Civil society‐mediated governance: Making social security programs work through public hearings in India

Abstract

Civil society in India plays the role of an intermediary that encourages citizens to participate in governance processes, facilitates their access to basic entitlements, and helps them connect with local government to address grievances. One of the mechanisms used is public hearings (PHs). PHs connects citizens directly with the government by shortening long and complex administrative processes. PHs also compensate for weakening distributional capacities and grievance redressal mechanisms of public systems. This article attempts to understand the efficacy of civil society‐organized PHs in helping citizens access social security benefits. The article concludes that PHs help in educating citizens about the governance processes and provide relevant information. PHs also reduce the gap between citizens and the government by facilitating a public space that citizens use in communicating their grievances.