Governance

KEY POINTS

Developed Vs Developing

·         Bureaucracy is new in developing countries compared to developed countries.

·         Developed countries efficiently deal with its citizens, who are slow in responding to bureaucracy.

·         Because, the societies that they governed were mostly individualised and are prepared to function bureaucratically.

·         But, in developing countries institutionally, people are not bureaucracy-receptive resulted in rigid and strict bureaucracy.

·         These regulations force people to change their behaviour and dynamics instantly.

·         And also, it didn’t address the slow responders efficiently.

Inefficiency in coping with slow responders

·         In societies such as India, citizen-state interaction is historically built on patronage and personal relations; bureaucratic forms of engagement are recent.

·         The ‘modern’ forms of citizen-state engagement through the bureaucracy do not go well with ‘traditional’ citizens.

·         Societies carry a historical burden of norms and customs.

·         Mostly informal in nature, these institutions cannot be changed overnight.

·         It will take some time for the traditional citizens to respond to the newer bureaucracy.

·         (E.g.) Even though, Swach bharat mission have been given such full impetus, people will only adapt to such practices slowly and gradually.

·          If the bureaucracy is not empathetic to those who are slow in responding, it will be hugely damaging to society as a whole.

·         (E.g.) The recent starvation death of a girl in Jharkhand due to the ration supplies cut off for non-linking Aadhar with ration card. 

Solutions

·         In diverse societies, bureaucracies have to be contextual, and therefore emotional.

·         Design framework for bureaucracy to be emotional rather than a mere catalogue.

·         New laws and regulations introduced in any society must recognise the informal social norms society is predicated upon.

·         Bureaucracy must be designed for everyone, and not just for the urban elites.