South beats North on Governance
Posted on:December 18 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 1
A recent World Bank study has ranked India below its neighbours Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh in terms of Ease of Doing Business. This result can in significant part be attributed to the inefficiency of India's judicial systems. Drawing upon findings from PAC's recent study researching the diverging rates of development in India's Northern and Southern States, it is argued that political stability, law and order and judicial efficacy are key components to a governance environment conducive to both progressive public policymaking and investment.Places or People?
Posted on:November 20 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 0
The people-oriented view of migration expressed in this year's Human Development Report (HDR) is a refreshing take on a normally derided phenomenon. However the sheer population numbers may prevent these findings from being applicable in India. This article argues, with respect to rural-urban migration in India, a place-oriented policy which improves livelihoods and opportunities in rural settings would be preferred to one that encourages location change as per the HDR.Practising what we Preach: Transparency and Accountability in the Indian NGO Sector
Posted on:November 06 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 1
Worrying trends in official regulation of the NGO sector threaten to curb independence of NGOs. However, with the government increasingly seeking NGO's services and consultation, significant space still remains for NGOs to work constructively with government and demonstrate their commitment to accountability for the ultimate benefit of the lot of citizens nationwide.City growth: When big is not beautiful
Posted on:October 29 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 0
Rising incomes and population sizes in India's biggest cities necessitate a radical shift in urban policy. This article argues that further vertical development and more emphasis on public and non-car transport would result in more efficient and equitable outcomes in urban development.Rural Infrastructure and Citizen Monitoring
Posted on:September 30 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 0
An article on citizens monitoring of rural infrastructure by PAC's Citizen Action Support Group based on its practical experience in implementing its road construction monitoring tool across India.A Paradox of India's North-South Divide
Posted on:July 09 2009 | Author:megha | Comments: 1
The Public Affairs Centre has recently come out with a research paper studying the causes behind the vast disparities in development indices between the Northern and Southern Indian States. This is blog post aims primarily to give opportunity for discussion and comments on the report and its findings.Engendering ICT Policies and Praxis
Posted on:November 29 2008 | Author:megha | Comments: 8
A keyword found in most eulogies on e-governance is “equity”. As the magic of technology begin to unfold itself before the dazzled eyes of many policy makers, hitherto seemingly insurmountable problems like gender and social discrimination seems just a click away to oblivion. And for good reasons. Technological innovations have shown that historical and structural anomalies can be tackled in real time. The stupendous success of Grameen Phone in Bangladesh has shown a skeptical world how access to simple technologies could radically correct social imbalances and help the disadvantaged (in this case poor rural women) to chart new trajectories in their economic and social lives.From “Noise” to “Voice”
Posted on:March 13 2008 | Author:megha | Comments: 0
Meena Nair and Poonam Kaur recently attended a workshop run by HIVOS on driving and catalyzing change within civil society organizations. As part of the workshop, participants wrote and took part in small skits to demonstate change and empowerment through informed community engagement. Here is the skit that Meena and Poonam came up with.India Bribing! In Search of Anti Corruption’s Holy Grail
Posted on:January 28 2008 | Author:Gopathampi | Comments: 0
In an era where buzzwords and mantras have a shockingly short shelf life, Corruption has shown a remarkable longevity in hogging the spotlights for well over a decade now. Thanks to the never ending cascade of scams and exposes, the C-word has monopolized our lexicon on politics and governance. The long arm of corruption has left virtually no institution untouched – right from the obvious (politics) to the sublime (religion) and from Bollywood to Cricket.On the SSA Beat – Some vignettes from the field
Posted on:January 24 2008 | Author:bass | Comments: 0
During my weekend visit to my native place near Harihara, I decided to visit a few schools (including the one that I studied in!) to understand the grassroots level activities of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme in Karnataka.What's Wrong with Democracy in India
Posted on:December 26 2007 | Author:megha | Comments: 4
The list of casualties of India’s enviable democratic system include, ironically some “non negotiable” cornerstones of democracy: idealism, integrity, egalitarianism, justice and, of course, governance. However, even more vexing is the widely prevalent lack of common sense; very often, we hear (with a hint of derision) that common sense is not so common in ‘common’ people! Will this continue to be the mantra for the upwardly mobile Generation X in India?