Abstract
Improving administrative efficiency has been an important area of attention in the discipline of public administration. It is a complex process which needs to be deconstructed. The present edition, comprising eight articles, two notes and six book reviews, explores the hardware as well as the software to figure out strategies deployed by the stakeholders to achieve the same.
The article by Bala Ramulu Chinnala and Devendra Poola traces the contours of the governance of rights-based welfare policies focused on economic security (employment and food) and human development (healthcare and education). Introducing the Integrated Welfare Provisioning Model for Economic and Human Development (IWP-EHD), the authors argue that the sustainability of India’s welfare system relies on integrated governance that reinforces rights-based citizenship, rather than on the expansion of fragmented schemes or symbolic asset distribution.
The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023, marks a crucial milestone for Indian women’s political representation. Partha Pratim Borah, Ankur Jyoti Bhuyan and Prafulla Nath attempt to assess the potential of its impact as well as the associated risks. The authors argue that the empowerment needs to go beyond mere seat allocation. They emphasise that dismantling India’s deeply rooted patriarchal structures requires a fundamental shift towards active female leadership and agency.
Most of the urban local bodies in India have been resource-scarce. A steady decline in the proportion of own-source revenue has made matters worse, and there is increased reliance on government transfers. This reliance undermines local financial autonomy, erodes administrative efficiency and leaves municipalities highly vulnerable to external pressures. Mercy S. Samuel and Rashi Mathur analyse property tax administration through a comprehensive assessment framework designed to pinpoint revenue leakages, uncover untapped fiscal potential and provide strategic policy recommendations to suggest ways for restoring municipal financial capacity and long-term sustainability.
Tehsildar is a very old institution in Indian administration. Raj Kumar Siwach, through his empirical study, has tried to find out the impact of digital transformation on the role of this office and the challenges faced by it in the revenue administration. He argues that effective digital governance of land administration requires institutional strengthening, protection of administrative autonomy and contextually grounded policy reforms alongside the deployment of technology.
India is a vast country, and the digital transformation is touching administration everywhere. Therefore, it is important that an assessment is made of the efficacy of the systems and processes put in place, especially in the sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir. Naseer Ahmed Kalis, Mohd Monir Alam, Danish Javed and Farooq Ahmad Waza, in their study, found out that digital governance has significantly improved public service delivery and administrative efficiency, particularly through e-governance initiatives and online public service delivery. They found significant positive relationships between perceived barriers and perceived needs for improvement, confirming that experiential constraints strongly shape citizens’ reforms expectations.
While the two articles mentioned above have found the benefits of digitalisation, there is another side to it too. Ipsita Hati and Bikram Keshari Mishra have examined the women’s vulnerabilities to cybercrimes and evaluated their awareness of cyber laws in the twin Tier-II cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The authors emphasise that securing a safer digital ecosystem and fostering meaningful online engagement for women requires robust digital governance frameworks, swift institutional interventions and targeted awareness campaigns.
Gadadhar Mohapatra, in his article, which is based on his study carried out in Odisha, has tried to assess the impact of the Government of Odisha’s Mission Shakti programme on rural women’s empowerment through self-help groups. The study was conducted in the KBK districts of Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput and Subarnapur. He emphasises the need for stronger institutional support, inclusive participation, livelihood diversification and the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion principles to achieve sustainable and inclusive women’s empowerment in rural Odisha.
Gyana Ranjan Panda, Priyank Goswami and Suresh Kumar Patra, in their exhaustive article, have attempted to find the relationship between conflict, governance and the status of social sector expenditure. The authors examine the social sector expenditure in Jammu and Kashmir from 1995 to 2022, analysing spending trends across three political phases and comparing developmental outcomes between regions and districts. They have analysed the data using the theory of change framework, which they find to be the most suitable and replicable model for evaluating governance reforms in conflict-affected and post-conflict regions.
In addition to the above articles, this edition includes two Notes—‘Why Reforms Sometimes Fail to Cure Performance Disorders: A Research Note’, by M. J. Balogun, and ‘Security Proceedings and Public Order: Divergences in Law and Practice’, by Dipankar Choudhary.
The book reviews include Why the Constitution Matters, edited by D. Y. Chandrachud, which has been reviewed by Ahmed Raza. Jeevan Kumar has reviewed Foreign Policy Decision-making in India: A Political Psychology Perspective, authored by Shivaputra S. Patagundi. Khushboo Goel has reviewed Indigenous Peoples in the International Arena: The Global Movement for Self-determination, edited by Elsa Stamatopoulou. Development Strategies and Governance in India: Predicaments and Challenges, edited by Bala Ramulu Chinnala, has been reviewed by Nagendra Ambedkar Sole. Everyday State, Development and the Politics of the Everyday, edited by Biswaranjan Tripura, has been reviewed by Nisha. Lastly, Security Integration in the Post-Soviet Space and Collective Security Treaty Organization: Roadmap for Future Cooperation, a book authored by Ramkrushna Pradhan and Sukanya Kakoty, has been reviewed by Shubhangi Rajabhau Amble.