Governance is a theoretical concept referring to the actions and processes by which stable practices and organizations arise and persist. These actions and processes may operate in formal and informal organizations of any size; and they may function for any purpose. Conceiving of governance in this way, one can apply the concept to states, corporations, NGOs, partnerships, and any number of humans engaged in some purposeful activity. The World Bank defines governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”.

Better governance is crucial for translating the large development and welfare expenditure of the public authorities into enduring outcomes on the ground. While there is general appreciation that development programmes have the right objectives, their implementation on the ground is poor. Implementation of programmes can be improved through a multi-faceted approach relying on professionalization of public service delivery, total quality management (TQM), and innovative use of digital and other technologies which improve monitoring and supervision. It can also be improved through: (a) greater emphasis on social mobilisation and capacity building, (b) strengthening of local institutions and (c) building deeper partnerships with civil society organisations and the community to determine the needs and aspirations of the people.

The present volume contains 11 articles—authored by experts in the field of public policy—that provide deep insights into various aspects of governance in India in the context of socio-economic development. 

Dr. C. Vinodan is currently Co-ordinator, Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Public Policy Studies and Honorary Director, Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies (ICCS), School of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. He has worked previously at the Post-graduate and Research Department of Political Science, Sree Narayana College, Kollam and Department of Political Science, University of Kerala.

He obtained his M.A. (II Rank), M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from the University of Kerala. He was awarded the Visiting Scholar Fellowship (2003) by the Claremont Graduate University, California, USA. He has attended numerous courses in international relations in India and abroad. These include the 2016 Sino-Indian Cross-Cultural Dialogues held by the Institute of Advanced International Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; and the US Department of States Fulbright American Studies Institute (FASI) course on foreign policy at the University of Delaware, Philadelphia in 2000.

Dr. Vinodan has also attended and presented papers at various national and international conferences/seminars. He is also the recipient of a number of awards including Kerala University Post-Doctoral Award (2003-2005). He is member of the editorial board of the Journal of Human Security, Indian Journal of Politics and International Relations and South Asian Journal of Diplomacy. He has published 40 research papers and 4 books. His areas of teaching and research activities include international relations, security studies, Chinese studies, South Asian studies, energy, environment and human security.