How Can The Indian Government Serve The Public Interest?

Objective: To promote writing on mainly Indian and also international governance based on objectivity, reason, the power of ideas and the law of karma-cause and effect.

State machinery: The basic rule is that the government is there to serve and protect the public interest and implement the rule of law equally for all. A government is not voted to power to exploit, intimidate, harass or RULE the masses. It is elected to SERVE. Government employees must become public-service oriented, customer-care oriented, and must be productive, accountable and  responsive. Employees are hired in the government to serve the public. This must be made abundantly clear to them at the time of hiring. And they must be hired only if they have these traits and the necessary attitude. So that government employees don’t take jobs as granted, they could be hired on contract for 5-7 years renewable till the time they are found fit. The government’s role should not be to give employment but to help generate employment and facilitate in giving the necessary skills/education to people. All state employees must be well looked after so that they are not tempted to cheat the country or take bribes. Their remuneration in cash/perks must be computed at market rates so that he realizes that: “hey, I am getting a 3-acre bungalow whose market rent is Rs 20 lakh.” 

Coalition Politics: In a fractured polity, coalition politics is the norm. Tri-polar polity is in the best interest of the country and must be encouraged. Right, Centre and left all are equally important to ensure diversity in thought and ensure checks and balances. Tri-polar polity must have representation from all castes, religions, professions, classes so that the interest of all are served and protected when any one or two combinations are in power. In a electoral democracy, there is no guarantee that any particular coalition will remain in power perpetually. Therefore, in your own self interest, it is better to treat your political adversaries fairly, respectfully and decently and ensure their safety and security because if you do this they are likely to return the compliment when they come in power. All attempts must be made to ensure that coalition governments last their full term: mid-term elections are a drain on the national exchequer. The basic rule is: country is above the government, government is above the party, party is above an individual.

Tasks needed to be performed most urgently to change and convert low-moderate PCI to high PCI. These need to be addressed on a high priority basis:

• Governance and administration need to be strengthened and improved across all layers: Centre, State, District, Town, and Village.
• The executive, legislature and judiciary need to be restructured and reorganised to make it relevant for the times and must become public/customer service oriented, productive, responsive, accountable and target oriented.
• Domestic consumers, especially low-to-middle-income groups must get more bang for one buck (rupee).
• Economic growth should gradually shift from metro/urban centres to high-potential, high-yielding rural and semi-urban areas to ensure balanced development, arrest migration and initiate reverse migration.
• Infrastructure/civic facilities need to be visibly improved across urban centres (classified as top 5,000 comprising metros, cities and towns).
• Quality of education, enrolment, success rate at the primary, secondary, senior secondary levels must be dramatically improved.
• Need to initiate earn-while-you-learn scheme at higher secondary and college level.
• Internal insurgencies, low-to-middle level armed rebellions consuming 30 per cent of the Indian land mass should be successfully diffused. The most basic reasons for internal insugencies are: (1) Feeling of socio-economic exploitation among the oppressed/deprived. (2) Not extending basic respect/courtesies to members of so-called ‘lower castes and the deprived’. (3) Denying legitimate share of power/resources to local people. (4) Some sections of society trying to forcefully dominate and humiliate other ‘lower’ sections thereby hurting their sentiments and self respect. (5) Threats, intimidation and use of brutal force when all that is needed is understanding the other sections viewpoint with honest and open two-way communication.
• Need to bolster public confidence in the law enforcement agencies, police and judiciary.
• Urgent need to ensure peaceful and settling conditions along India’s international borders.
• Need to bridge unacceptably high income disparities and lifestyle gaps and dramatically reduce the size of the country’s have nots constituting 50-70 percent of the population. Bring these into the fold of lower-middle to middle-income groups.
• Law and order situation and policing across the country should be dramatically improved. The local beat constable must be viewed by the ordinary citizen as a protector and helper.
• Three major political groupings should work in tandem towards a common, long-term agenda, complementing each other’s strengths. They need to avoid animosity, intolerance, and confrontationist attitude towards competitors and should not regard the other political grouping as adversary/opponent.
• Political elite should show maturity in dealing with public or press criticism and disagreement in opinions.
• Governments in power at the Centre and states should show tolerance and initiate dialogue and accept suggestions from those opposing government policies or showing independent thinking.
• Civic sense/public service duty among citizens need to be increased. (As a first step voting for LS/Assembly elections must be made compulsory even if it means declaring that day as a holiday.)
• Need to eliminate shady underhand dealings, corruption and bring in transparency in public transactions. (Not all government servants or politicians are dubious. Therefore the good among the executive and legislature must periodically institute cleanliness drives and positive image making exercises).

The private sector and wealthy Indians should also come forward to help the have nots.
Suggestions for the private sector/wealthy Indians:

• Reserve 30% VACANCIES at the training/apprenticeship level for the have nots. After 1-2 years of probation absorb only the fittest and the best.
• Start scholarships for the have-nots in schools/colleges.
• Apart from paying income tax, corporate tax every worker/company in the organised sector must contribute 5% of his earnings to social/charitable causes as deemed fit and executed by the company.
• Invest sufficient funds for skill/knowledge development for the meritorious have nots.

Caveat: If you want to dream, dream big, beautiful and bold. Because if you can dream it, you can achieve it. India is a ‘free’ country. Freedom demands discipline. Discipline achieves what ambition seeks. Right now Indiscipline in India is 80 per cent. 

• Intellectual: To ensure universal secondary education by 2025. Break-up: At least 5 percent Ph.Ds, 15 per cent Post Graduates, 40 percent Graduates. Emphasise continuous learning and skill/knowledge upgradation. 
• To ensure thesis, research, scholarly projects address specific local/state/national/international issues and provide deep insights and solutions. Co-option between private/public research and development organisations to adapt, develop technology, products suitable for the Indian conditions keeping in mind the social structure. 
• To develop a strategic culture: politicians/political parties must bring in a 5-10 year agenda during elections; political parties’ advisory body must think 15-20 years ahead; key government think tanks must develop a strategic vision for the next 40-50 years; social bodies must think 80-100 years ahead.
• Premise: If you foresee and prepare, you will be better able to deal with the situation.

Economic: To ensure 7-8 per cent consistent annual GDP growth for the next 20 years and target a GDP (2025) of US$ 7-8 trillion from the current GDP (2005) US$690 billion. To ensure per capita income of US$ 4,500 by 2025 from the current per capita income of US$ 450. (Revised projections scaled down realistically from the original GDP projections of US$20-25 trillion by 2025 and double digit growth in December 2003 keeping in mind only 20 per cent models and systems in place).
Governance: To turn the bureaucracy and state machinery public-service oriented, customer-care oriented, productive, accountable, responsive, target-oriented with clearly defined deliverables. To install the intellectual systems and governing models in the legislature and executive at the national, state, district levels, and ensure proper fiscal management (revenues and expenditure). To always first think what is in the best interest of the public and then act accordingly.