a decade, all of these problems will be completely solved.

However, there are several positive trends which can have an impact on governance in India. Firstly, rising literacy among the people has led to them becoming more vocal and demanding more of governance and less of government.

Secondly, various laws introduced by the government along with institutional changes can bring about major improvements. A major example of this is the Right to Information Act which had led to increased access to information and has fostered transparency as also pro active disclosures. Other legislations targeting the goal of curbing corruption are the Lokpal Bill, the Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of Grievances Bill, Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, Public Procurement Bill, the Whistleblowers Protection Bill and proposed laws for people's right to public service, electoral reforms. While some of these legislations have been passed, it is likely that the rest and others in the same vein will be introduced in the future. These legislations present tantalizing visions of progress in Indian politics and hold much promise.

Third, modern technology can enormously aid in detecting and rooting out corruption. The Government recognizing the enormous benefits to be reaped from e-governance has launched the National e-Governance Plan. This