Administrative Responsiveness in India (Perceptions, Analysis and Model Building)

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Administration in India is in a state of flux. The responsiveness of administrative agencies and officials to the needs and expectations of the citizens and the society is on the decline. Hence, it needs a sound workable mechanism to ensure that all the related and operative forces play a constructive role in making administration more ethical, humane, responsible, accountable and responsive. An essential requirement is to train and sensitize the political leaders and administrators to each other's role and make them perform in accordance with an established code of conduct for the overall development and betterment of the society. At the same time, a spirit of deserve and then desire has to be inculcated among the citizens. Local institutions also need to be strengthened and supplementary channels promoted to facilitate the administration.

In spite of the tendency to dub administrative responsiveness as a populist slogan, it is being gradually realised that it has socio-psychological dimensions in the context of contemporary administrative realities. The present work examines the problem in the light of the viewpoints and perceptions of top political leaders and administrators. The authors have also analysed various trends in this regard, and considered the interaction between different components of the society impinging on the responsiveness of administration. Finally the authors have offered an administrative responsiveness model which seeks to apprise the students and practitioners of Public Administration, political functionaries and institutions and above all the citizens of the role they have to play in this respect.

A book that would be found useful by students of Public Administration, practicing administrators and political functionaries.

Pardeep Sahni (b. 1955) has a Masters degree in Public Administration and Political Science from Punjab University, Chandigarh, and Ph.D. from Punjabi University, Patiala. After serving the Punjabi University in the Public Administration Department he worked as the seniormost faculty in Public Administration in the Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Chandigarh. This assignment provided him an opportunity to study and observe the administrative mechanism, procedures, and the role and attitude of officials at the state, district, and grassroots levels. This experience has helped him substantially in the present study. He is now the seniormost faculty in the Public Administration Department in the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. Besides three books, he has published a number of research papers and articles in Indian and foreign journals.

E. Vayunandan (b. 1957) did his post-graduation in Public Administration from Osmania University, Hyderabad. He has more than eight years research and teaching experience. He is now on the Faculty of Public Administration in the Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Public administration as a discipline is a specialised body of knowledge. There may be differences in regard to the specifics of the knowledge and its scope and boundaries but there is substantial unanimity with regard to the study of its various components, viz., politico-legal institutions and their processes; economic and social institutions and their processes; concepts of organisation and administration; financial administration concepts, tools and techniques; and techniques of analysis.

Public administration, in the words of Fredrick Mosher, "is a reasonably clear-cut occupational field which offers a lifetime career to its members". Besides being a reasonably defined occupational field and specialised body of knowledge, public administration is an ideal of service and indicator of proper conduct and functionalism in the field. As a system it could be likened to the skeletal system in a human body which cannot function without the former.

The dependence on the government is increasing every day. The governmental administrative system has proliferated in innumberable areas. Commenting upon the issue "What's gone wrong with Public Administration", Peter Self poses a question. Has Public Administration become overloaded with excessive responsibilities and expectations? According to him, overloading of Public Administration refers to the increased expectations which have further led to a substantive increase in formal tasks and responsibilities of the government.

A number of issues stem out of the point made by Peter Self: Why has the governmental administration taken so much upon it? Has the increase been forced on it by the political system? Is it because the private entrepreneurs do not wish to enter into the concerned areas? Is it that the administrative organisations do not want to part with authority because of their own interests? Is the governmental administration doing justice to its responsibilities? What support and cooperation is the administration getting from political parties, pressure groups, voluntary organisations, and citizens for performing its tasks? And, is the administration keen to create supplemental channels or seek support and co-operation from the rest?