Assignment Code: BPAC-114/ASST/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: BPAC-114

Assignment Name: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN INDIAN ADMINISTRATION

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Total Marks: 100

Assignment A

Answer the following questions in about 500 words each.

1. Highlight the major challenges of globalisation. 20

Ans) The modern world has changed as a result of globalisation, which is a well-known fact. It keeps streamlining how people connect, travel, and conduct business. While globalisation has many advantages, it also has some unavoidable economic and cultural repercussions that can occasionally be challenging to manage. The challenges that come with the globalisation era's expansion are unique. These require strong encouragement in order for the growth to be seen as going in the right directions. Some of the difficulties brought on by globalisation are listed below, along with solutions:

Need for openness and transparency in public institutions

A crucial element in stopping corruption is transparency. At all levels of government—central, state, and local—open and transparent governance is crucial to thwart corruption, which jeopardises sound governance, leads to resource misallocation, harms the interests of the public and private sectors, and distorts public policy. We are all aware that corruption costs the government a significant number of contracts. In its July 2018 report on recommendations for open contracting, Transparency International noted that while procurement is one of the government's most economically significant activities, it also poses one of the biggest risks for public sector corruption. In the age of globalisation, corruption is a problem that is also affecting India, so the State institutions must play a stronger part in responding to the needs of the populace.

Changing role of bureaucracy

In the current era of globalisation, the functions and role of the State have undergone a significant transformation. The range of the State's obligations has changed, and significant adjustments have been made to the State's demands for high-level qualitative and quantitative skills in the policy sphere. In order to create a strong foundation for private enterprise and individual initiative, the emphasis has now shifted away from hands-on management and direct production of goods and services and toward strategic planning. Decentralization, de bureaucratization, and deregulation have increased the importance of non-state actors who are in charge of various forms of development work as well as local government. The bureaucracy must direct the political executive, assisting them in formulating policy while keeping in mind the interests of the country and the welfare of the populace. It must also develop policies that could promote efficiency, equitability, and self-sufficiency in the use of natural resources. It is expected of civil servants to take the initiative and assume responsibility for acting in the interests of the general populace.

Evolving information and communication technologies Challenges of Globalisation

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are driving dynamic changes in all areas of the economy against the backdrop of globalisation. The global information and communication infrastructure is also going through a quick and significant change. As a result, the lines separating nations and continents have blurred, and the ability to transfer and process information has multiplied. ICTs are becoming a more significant part of how organisations and society produce, access, adapt, and use information. Due to their capacity to facilitate and thereby encourage the transfer and acquisition of knowledge, they are frequently referred to as tools of the post-industrial age, which actually lay the foundations for a knowledge economy. The internet, which broadens the scope of numerous arenas, is the most potent foundation for ICT. More than 13% of India's GDP comes from the ICT industry and the digital economy.

2. Discuss various types and theories of social capital. 20

Ans)

Structural Social Capital

It has to do with the organisation of networks and structures like associations, clubs, cultural organisations, and institutions, as well as the laws and regulations that control them. Through social networks, mutually beneficial collective action is facilitated by the structural Social Capital, which is objective and externally observable.

Cognitive Social Capital

It mainly consists of a set of norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs that people share with regard to reciprocity, cooperation, and trust. Through shared values, social norms, and attitudes, the subjective, intangible, and cognitive Social Capital predisposes people to cooperative action that benefits both parties.

Bonding Social Capital

It alludes to interactions between very close friends and family members. People who live in the same or nearby communities are found to have bonding capital because it is localised. The nature of the closer, more inward-looking membership is one of protection. Additionally, it primarily affects the development and maintenance of community organisations.

Bridging Social Capital

It is more civically active and outward-looking. It promotes open membership and reduces the distance between various communities. Through encouraging people to get to know one another in order to develop trusting relationships, share knowledge, and mobilise resources, bridging social capital is essential for solving people's problems.

Linking Social Capital

It describes relationships and networks between people and organisations that hold various social and power positions. It reaches out to unlikely individuals in unusual circumstances. Additionally, it involves networks and interactions between a specific community and states or other macro-level organisations.

The biggest difficulty facing advocates of the Social Capital theory is conceptualising Social Capital. This issue is primarily caused by the fact that social capital is a multidimensional phenomenon, with each dimension influencing how social capital is understood.

Bourdieu’s Theory of Capital

The modern concept of social capital has made significant contributions thanks to Pierre Bourdieu. He referred to the resources that people have access to as a result of their group membership as social capital. When people or groups possess "more or less institutionalised relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition," they have access to social capital, a virtual resource. As a result, social connections that a person can use for advancement are connected to social capital, which resides in the individual.

Coleman’s Rational- Choice Approach to Social Capital

The rational choice theory was the context in which James Coleman first introduced the idea of social capital. Coleman defined social capital as a collective resource of the group that primarily resides in interpersonal relationships. Coleman viewed social capital as a common good in which everyone benefits from each person's deeds.

Robert D. Putnam’s Civic Perspective on Social Capital

According to Robert David Putnam's concept of social capital, social networks have value for people. "Features of social organisations, such as networks, norms, and trust that facilitate action and cooperation for mutual benefit" are referred to as social capital. Social interactions have an impact on both individual and group productivity, just like physical and human capital. Human capital is a property of individuals, physical capital is retained in physical objects, and social capital primarily exists in relationships between people through social networks. Individual relationships and ongoing interactions among them create social networks, as well as reciprocity and reliability norms. These social life characteristics centre on fostering social capital. They enable the participants to work together more successfully to accomplish common objectives.

Assignment B

Answer the following questions in about 250 words each.

3. Describe the various approaches to corporate social responsibility. 10

Ans) Since India's independence, corporations have been interested in philanthropy, but only to a small extent. Furthermore, it was a voluntary action. The Tata, Birla, Godrej, Sarabhai, and numerous other groups were dedicated to philanthropic endeavours, most of which were carried out independently and outside of the business. India's CSR development has gone through four stages, according to Sundar (2000):

Culture, religion, family, tradition, and industrialization dominate the first phase. Few families, including the Tata, Birla, Bajaj, and Godrej, among others, were the country's industrialization's forerunners in the 19th century and were driven primarily by philanthropy. The country's struggle for independence predominated the second phase of CSR (1914–1960), which was fundamentally influenced by Gandhi's Trusteeship theory, which aimed to strengthen and accelerate social development.

The third phase of India's CSR, from 1960 to 1980, was impacted by the mixed economy paradigm, the emergence of public sector enterprises, labour and environmental standards legislation, and other factors. On this front, not much progress was made. An academic, political, and business workshop put a focus on social responsibility and transparency in 1965. Indian businesses and stakeholders started to give up on traditional philanthropic endeavours during the fourth phase (1980–present), and they partially integrated CSR into a cogent and sustainable business strategy by using the multi-stakeholder approach. India became the first nation to formally mandate CSR in 2014. Companies with a certain turnover and profitability are required by Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act to contribute 2% of their average net profit over the previous three years to CSR. According to the CSR policy, a company's business profit cannot include any surplus from CSR projects, programmes, or activities.

4. Discuss the features of digital governance. 10

Ans) A framework for establishing responsibility, roles, and decision-making power for an organization's digital presence, including its websites, mobile sites, social channels, and any other internet- and web-enabled products and services, is known as digital governance. The goal of the discipline of "digital governance" is to establish "clear accountability for digital strategy, policy, and standards." The use of a "variety of contemporary information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, Local Area Networks, mobiles, etc., is known as digital governance.

The way we use digital technologies in our daily lives, at work, and in society has changed and will continue to change how society and government operate. This has always been the case, but it is now happening more quickly than how quickly organisations are transforming. Government can now easily interact with the public through a variety of digital channels thanks to technology. This makes sure that when creating a new policy, the opinions of those who use government services more effectively are recognised and taken into consideration.

Digital, which is derived from the word’s "digit" and "finger," traditionally refers to the use of numbers. Computers and digital are now interchangeable terms. Let's be very clear about a few terms associated with digital technology that are distinct from one another and shouldn't be used in the same sentence: Information that is analogue is digitalized (or "digitised") (i.e., numeric, binary format). Technically speaking, it is defined as the expression of discrete values through the representation of signals, images, sounds, and objects through the generation of a series of numbers. Digitalization is the actual "process of the technology-induced change within the above industries," in contrast to Digitization. A large portion of the modern phenomena known as the Internet of Things, Industrial Internet Data, Cryptocurrencies, etc. has been made possible by this process.

5. Examine the need for administrative ethics. 10

Ans) When making or carrying out decisions, public employees frequently have to decide between abiding by organisational rules and meeting the needs of their constituents. In a bureaucratic structure, a person's job description determines their authority and responsibilities. As a result, he frequently follows without question, regardless of moral quandaries. Administrative ethics are urgently needed because there are many excuses for administrators to act unethically. Individual and organisational factors may lead to unethical behaviour. They might even happen in spite of clearly stated codes of ethics. In some instances, service terms and conditions, like unhappiness with pay and benefits, may persuade people to accept what they believe is their rightful share. Other factors may relate to organisational culture, where a culture of achieving results at all costs encourages and prompts disregard for ethical considerations.

According to Ferrell and Skinner (1988), the bureaucracy's centralised, hierarchical power structure actually contributes to the development of opportunities for unethical behaviour. Since middle-level and rank-and-file bureaucrats have very little discretion, they frequently defy administrative ethics codes and blindly obey authority. Nevertheless, codes of conduct are crucial for maintaining ethical behaviour.

The main driver of unethical behaviour is materialism, which is thought to be the highest value. Those who engage in corrupt behaviour defend their behaviour as "being practical," as doing otherwise would put them at a disadvantage in the competition for power. Because our society honours the powerful, it makes sense that everyone wants power. We look up to the wealthiest people as role models (Rajneesh, 2013).

Assignment C

Answer the following questions in about 100 words each.

6. What is a public private partnership? 6

Ans) Public-private partnerships entail cooperation between a government organisation and a business from the private sector that can be used to finance, build, and operate initiatives like infrastructure projects, public service delivery initiatives, and so forth. Government and private organisations, also known as providers, have an agreement in writing to render or provide services to citizens within the agreed-upon timeframe, price range, quantity, and quality. A crucial distinction to keep in mind is that under this partnership arrangement, the public sector retains responsibility for providing public services, whereas under privatisation, the private sector assumes responsibility.

7. Define decentralisation. 6

Ans) According to a recent OECD report on decentralisation, it is one of the most significant reforms to have been started in the past 50 years and has been characterised as a "silent" or "quiet" revolution. Decentralization, however, is not a novel concept in the Indian context; it has been evident in India's local governments' everyday operations since the dawn of time. Decentralization is not a solution to every issue a nation has, nor is it a goal in and of itself. Instead, it is a way to get the desired outcomes. For instance, it helps to achieve more important objectives like the uplifting of people's economic and social conditions.

8. What do you mean by citizen’s charter? 6

Ans) A Citizen’s Charter is an important mechanism of citizen-centric administration. It connotes the commitment of the organisation to transparency and accountability, quality and timeframe of service delivery and grievance redress mechanism. The Citizen’s Charter scheme in its present form was first launched in 1991 in the UK. In 1998,it was relaunched and rechristened as ‘Service First.’ In India, advancements in economy and literacy led to increased voices for effective service delivery and responsive administration. As a result, ‘Action Plan for Effective and Responsive Government’ was adopted at the Centre and state governments’ levels in a Conference of Chief Ministers held on 24 May 1997 in New Delhi.

9. Write a short note on major dimensions of social exclusion. 6

Ans) A multi-dimensional process, social exclusion occurs when exclusion in one area of life reinforces or causes it in another. In general, there is little agreement regarding the key aspects of social exclusion. Local contexts and circumstances play a major role in determining the relative importance of each domain. Notably, social exclusion is always the result of a series of connected disadvantages. It also includes the denial of personal security, the rule of law, freedom of expression, and equal opportunity. Citizenship rights like the right to organise and participate in politics are also included. It includes a lack of access to money, credit, jobs, and other kinds of material resources needed to contribute to society in the right ways.

10. Describe the means of conflict resolution. 6

Ans) A serious disagreement or argument, a protracted armed conflict, or a serious incompatibility between two or more opinions, principles, or interests are all definitions of conflict in the Oxford Dictionary of English. A conflict is in fact an interest conflict. Although moderate conflict is rarely seen as constructive, it can occasionally be seen as promoting tolerance, learning, and effectiveness in certain situations. Conflict is not always bad; it may even be beneficial. Due to the frequent arguments and differences among the employees, conflict management is crucial in the workplace. Conflict is a topic that receives a lot of attention in Mary Parker Follett's writings.