Imperative Indian Administrative Reforms:An Impossible Agenda?

Abstract

Administrative reform is a global phenomenon. In India, however administrative reform is still not a critical political agenda with its complete understanding, holistic perspective and sense of urgency. The paper studies reforms undertaken by India after its independence, and shows how and why it failed to reform its administration. Formation of strong autonomous local democratic governments, breaking of bureaucracy, sector specific dovetailing of the New Public Management and post- NPM principles are leading towards such administrative reforms. The paper demonstrates how the world over, countries reformed their administration successfully, and which contributed to their development. India, even though administrative functioning is a bottleneck in its progress, has failed to recognize it as a critical national agenda. Existing bureaucratic structure and lack of political ideology and commitment towards administrative reforms are the reasons for failure to reform administration.