Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
4. To what extent do you think that the citizens of a country should be actively involved in law and policy making? Discuss (250 words)
Reference: Indian Express
Why the question:
The article explains why citizens must have a say in how the nation’s laws and policies are made.
Key Demand of the question:
Reasons for the importance of actively involving citizens in the law and policy making paradigm of the country.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with brief context of the question.
Body:
Explain that a transparent consultation process must be initiated to design a law on public participation in law and policy making and to regulate lobbying and advocacy in an equitable manner.
Discuss that inequitable access to and exclusion from law and policy-making processes is a relatively unexplored yet crucial social justice issue. It manifests in procedures which are designed to deny opportunity, exclude diverse voices, create constraints of technology, language and time, as well as disable meaningful consultations, especially with those critical of a law or policy.
Discuss the pros and cons of public participation in decision, law and policy making of the government.
Conclusion:
Conclude that a transparent consultation process must be initiated to design a law on public participation in law and policy-making and to regulate lobbying and advocacy in an equitable manner.
