'At the root of poor governance is our lethargy for change'

Ladies and gentlemen, how do we measure up in terms of governance after 66 years of our independence? There is little doubt that we have made great strides in almost all major areas of development.

From 3.5 per cent growth rate per annum during the First Five-Year Plan period, we achieved eight per cent per annum during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period. The Green Revolution in the 1960s made our country self-sufficient in food grains. We have also reduced the incidence of poverty. Today, India is the third-largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity.

We can certainly be proud of these achievements. But it is equally true that much more remains to be done. The challenges to our governance systems are reflected in some important international analyses that are mainly dependent on the social index. India's ranking in key governance indicators like voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption are lower than countries such as Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.

We are at the crossroads of transformation and cannot afford to lose the momentum of change. There are several challenges we face and we should face them with determination and conviction. And, at the root of them is the issue of governance.

We have achieved remarkable progress in several of the grids that constitute good governance. In some, our achievements have been greater than others. There is still immense scope to better our participatory decision-making structure, improve the application of rule of law, enhance transparency, increase accountability, promote greater equity and inclusiveness and improve consensus based approach. For the sake of brevity, I will elaborate on some of the few grids. The incidence of poverty is still around 30 per cent and it is not something that we can live with. Statistics of economic progress will count for nothing if we are not able to uplift the marginalised sections of the society. Our growth, therefore, must have to be inclusive and sustainable.

Inclusiveness calls for equity in access to basic needs like education and health care. Our efforts should be directed at making the entire population literate. I am confident that the flagship schemes in the education sector, such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Midday Meal Scheme and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan would be addressing many of our problems.

Affordable health care should be our priority. Many people in this country are forced into poverty owing to high costs of medical treatment. It is gratifying to note that building on the success of the National Rural Health Mission, a new national health mission combining the rural mission, and a new urban mission is being envisaged with a Budget outlay of over Rs 21,000 crore in 2013-14. A healthy population holds the potential to make greater contribution to nation-building.

Another important aspect in changing our development paradigm is to be noticed today. The new terminology is empowerment through entitlement, which is backed by legal enactments. We have adopted a rights-based approach to our development process. The Rights to Education, Employment and Food Security are the core of this development strategy. I wish this development strategy should be implemented fully.

To help empower our marginalised sections, we gave them the right to employment and education. We piloted legislations such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 and the Right to Education Act, 2009. The process of enacting a law to provide food security to people is also in the process of completion.

The Aadhaar project, would provide every resident with a unique identification number. It would help our citizens, especially the poor and needy, to easily access several benefits and services more efficiently. The Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, launched in January, too, would leverage the Aadhaar system helping the achievement of greater transparency and reduction in transaction costs.

Our delivery systems need mending and only good governance can provide an answer to the problem. If what is meant for the poor does not reach them in the proportion it is meant to, then corruption and inefficiency are its two main causes.

Corruption is a threat to the democratic fabric of our country. It would frustrate the efforts to bring equity to all its citizens. I am happy to note that in the recent past, several steps have been taken to reaffirm our commitment to bringing more transparency in governance. Some of the steps taken include the ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2011, membership of the Financial Action Task Force since 2010, introduction of the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill 2011, and initiation of a proposal to make bribery in private sector a criminal offence by bringing an amendment in the Indian Penal Code.

At the root of poor governance is our lethargy for change, whether it is in the implementation of schemes or adherence to values. I do not have to remind you how grievously hurt the nation was when a young woman, the symbol of an aspiring nation, lost her life in the brutal assault in India in December last year. As I had said earlier, I repeat and I do believe that it is time to reset our moral compass. The police and investigative organisations can play a crucial role in creating conditions that could engender societal changes. An alert police force and investigative agency can ensure that no crime goes unpunished. It is important to ensure speedy and thorough investigation of allegations. The prosecution should also be speedy so that the guilty are punished without delay. This would enhance the deterrent value of punishment. It would improve responsiveness, one of the most important features of good governance.

Excerpts from President Pranab Mukherjee's speech on 'Good Governance: Empowering Institutions, Society and Public' on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on April 6