Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/170840 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 10856
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Citizens in low income democracies depend, to a large extent, on the state for the provision of basic services either due to absence of a market for these services or poverty. This paper synthesizes the findings of the International Growth Centre (IGC) supported research on governance and public service delivery in India. Existing research suggests that the quality of public services affects economic growth via its impact on poverty alleviation, human capital formation and corruption. There is near consensus, however, that India has had limited success in reducing poverty and enhancing human capital inspite of myriad programs that provide free or heavily subsidised essential services to its citizens. The paper identifies incentives, transparency and state capacity as the key challenges to reducing the governance deficit in India. IGC supported research emphasizes building state capacity to implement and monitor public programs, rewarding performance of civil servants and providing information to stakeholders as key policies that can be implemented, and scaled up, to both improve the quality of public service delivery and spur economic growth.
Subjects: 
governance
public services
incentives
transparency
capacity
India
JEL: 
H11
H41
H53
O43
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
529.1 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.