Innovations in governance

Change is inevitable so  is the innovation in governance. The other day I was talking to a collector Mandla in MP. He carried out many innovative solutions to governance issues such as reduction in black marketing of kerosene oil in Public Distribution system, solving water logging in river Narmada permanently  at district Head Quarter by removing hillock logging flood water. He then used MNREGA funds for developing sustainable assets rather simply distributing unemployment allowance. Another important intervention was quarterly distribution of PDS items to BPL & AAY families. But these innovative governance issues have never been published by state government. It could have strengthened the climate of learning organizations. There is a need in all the states to get the governance interventions documented & circulated.

Corruption is free to all. One can possess as much as one can.

The corruption is god given. Adam & Haua had tasted this. More & more value ridden is the society, less & less corrupt it would be. We have stopped giving importance to high values. Our behaviour impacts our next generation of the family & the society. They imvibe values from our behaviour. Therefore if we are concerned with corruption, we need to improve our behaviour.

Masters Programme in Development Management

I was searching the web to know who is conducting graduate level courses on development management. I found only one organization is conducting the PGD Programme in Development Management. But that too focuses more on preparing the candidates for managing NGO. This is much different than the courses being run by UK Schools like LSE. In US the subject is handled as Public Affairs & Policies. Some of them run as Governance. With that tone in India IIM Bangalore & IIM Ahmedabad started these courses in collaboration with University of Curacuse. Now MDI has announced the programme. BIMTECH another organization running this course. There is dire need to run such courses in the country. IIDM should seriously think on this issue in India is to lead the world.

Development Department being ruined by administrators for personal reasons

The other day I was talking to a senior officer of International agency about the scenario of Health Department in a State. He quipped that I stopped now taking interest in any new innovations. He said that the bureaucrats   in the helm of affairs have developed their own likings & dislikings for research & consulting organizations & individuals. They say in open that the study be given to this or that organization & not to that. He says the names suggested by them are useless ones & who are no way comparable with the shortlisted organizations. This personal liking & disliking for consulting & research agencies had damaged the growth of the department. The bureacrates starting treating the department as their fifedom though they are public servant supposed to serve the public. The duties, responsibilities, powers & authorities are given to them for good governance & not for satisfying personal egos. The whims & fancies of Head of the Departments if not controlled it will affect the governance. There are few departmental heads who think that they are the most honest persons in the universe but all others are dishonest. This results into concentration of power & centralization of decisions to such a level that speed of work slows down resulting into disaster.  But unfortunately the disaster in development department is not visible in the immediate future, it takes a decade or so. By that time this culprit would have moved to another place to damage for his sedestic pleasure.