Subject: GS 4
Syllabus: Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration
Questions
- What is good governance and how is transparency in government organisations important to attain it? (150 Words, 10 Marks)
- Covid-19 wreaked havoc all over India. Explain how social influence and persuasion played a role in containing the pandemic. (150 words, 10 Marks)
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Model Structures
Q1. What is good governance and how is transparency in government organisations important to attain it? (150 words)
Introduction
- The World Bank defines governance as “the method through which power is exercised in the management of a country's political, economic and social resources for development.” Whereas good governance is more qualified with parameters like participatory, consensus oriented, responsive, transparent, accountable, equitable and inclusive.
Main Body
- Of all the parameters, transparency is most important because it ensures fairness in decision making and availability of information in the public domain. Importance of transparency includes-
- Allows stakeholders access to information which is critical to their interests.
- Ensures enforcement of rules and regulations upholding core values of public service.
- Opens channels of communication with flawless decision making.
- It enhances public scrutiny thus building public trust.
- Its philosophy is that people are not subjects to be governed but citizens to be empowered.
- Few initiatives to enhance transparency include- Right to Information Act, citizens charter, social audits, e-governance initiatives like MyGov.in, e-choupal etc.
Conclusion
- Thus transparency is a virtue of a healthy government-citizen relationship which makes the government honest and truthful to its communities. As aptly stated by Mahatma Gandhi, “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
Q2. Covid-19 wreaked havoc all over India. Explain how social influence and persuasion played a role in containing the pandemic. (150 words)
Introduction
- Social influence and persuasion was used as a tool by government, administration and civil society organizations at macro level, and citizens at micro level to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. It started with nationwide lockdown and is continuing in the form of a pan India vaccination drive.
Main body
- Social influence and persuasion helped in following ways-
- They both are pivotal to bring behavioural changes to solve any problem which has a domino effect.
- Initially, the biggest weapon was social distancing to break the chain. Here also persuasion by political leaders, sportsmen and celebrities came handy.
- In India, social influencing was done by disseminating information on COVID-19 symptoms and remedies by radio, caller tunes and social media.
- Political leaders disseminated do’s and don'ts through their speeches. This aspect requires mass appeal for persuasion.
- Later, the effects of social influence and persuasion were visible as COVID-19 curve started to flatten.
- Covid appropriate behaviour was followed when citizens were persuaded and socially influenced as others were doing the same.
- Social influence and persuasion is a double edged sword as was visible with a lot of fake news-
- News of corona virus spreading through eggs affected the poultry industry.
- Lot of chaos was spread on railway stations when migrants were trying to return to their native place.
- Though the end was right i.e to divert attention of people from pandemic and prevent chaos and panic, the means used by certain sections of the media was not appropriate.
Conclusion
- Thus social influence and persuasion are effective to deal with the social issues as these are democratic and in line with preferring assertion over enforcement. It helps bring behavioral change gradually and sustainably.
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