The Indian state must be reformed to support citizens’ rights and welfare by prioritising job creation, social safety nets and long-term investments in public health and education in order to tide over another crisis like COVID-19.
Indiaâs State institutions are failing citizens because they were built to control, not govern
While centralising elements are necessary at times, the problem is that Indiaâs institutions have not evolved along with the countryâs growth. Text Size:
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More than 70 years after Independence, most of Indiaâs institutions continue to act predominantly as forces of control rather than governance and administration. While centralising elements are necessary at times, the problem largely lies in the fact that these institutions, which stemmed from colonial structures, have not evolved along with the countryâs growth, thereby obstructing State capacity. This was perhaps understandable in the initial post-colonial decades given the magnitude of the nation-building project and existential threats. That time, however, is long gone. When we talk about State capacity in India, we are not referring to specific governments or political partie