2. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Public administration is like any other administration which is carried out in
public interest. Before we dwell deeper into understanding public
administration it would be beneficial to try and see how different authors
have tried to define what administration is.
Marx defines administration as - Administration is determined action taken
in pursuit of a conscious purpose. It is the systematic ordering of affairs and
the calculated use of resources aimed at making those happen which one
wants to happen.
According to L D White, Public administration consists of all those
operations having for their purpose the fulfillment or enforcement of public
policy.
3. The Future of Public Administration
As the world around us is changing with concomitant changes in politics, business, economics,
and society, the field of public administration cannot be aloof from the need to innovate and
change. As the public sector in many developed countries feels the need to move beyond the
static and machine bureaucratic paradigm, the public sector in the third world and the
developing countries is also in the throes of adapting to the broader changes happening in
society.
With the increased awareness among the citizenry and the rapid spread of information along
with use of technology and social media, the public sector in the west and the east has to
wake up to the new realities and cannot be an ostrich or a fossil among the nimble and agile
private sector. This is the key theme of this article that looks at the future of public
administration around the world in an era of rapid change. There cannot be a more
compelling case for proactive public sector rather than a reactive public sector as the future
catches them and they can only survive by adapting to the future.
The ways in which the public sector can innovate include using technology more proactively,
collaborating and communicating within and with the external world, adopting a more humane
approach to administration and attending to the grievances of the citizenry, and most
importantly “walking the talk” which meant that they had to not only declare their intent but
also have to act accordingly.
4. CONTINUE
The first item for the government of the future would be to remove the
opaqueness and the secrecy surrounding its activities and instead embrace
accountability and transparency as the motto. For instance, the government of
the future is one where the citizenry is made aware of the decisions taken by it
rather than hiding under archaic laws and regulations in the name of
confidentiality.
Apart from this, the government of the future is one that is proactive instead
of reactive where it anticipates the changing trends and responds accordingly
instead of knee jerk reactions to events and incidents. This means that the
public servants have to be responsive to all the stakeholders including their
superiors, the elected representatives, and most importantly the citizenry
instead of favoring a particular section over the other. In other words, the
government of the future would be responsive instead of secretive and
accountable instead of resorting to blame game, and would be transparent
instead of being opaque.
5. INDIAN GOVERNMENT
E-GOVERNANCE PLAN
The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) is an initiative of the Government of India to
make all government services available to the citizens of India via electronic
media.[2] NeGP was formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (DeitY) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG). The Government approved the National e-Governance Plan, consisting of 27
"Mission Mode Projects" (MMPs) and Tencomponents, on 18 May 2006.[1]
The 11th report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, titled "Promoting e-
Governance - The Smart Way Forward", established the government's position that an
expansion in e-Government was necessary in India.[2] The ARC report was submitted to
the Government of India on 20 December 2008.[3] The report cited several prior
initiatives as sources of inspiration, including references to the Singapore ONE
programme. To pursue this goal, the National e-Governance Plan was formulated by the
Department of Information Technology (DIT) and Department of Administrative Reforms
& Public Grievances (DAR&PG). The program required the development of new
applications to allow citizen access to government services through Common Service
Centers; it aimed to both reduce government costs and improve access to services.
6. CONCEPT OF SMART CITY IN INDIA
A smart city is an urban development vision to integrate multiple information
and communication technology (ICT) solutions in a secure fashion to manage a
city’s assets – the city’s assets include, but not limited to, local departments
information systems, schools, libraries, transportation systems, hospitals, power
plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement, and
other community services.
The goal of building a smart city is to improve quality of life by using
technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet residents’ needs. ICT
allows city officials to interact directly with the community and the
city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city, how the city is
evolving, and how to enable a better quality of life. Through the use of sensors
integrated with real-time monitoring systems, data are collected from citizens
and devices - then processed and analyzed. The information and knowledge
gathered are keys to tackling inefficiency.
7. CONTINUING
What is a 'smart city'?
A city equipped with basic infrastructure to give a decent quality of life, a clean and sustainable
environment through application of some smart solutions.
Basic infrastructure
Assured water and electricity supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and
public transport, robust IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation, safety and security of
citizens.
Smart solutions
Public information, grievance redressal, electronic service delivery, citizens’ engagement, waste to energy &
fuel, waste to compost, 100% treatment of waste water, smart meters & management, monitoring water
quality, renewable source of energy, efficient energy and green building, smart parking, intelligent traffic
management system.
Smart Cities Council India has been formed
It is part of the US-based Smart Cities Council, which is a consortium of smart city practitioners and experts,
with a 100-plus member and advisor organizations operating in over 140 countries.
8. Public Wifi Access Zones & Hotspots In
India
Indian Government is right now keen on developing a ‘Digital India’; and wants
every Indian to be able to access Internet without any hassles. Talks are on to
make Internet a fundamental right, just like education and freedom of speech.
We have collated all the cities and places where free public WiFi Here is a list of
all public places where you can access free WiFi connectivity and surf the web:
New Delhi Municipal Council has recently kickstarted it’s ambitious project of
creating Free WiFi zones in the city; andKhan Market situated in Central
Delhi has became the first public place to have one. Besides this, N-Block area
in Connaught Place is also having free WiFi zone on a pilot basis, which would
be soon spread to whole Connaught Place. After registering, a user will be able
to access free WiFi for a certain usage, after which he needs to purchase credit.
9. 400 stations to get WiFi from Google,
RailTel & Indian Railways
Google has announced that it will tie-up with the Indian
Railways and RailTel to provide high speed WiFi coverage in 400 stations
across India. The company mentions that the WiFi will be provided for free
at the start, the with long-term goal of making it self-sustainable.
According to the company, it will begin the rollout starting at 100 stations
across the country, with this batch expected to be completed by the end of
2016. It mentions that the first few stations should get WiFi coverage in the
next few months. The remaining 300 stations will follow in ‘quick
succession’, but there is no timeline given for it. Interestingly, Google
mentions that it will sign up with partners other than RailTel in the future
as well.
10. Other public WiFi initiatives:
– In July, Amazon offered free WiFi internet with unlimited usage across
select bus stops in Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, as a temporary
campaign.
– In June, Airtel won the mandate for the launch of Wi-Fi services in
Gurgaon from the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).
– The same month, state-run telecom operator BSNL tied up with the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to provide WiFi hotspots for tourists at
the Taj Mahal.
– It’s worth noting that Airtel had piloted Wifi at Cyberhub in Gurgaon for
a while, and its competitor Vodafone provided WiFi at a metro station near
Cyberhub. The two have a joint venture, FireFly Networks, and had recently
installed WiFi services at the Supreme Court of India. You can read more
about this here.
11. RIGHT TO INFORMATION
Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for
government information. It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel
and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide
a– RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the
details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs etc. amongst others, besides access
to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public
Authorities under the government of India as well as the State Governments.
The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the
citizens,promote transparency and accountability in the working of the
Government,contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people
in real sense.It goes without saying that an informed citizen is better equipped
to keep necessary vigil on the instruments of governance and make the
government more accountable to the governed.The Act is a big step towards
making the citizens informed about the activities of the Government.
12. CONCLUSION
Public administration reform is a complex but extremely important topic
for any country. It is about providing the best possible administration and
services, at all levels of government, to our citizens and businesses.
It is also about contributing to a fair and open society, competitive markets
and inclusive economic growth , and maximising the potential of our cities
and regions.
