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Good Governance Day 2023: Date, Origin, and Significance

PWOnlyIAS December 23, 2023 12:30 3220 0

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Good Governance Day is observed in India annually on the twenty-fifth day of December, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Good Governance Day 2023: Date, Origin, and Significance

Context: December 25 is celebrated as “Good Governance Day” across India.

About Good Governance Day

  • Commemoration: December 25 marks the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
  • Origin: In 2014, The Prime Minister of India announced that December 25 would be celebrated across the nation as “Good Governance Day”.
  • Significance of the Good Governance Day
    • Spread Awareness on Governance: Good Governance Day is meant to foster awareness among citizens about government accountability and administration.
    • Fair Treatment of Citizens: The day ensures that the country’s residents are treated fairly by the government and they expeditiously receive various government services.
    • Promote e-governance: The National Good Governance Day seeks to promote “e-Governance” with the official slogan for the event being “Good Governance through e-Governance.”

Good Governance

  • Governance: It can be defined as the process of making and enforcing decisions within an organization or society. 
    • Governance is not just essential for maintaining order; it also helps in achieving objectives and addressing the needs of the community or group.
  • Good Governance: According to the World Bank, good governance is “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”.
    • Components of Good Governance
      • Transparency: Institutions must operate in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. It also prevents corrupt practices.
      • Accountability: The ruling class must be accountable to people. This will ensure the betterment of people and society as a whole.
      • Responsiveness: The governing institutions must be sensitive toward the concerns of the people, and must serve their needs within a reasonable time. 
      • Equitable and Inclusive: People from all sections of society must be provided equal opportunity to improve without discrimination.
      • Consensus Oriented: The decisions must be taken with the consensus of a large section of the society, such that it will not be detrimental to anyone.
      • Effectiveness and Efficiency: Resources available must be used efficiently to produce results that meet their community’s needs.
      • Rule of Law: The legal framework has to be enforced in an impartial way to uphold the rights of every individual.
      • Participation: People in society must be able to voice their own opinions through legitimate organizations or representatives. This also includes vulnerable and backward groups.
    • Importance of Good Governance
      • Uphold Public Interests: Good governance practices help in upholding the interests of the public.
      • Efficient Use of Resources: Good governance enables an organization to make optimal and efficient use of existing resources for providing quality service.
      • Checks and Balances: Good governance practices also ensure checks and balances against the excess use of power and position.
      • Public Involvement: Public participation in the governance process can only be achieved if good governance practices are implemented.

Way Forward: Strengthening Good Governance

  • Right to Information: Right to Information aims to empower citizens, promote openness and accountability in government functions, combat corruption, and realize the true goals of democracy. 
  • Good Governance Index: The index uses a scientific tool based on various parameters of good governance which assesses the governance quality of any state at a given point in time and helps in shaping future development.
  • E-Governance: It makes use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in delivering government services to the public.
  • Local Body Governance: The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments decentralized decision-making by introducing local bodies.  
  • Citizen Charter: This is a written document that spells out the efforts made by the service provider to focus on their commitment to fulfilling the needs of the citizens/customers.
  • Social Audit: It is the process of evaluating and assessing the impact of social and economic policies and programs on the welfare of society, with a special focus on positive outcomes.  

About Atal Bihari Vajpayee

  • About: Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the 10th Prime Minister of India and also a popular poet and literary figure. 
    • Vajpayee was also closely associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP.
  • Early Days: Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He joined the RSS in 1939, becoming a full-time worker in 1947.
    • Due to his literary gift, Vajpayee got an opportunity to work under the guidance of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on various publications.
    • Vajpayee became the national president of the Jana Sangh in 1968 after the passing away of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
  • Political Initiation:
    • In the 1957 Indian general election, Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Balrampur seat. His oratory skills enabled him to become the defender of the Jana Sangh’s policies. 
    • Post-emergency, a coalition of parties, including the Jana Sangh, came together to form the Janata Party, which won the 1977 general elections. Vajpayee became the External Affairs Minister. 
    • In 1980, Jana Sangh took the form of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Under his leadership, the BJP started gaining electoral success in heartland states.
    • In his political career, Vajpayee was elected ten times to the Lok Sabha, and twice to the Rajya Sabha. He had won elections from Balrampur, New Delhi, Gwalior, and Lucknow.
  • Administration: 
    • His first major administrative position was the External Affairs Minister in Morarji’s post-emergency government in 1975. 
    • He earned significant appreciation for his tenure, with his UN General Assembly speech in Hindi drawing praise from all quarters.
    • Vajpayee served three terms as the Prime Minister of India, first of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004. 
  • Prime Ministerial Tenures:
    • In the 1996 General Elections, the BJP became the single-largest party. Vajpayee was invited to form the government. He could not muster numbers for the majority and hence resigned after 16 days in power.
    • In the 1998 General Elections, the BJP managed to emerge as the single-largest party. A multi-party alliance called the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was sworn into power under the leadership of Vajpayee. Within 13 months, the government collapsed.
    • In the 1999 General Elections, BJP-led NDA won 303 seats, securing a comfortable majority. Vajpayee was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India for the third time. He served till 2004.
  • Achievements in Administration:
    • Pokhran Nuclear Test: In May 1998, India conducted the second series of underground nuclear tests in the Pokhran in Rajasthan, 24 years after its first nuclear test (Smiling Buddha) in 1974. 
    • Kargil War: In 1999, the Indian military launched Operation Vijay to push back Pakistani soldiers and militants who had captured positions along Kargil sector. Pakistan was forced to withdraw and India managed to recapture the territory.
    • Golden Quadrilateral: The project involved constructing a network of highways connecting India’s four top metropolitan cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
    • Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana: The central sector scheme involved constructing all-weather roads in rural India for better connectivity and transportation.
    • Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan: It is a flagship programme of the Government of India for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time-bound manner.
    • Diplomatic Gesture with Pakistan:  Vajpayee sought to improve diplomatic relations with Pakistan by traveling to Lahore by bus to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
  • Honours:
    • Bharat Ratna: Vajpayee was conferred India’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna in 2015.
    • Bangladesh Liberation War Honour: It is the second-highest honour of Bangladesh awarded to foreign dignitaries.
    • Order of Ouissam Alaouite: It is the second-highest civilian honour of Morocco.
    • Good Governance Day: The Government of India announced in 2014 that Vajpayee’s birth anniversary would be celebrated as Good Governance Day.
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Good Governance Day FAQs

December 25 is celebrated as “Good Governance Day” across India.

December 25 marks the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

According to the World Bank, good governance is “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”.

Components of Good Governance include Transparency, Accountability, Responsiveness, Equitable and Inclusive, Consensus Oriented, Effectiveness and Efficiency, Rule of Law, and Participation

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the 10th Prime Minister of India and also a popular poet and literary figure.

Vajpayee served three terms as the Prime Minister of India, first of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004.

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