Good Governance

The subject of good governance is one that immediately inspires cynicism and hope because of its very nature and relevance. It is a critical prerequisite of participative and citizen centric-development that we all talk about. Detractors may dismiss it as cliché ridden; the fact however is, that governance is all around us and envelops our lives in a most profound manner. There is hardly any domain of daily life that is not touched by governance. It is a matter of concern that despite the efforts made so far good governance continues to suffer on various counts. Almost all aspects of civic life have adversely been influenced by lack of good governance. There are question marks on the moral fabric, politicians, administration and various other sections of the civil society. There is therefore, an urgent need to address these issues in wider societal interests. Good governance has emerged as the key area of theory, policy and practice and is seen as the foundation for a just and equitable social order. The apparently routine subject of Good Governance has received a most timely impetus from the University Grants Commission, by their sanctioning of Special Assistance Programme (SAP) to the Department of Public Administration, University of Lucknow, at a time when age old issues of governance are being revisited and immensely debated upon a regular basis by various stakeholders. The deliberations of the various Seminars / Workshops held under the Special Assistance Programme (SAP) have culminated in this book