NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
General Studies – 1
Topic: Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
1. Has religion increased the social cohesiveness in Indian society? Argue (250 Words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: India Today
Why the question:
There is debate about the use of religion for nation-building, including in school.
Key Demand of the question:
How religion act as a force of cohesiveness and solidarity, but at the same time it is divisive.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start by defining social cohesion i.e. Social cohesion is the degree of social integration and inclusion in communities and society at large, and the extent to which mutual solidarity finds expression itself among individuals and communities.
Body:
In the first part, argue how religion acts as force of social cohesion e.g. Religions in India do not reject the legacy of the past but absorb it, Religious customs and symbols help provide ethical teachings to society.
Then go on to argue how religion is decisive in nature e.g. Religion can be used to justify terrorism and violence, Religion as an institution that helps maintain patterns of social inequality.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a balanced argument about the nature of secularism and how it can be used in the future to glue Indian society for overall progress.
Introduction
Social cohesion is defined as the willingness of members of a society to cooperate with each other in order to survive and prosper. It involves building shared values and communities of interpretation, reducing disparities in wealth and income, and generally enabling people to have a sense that they are engaged in a common enterprise, facing shared challenges, and that they are members of the same community.
Body
Religion as a source of social cohesion
- Religion gives people the opportunity to share common values, create a sense of unity and foster a sense of community.
- Religious rituals, traditions, customs are not meaningless, but they contribute to social cohesion.
- Religious diversity is not always a source of conflict or societal dysfunction, but it enriches our life by discovering unity within diverse religious communities.
- Religious institutions serve a greater purpose for the betterment of humanity.
- Many faith communities encourage altruistic values such as compassion, kindness, and mercy for the greater good of humanity.
- Common goals and adherence to altruistic values help them collaborate with one another in constructing a healthy social environment.
- Moral philosophy emphasized by religious institutions establishes a sense of responsibility that transcends beyond personal to social responsibility.
Religion as source of conflict
- Religion, for many, is a source of conflict on various levels; social, economic, and political.
- Throughout world history, humanity has suffered greatly in the name of nationality and religion.
- There is a negative connotation with religion, because crusades, jihad, holy wars, or violence are part of religious history.
- Religious extremists can contribute to conflict escalation. They see radical measures as necessary to fulfilling God’s wishes.
- Many religions also have significant strains of evangelism, which can be conflictual. Believers are called upon to spread the word of God and increase the numbers of the flock.
- For example, the effort to impose Christianity on subject peoples was an important part of the conflict surrounding European colonization.
- Religious nationalists tend to view their religious traditions as so closely tied to their nation or their land that any threat to one of these is a threat to one’s existence.
- Therefore, religious nationalists respond to threats to the religion by seeking a political entity in which their faith is privileged at the expense of others.
Conclusion
Therefore, in part, the solution is to promote a heightened awareness of the positive peace building and reconciliatory role religion has played in many conflict situations. More generally, fighting ignorance can go a long way. Interfaith dialogue would be beneficial at all levels of religious hierarchies and across all segments of religious communities. Where silence and misunderstanding are all too common, learning about other religions would be a powerful step forward. Being educated about other religions does not mean conversion but may facilitate understanding and respect for other faiths. Communicating in a spirit of humility and engaging in self-criticism would also be helpful.
General Studies – 2
Topic: Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency, and Accountability, E-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
2. Discuss the potential of e-Governance, to improve public service delivery in India. (150 Words)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable
Key Demand of the question:
The importance of e-Governance in India
Directive word:
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:
Brief on e-Governance and its related aspects
Body:
First, define what is meant by Public services
Then, highlight the Status of Public service delivery in India
Then, mention the Role of E-governance in reforming Public service delivery
Finally, challenges and way forward associated could be mentioned as well
Conclusion:
A relevant closing statement
Introduction
E-Governance is basically associated with carrying out the functions and achieving the results of governance through the utilization of what has today come to be known as Information and Communications Technology. It is basically the application of ICT to the processes of Government functioning in order to bring about ‘Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent’ (SMART) governance.
Body:
Potential of e-governance in India
- Increased effectiveness and efficiency: Improved government services in terms of accomplishing the government purpose and functioning
- Better services: E-government can provide quick and timely services to stakeholders
- Transparency by dissemination and publication of information on the web: This provides easy access to information and subsequently makes the system publicly accountable. Also as the web enables the free flow of information, it can be easily accessed by all without any discrimination.
- Accessible anytime and anywhere: As e-government services are provided through web-enabled technology they can be accessed anytime and anywhere
- User-centred ICT enabled services: The services are primarily intended for the use of citizens, businesses, and the government itself
- Reduced cost and time: As the services are provided through internet they are effective in terms of time and cost
- Economic Development: The deployment of ICTs reduces the transaction costs, which makes services cheaper. For example, rural areas suffer on account of lack of information regarding markets, products, agriculture, health, education, weather, etc. and if all this could be accessed online would lead to better and more opportunities and thereby prosperity in these areas.
- Social Development: The access to information empowers the citizens. The informed citizenry can participate and voice their concerns, which can be accommodated in the programme/ project formulation, implementation, monitoring and service delivery. Web-enabled participation will counter the discriminatory factors affecting our societal behaviour.
- Reduced bureaucracy: E-government minimizes hierarchy of authority for availing any government services
- Automation of Administrative Processes: A truly e-governed system would require minimal human intervention and would rather be system driven.
- Enhanced communication and coordination between government organizations: An automated service can be accessed by different organizations coordination and further communication became relative
- Paper Work Reduction: An immediate impact of automation would be on the paperwork. Paperwork is reduced to a greater extent with communication being enabled via electronic route and storage and retrieval of information in the electronic form. All this has led to the emergence of less paper office’.
- Quality of Services: ICT helps governments to deliver services to citizens with greater accountability responsiveness and sensitivity. Quality of services improves, as now the people are able to, get services efficiently and instantaneously.
- Elimination of Hierarchy: ICT has reduced procedural delays caused by hierarchical processes in the organisation. Through Intranet and LAN, it has become possible to send information and data across various levels in the organisation at the same time.
- Change in Administrative Culture: Bureaucratic structures have been plagued by characteristics aptly described by Victor Thompson as ‘bureau-pathology’. From the day s of New Public Administration, efforts have been made to find ways to deal with the pathological or dysfunctional aspects of art.
- Strategic Information System: Changing organisational environment and increasing competitiveness have put pressures on the performance of the functionaries. Information regarding all aspects needs to be made available to the management at every point to make routine as well as strategic decisions.
Some of the e-Governance models implemented in India: Customs and Excise (Government of India); Indian Railways; Postal Department; Passport/Visa; Bhoomi – Automation of Land Records (State Government of Karnataka); Gyandoot: Intranet in Tribal District of Dhar (State Government of Madhya Pradesh); e-Mitra – Integrated Citizen Services Centre/ e-Kiosks (State Government of Rajasthan) etc.
Conclusion:
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, has visualized e-Governance in the Indian context to mean: “A transparent, smart e-Governance with seamless access, secure and authentic flow of information crossing the interdepartmental barrier and providing a fair and unbiased service to the citizen.”
Thus, e-Governance has led to better access to information and quality services for citizens; Simplicity, efficiency and accountability in the government and expanded reach of governance. In the light of wide range of e-Governance initiatives that have been carried out in India with varying degrees of success as well as the diversity of conditions in the country, the report recognizes that e-Governance projects have to be designed for specific contexts and environments
Topic: Pressure Groups & Formal/informal Associations & Their Role in Polity.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2022 Secure timetable
Key Demand of the question:
The importance of Self Help Groups in India
Directive word:
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:
Define Self-help groups and highlight their role in Indian society
Body:
First, elaborate on the statement in question
Then, mention how important SHGs are in Indian society
Then, discuss some of the issues SHG face in the society
Further, suggest some measures to address these issues
Conclusion:
A relevant closing statement
Introduction
A self-help group (SHG) is a village-based financial intermediary committee normally consist of 10–20 local women or men. When the formal financial system fails to help the needy, then small groups volunteer to cater to the needs of the financially weak by collecting, saving and lending the money on a micro scale. SHGs have gained wide recognition in most developing countries in Asia where their presence is quite pervasive
Body
Role of SHG’s in social action and economic empowerment in society
- Capital formation: Through micro-finance, many SHG’s have created valuable assets and capital in the rural areas and are sustaining livelihoods.
- Access to credit: SHGs provide better access to credit at acceptable and convenient terms. The members have been able to obtain loans for emergent productive and non-productive purposes on comparatively easy terms. This has reduced their dependence on local moneylenders to a large extent.
- Government initiative such as SHG-Bank linkage program is also increasing their financial inclusion and easy access to credit from formal institutions.
- Poverty Alleviation: The approach of poverty alleviation through SHG is the most effective means and suits the ongoing process of reforms based on the policy of decentralization.
- SHGs have given the poor the access to microfinance and consequently led to important changes in their access to productive resources such as land, water, knowledge, technology and credit.
- Employment generation: Self-employment activities such as collective farming, bee-keeping, horticulture, sericulture have been taken up by SHG’s.
- Social welfare: There are many successful cases where SHG women have come together to close liquor shops in their village.
- Rural infrastructure: Schemes such as Aajeevika express have helped SHG’s in creating transport in rural areas.
- Women empowerment: SHGs have been able to improve the skills of women to do various things by managing the available natural resources.
- It is estimated that more than 25 million rural women of India have been benefited by the Self Help Groups (SHG).
- As a group they can help each other to learn so many things along with the money management because most of the women in the rural areas have a very little knowledge for the management of money.
- g. Kudumbashree in Kerala has been a huge success. Kudumbashree café is an exemplary example of nurturing entrepreneurship through SHG’s.
- They also act as a delivery mechanism for various services like entrepreneurial training, livelihood promotion activity and community development programs.
Challenges faced
- There are issues like regional imbalance, less than ideal average loan size, lack of monitoring and training support by self-help group federations.
- Escalating non-performing assets of self-help group loans with banks.
- Several studies have also found issues related to governance, quality, transparency and irregularity in their functions.
- Low levels of literacy among the rural women.
- The study found that over time groups were disintegrating on account of coordination issues.
- Rural micro-enterprises run by SHG members suffer from critical bottlenecks, whether in raising funds for start-up, growth and working capital or accessing high-quality technical assistance.
Way Forward
- Government programs can be implemented through SHGs.
- This will not only improve the transparency and efficiency but also bring our society closer to Self-Governance as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi.
- Constant and enduring structural handholding support from the self-help group promoting institutions (SHPIs).
- Frequent awareness camps can be organised by the Rural Development department authorities to create awareness about different schemes.
- Periodic capacity-building of all members, to make the group the collective.
- With the Government’s focus on digital financial inclusion, investing in training of group members for transition towards technological platforms.
- It is important to invest in providing the right kind of support to maximize the impact these groups can have on livelihoods.
- Emphasising SHG movement on women’s entrepreneurship as an engine of growth in rural India.
- There should not be any discrimination among members based on caste, religion or political affiliations
Conclusion
SHG approach is an enabling, empowering, and bottom-up approach for rural development that has provided considerable economic and non-economic externalities to low-income households in developing countries. SHG approach is being hailed as a sustainable tool to combat poverty, combining a for-profit approach that is self-sustaining, and a poverty alleviation focus that empowers low-income households. It is increasingly becoming a tool to exercise developmental priorities for governments in developing countries.
Value addition
Evolution of SHGs
- The concept evolved over decades and was pioneered by Noble laureate Mohammad Yunus as Self Help Groups (SHGs) in 1970s.
- SHG movement in India gained momentum after 1992, when NABARD realized its potential and started promoting it.
- NABARD’s SHG-Bank Linkage Program (SBLP) connected group members to formal financial services.
- Over the last two decades, the SBLP has proven to be a great medium for social and economic empowerment for rural women.
- India has witnessed state-led promotion of SHGs through a three-tiered architecture of community institutions at group, village and cluster level.
- In 1999, Government of India, introduced Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarojgaar Yojana (SGSY) to promote self- employment in rural areas through formation and skilling of SHGs.
General Studies – 3
Topic: Mobilization of Resources
Difficulty level: Tough
Reference: Live Mint, Insights
Why the question:
The government will launch SPV for the planned monetization of land and non-core assets of state-owned companies. Also, the government launched National Monetization Pipeline last year.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the need and challenges of asset monetization.
Directive word:
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 by defining what is asset monetization and give current context to it for the Indian Economy.
Body:
Enumerate rationale behind asset monetization e.g. Government PSU is one of the largest owners of land and if monetization well, they can be used for government revenues as well as generating growth.
Also, mention how the assets will be monetized.
Discuss some lacuna with this policy as well as challenges it will face.
Then go on to list government steps in this direction e.g. National monetization pipeline. Also, suggest what more should be done.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
Introduction
Prime minister of India last year announced investment opportunities worth ₹2.5 trillion in the national asset monetisation pipeline mentioned in the Budget through sale of around 100 assets of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).
Body:
National monetisation Pipeline
- The target is to monetize around 100 assets in oil, gas, port, airport, railways and power sectors to raise about Rs 90,000 crore in the current financial year. For instance, the Indian Railways has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land across the country and many road projects are in the pipeline for monetization as well.
- The government is increasingly looking to monetize physical assets such as land, buildings and brownfield operational assets like roads, railways stations, pipelines, mobile towers, etc. to raise resources in recent times.
- In addition, the Ministry of Shipping is in the process of recycling 11 assets, including 10 berths and the International Cruise Terminal at Goa Port. While in the telecom sector, BSNL and MTNL towers are planned to be monetized.
Review of previous asset monetization exercises
- Learnings from past success: Since 2016, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been deploying the Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) model for asset monetization in the highways sector.
- Furthermore, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already completed the privatization of six identified airports (Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, and Guwahati).
- The railway station redevelopment program was among the initial projects which involved monetization of physical assets.
- As part of this initiative, Habibganj and Gandhinagar railway stations are being redeveloped into airport-like world class stations by the Indian Railways Station Development Corporation (IRSDC)
- Learnings of the past failures: The government has faced many challenges in its asset monetization efforts in the past.
- Lack of proper maintenance of asset register and title and encroachment issues have adversely affected the Indian Railways’ plan to monetize its land.
- Furthermore, the progress of the flagship railway station redevelopment program has been marred by improper planning including land unavailability, delayed approvals and clearances, policy constraints and lack of coordination among stakeholders.
- The current market conditions and legacy real estate industry issues could further impact the progress.
- In the roads sector, refinancing remains an issue considering the long-term nature of the TOT concessions despite the model providing more certainty of cash flows to the investors than under the greenfield projects.
- So far, the TOT model has witnessed limited participation in all its previous packages or bundles.
- Further, the unprecedented situation caused by COVID-19 which has severely impacted the toll collections could delay the asset monetization plan of NHAI.
- Clarity on the number, size and type of assets that would come to the market would instil confidence among investors who are looking to acquire a specific package or category of assets.
Measures to make National Monetization Pipeline a success
- NITI Aayog has therefore suggested the creation of an Empowered Group of Secretaries for fast approval and clearances under the railway station redevelopment program.
- An underlying objective of asset monetization is to raise resources for future investments into the sector. The Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) model which provides a way for recycling of capital invested in operational assets in an efficient manner, could be adopted to achieve the desired objective.
- In the power sector, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently approved monetization of the transmission assets of the state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) through InvIT model.
- Another advantage of this model is that it would attract both domestic and global investors, including sovereign wealth funds, retail investors and institutional investors such as pension funds.
Conclusion:
Monetization of public assets is a complex and rigorous process that involves stakeholders’ management, efficient coordination, and detailed due diligence of the technical, operational and financial aspects of the assets. Successful implementation of the monetization exercise will ease the burden on existing projects, enable asset value unlocking, and propel economic growth. As a way forward, asset monetization could be a game changer for the infrastructure investment in India.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
Geopolitics of mineral resources are changing and UPSC too asked a related Qn on this in this year’s mains.
Key Demand of the question:
How critical minerals are important for clean energy transition and how India can secure it.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Give an overview of India’s carbon neutrality aim.
Body:
Explain how the geopolitics of energy resources are changing e.g. china owns over 80% of the supply of critical minerals necessary for clean energy transitions.
Enumerate steps India can take to secure its energy security e.g. fostering innovation and investment across the entire chain of power generation, storage, and supply, use of 3R formula: Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose.
Conclusion:
Suggest the need for the world to collaborate and share resources and technology to meet the climate goals as well as ensure sustainable use of resources.
Introduction
At the onset of CoP-26 in Glasgow, developed countries led the push for a net-zero world. India has shown determination by setting a target of carbon neutrality by 2070. Reducing emissions is as vital to the effort as removing carbon. A transition from fossil-fuel-based energy to renewable sources holds the key.
Currently, nearly 40% of India’s installed power capacity and 25% of electricity generation is non-fossil-fuel based, with renewable energy (including large hydro plants) at 37% and 22%. Yet, multiple hurdles lie in the country’s path from coal-based to clean renewable energy.
Body
Geopolitics of resources
- India’s transition to cleaner energy aimed at carbon neutrality is contingent on the timely and adequate availability of these minerals.
- In the short run, the supply of minerals is limited by existing knowledge of mines and technologies for extraction, which makes them price inelastic.
- Indeed, their prices are expected to skyrocket as more countries speed up their energy transition.
- Further buoyancy in expectations of a global energy transition and the concentration of many minerals’ production (like lithium, neodymium and graphite mainly in China), may drive up demand and prices, creating bottlenecks for climate action.
- With developed countries as front-runners of net-zero emission plans, India must avert the risks of being a late adopter to ensure smooth availability.
- China’s extractionary foreign policy in Africa and other Central Asian nations show the need for India to fasten its partnership to secure the supply of mineral resources. Especially when China and Pakistan are antagonistic neighbours.
India securing a place in the new energy order
- A long-run solution to finite mineral reserves and mounting price pressures would be a 3R formula: Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose. This idea is to effectively shift the dependency of our energy transition from primary minerals (freshly mined and processed) to secondary minerals.
- The steel industry, for example, has identified ways to recycle steel, reduce its dependence on iron ore and shrink the carbon footprint of steel production.
- The recycling of other minerals like copper and aluminium at affordable costs is also crucial, as demand for these soars.
- Also, the recycling of solar panels, wind turbine blades and electric batteries would ensure that renewable energy remains clean from start to end, by saving us the hassle of waste disposal from clean energy systems.
- From electric vehicles to solar cells, India is doubling down for ‘green’ and renewable energy sources to reduce its dependence on carbon-intensive sources like coal.
-
- From electric vehicles to solar cells, India is doubling down for ‘green’ and renewable energy sources to reduce its dependence on carbon-intensive sources like coal.
- India also has an agreement with the Lithium triangle nations of Latin America Chile, Bolivia and Argentina for supply of Lithium. This is aimed at ensuring at least 30% vehicles are electric vehicles in India by 2030.
- A whopping ₹86,200.65 crores budget that has been allocated to the Ministry of Atomic Energy this year in what appears to be an effort to combat carbon emissions.
Conclusion
The reuse and repurposing of what exists could enhance our energy storage capacity. Innovation must be encouraged to discover ways to reuse and repurpose batteries. Key minerals like lithium need to be conserved. India’s journey towards carbon neutrality requires a holistic approach in fostering innovation and investment across the entire chain of power generation, storage and supply.
General Studies – 4
Topic: Case study
Syllabus: Work Culture
Why the question?
Increasing cases of bank fraud and corporate mismanagement in the society in recent times.
Structure of the answer
Introduction
Summarize the ethical and moral values involved in the case study in a brief manner
Body
- Identify the stakeholder’s involved and ethical dilemmas in the case study
- Highlight the options available for you- discussing their pros and cons
- Provide a course of action chosen by you- justify your course of action by quoting any ethical philosophy to justify the action.
- You can give any examples of actions taken by leaders in a similar situation to further justify your course of action.
Conclusion
Suggest ways through which corporate frauds as highlighted in the case study could be prevented in society.
Introduction
Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices, and processes by which a firm is directed and controlled. Corporate governance essentially involves balancing the interests of a company’s many stakeholders, such as shareholders, senior management executives, customers, suppliers, financiers, the government, and the community.
When good corporate governance is abandoned, a company runs the risk of collapse, and shareholders stand to suffer substantially.
Body
Stakeholders in the case
- Myself as Chief Finance Officer
- Chairman
- Tribal unemployed youths
- Current employees
- Company investors and shareholders
Ethical issues involved
- Bad corporate governance and hoodwinking shareholders
- False basis of acquiring loan
- Fraudulent reporting of profits
- Transparency issues
Options available
- Option #1: Over report the profit
Merits: It would provide employment to many tribal youths by acquiring the loan.
Demerits: Possibility of failure of the new project which would not only make the youth in a worse situation but also wind up the company itself. Shareholders kept in dark and also the financial institution would incur losses, which otherwise it could have given to a better project.
- Option #2: Defying the chairman and reporting correctly
Demerits: Financial institution may deny loan and the project may not take off. This would mean that tribal youth may not get opportunity to be employed and earn livelihoods.
Merits: Transparency in company’s accounting and course correction at the right time can be taken. The financial institution may still extend loan due to good corporate governance and accountability. It would also protect the current employees and their interests.
Course of Action and Justification
I would go with option 2 for the obvious reasons that it would protect company and its interests. The employees will not be penalised for bad executive actions. Many livelihoods will be saved and company can reform in the short term and recoup its profits to desired level. Can intervene in places where there is a wastage and come up with new strategy to improve profits.
One of the biggest purposes of corporate governance is to set up a system of rules, policies, and practices for a company – in other words, to account for accountability. Each major piece of the “government” – the shareholders, the board of directors, the executive management team, and the company’s employees – is responsible to the others, therefore keeping them all accountable. Part of this accountability is the fact that the board regularly reports financial information to the shareholders, which reflects the corporate governance principle of transparency.
Conclusion
A company’s corporate governance is important to investors since it shows a company’s direction and business integrity. Good corporate governance helps companies build trust with investors and the community. As a result, corporate governance helps promote financial viability by creating a long-term investment opportunity for market participants.
Topic: Quality of Service delivery, utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption
Why the question?
Digitization of welfare services in the country and issues arising out of it; oral instructions given by higher-ups and issues arising out of it.
Structure of the answer
Introduction
You can summarize the case study in a brief manner or highlight the importance of transparency and accountability in delivery of public services.
Body
- Highlight the challenges for you in the case
- Highlight the options available for you- discussing their pros and cons
- Provide a course of action chosen by you- justify your course of action by quoting any ethical philosophy to justify the action.
- You can give any examples of actions taken by leaders in a similar situation or you can quote any judgments given by the courts or the recommendations made by any committees to further justify your course of action
Conclusion
Suggest ways through which issues like this could be handled practically in the society in present times.
Introduction
Delivery of public services especially disbursal of pensions must be streamlined as the public is highly dependent on it. As a fair democratic precept, transparency and accountability strengthens democracy, develops trust among its citizens, encourages observance of ethics in public service, and improves public service delivery.
Body
Ethical Stakeholders
- Myself as Block Development officer
- The beneficiaries of pension
- Government
- Public welfare
Issues and challenges in the case
- Timely disbursal of funds to the dependent pensioners.
- Livelihoods of people at stake against a biometric machine hindering disbursal
- Lack of proper infrastructure like mobile networks and internet connectivity. Quality of life of people suffers in the process.
- Erosion of faith in governance process.
Course of action
The main objective is to ensure that the funds are disbursed on time. And if the app is not working, then I would ensure that manual disbursal takes place. Simultaneously, I will also call the vendors of biometric system to rectify the errors in the machine. On the other hand, I will write to higher authorities to ensure that the area has good connectivity and internet so that failure of biometrics is lesser in the future. A fall-back option must always be provided to those when the biometrics does not work. Pensioners cannot be penalised for issues of administration.
Delivery of various public goods and services is one basic responsibility of the State. The State has a very important role to play in making available some essential public goods and services, which ensures certain minimum level of well-being to everyone in need of those. Financial and other resources under command of the State are always limited and, therefore, the services are to be delivered efficiently and effectively to ensure desired level of welfare to all the citizen and within as short time as possible.
Conclusion
Delivery of services to the poor needs special mention because of their dependency on public services for survival and coming out of the vicious cycle of poverty and poor human development. Hence it is the duty of an officer or civil servant to ensure timely services especially when it comes to financial distribution.
Commitment to change the institutional arrangement for transforming the delivery system is the urgent need for improving services to the poor. That requires proper understanding of how public services are produced and delivered and what are the institutional arrangements in maintaining quality of the services and reaching the same to the people.
