Delivering Good Governance Has Become More Crucial Than Ever: Rajiv Gauba

Addressing the gathering at the Atal Memorial Lecture Series, “Celebrating the Vision and Values of Atalji,” Gauba expounded on the reformative measures the country needs to adopt in its path towards becoming a developed nation. “The path towards Viksit Bharat should be through regulatory liberation,” he highlights. 

Referring to the diverse demographics of the country, Gauba said, “We are a country of continental dimensions. Our states need to plan and think like a country.” 

Special Lecture Series

Gauba was delivering a lecture on “Viksit Gujarat for Viksit Bharat - The Governance Imperative”.

With India aiming to attain the Viksit Bharat status by 2047, the Gujarat government’s General Administration Department ARTD, in association with Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA), and The Secretariat, has been organising a year-long lecture series, intending to induct the best practices and improve governance.

The lecture series is aimed at equipping professionals and aspiring bureaucrats with the optimal skillset to nurture their growth at the administrative front. As part of the celebrations of the centenary birth year of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Gujarat government aims to induct the leader’s thought and vision into governance.

The first of the lecture series was kicked off in July, with Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Chief Economic Adviser of the State Bank of India, delivering the address. Ghosh had underlined that Vajpayee was instrumental in bringing a change in India’s mindset, with the concept of "can-do" mentality since the early 2000s.

Real-World Governance 

Today’s (November 3) special session was a constructive and productive tour through the intricacies and nitty-gritty of real-world governance and public administration, with the keynote speaker providing deep insights into administration, the public sector, economic reforms, and bureaucracy. 

The longest serving Cabinet Secretary, Gauba has been playing a crucial role in shaping the growth path for India. Gauba, with his extensive experience in governance and administrative reforms, is credited with the implementation of several transformative national initiatives.

On The Urban Front

On urban governance, Gauba pointed out during the special lecture that it remains "fragmented" across the country, with water, transport, electricity, and even planning scattered across separate agencies, which report to the State governments, rather than the municipal corporation. "We need to create truly empowered city governments with directly elected Mayors and five-year terms. In New York and London, even the police report to the Mayors," he said. 

Concluding his keynote address, Gauba pointed out, "Governance transformation is the prerequisite for economic and social transformation. We have to reimagine the role of the State, and move from control to trust, from process to outcome, and we have to incentivise innovation and transformation over incremental improvements. By empowering our cities, districts, and panchayats, besides improving State effectiveness, we can unlock India's true potential." 

Watch the special lecture series on: https://youtube.com/live/Qk2C4SdhQyw