Public Policy in India: Transformatory Shifts or Incremental Changes?

Abstract

Public policies are proposed courses of action and governmental decisions to realise a specific objective in a specific sector. Policy is what the governments actually do and what subsequently happens and may involve some form of official action or inaction regarding any issue or problem. Currently, the focus of political science is shifting to public policy, to the description, analysis and explanation of the causes and consequences of governmental activity. Many political scientists believe that the study of public policy should be directed towards ensuring that governments adopt appropriate policies to attain certain transformatory changes or desirable social goals, notwithstanding the fact that substantial disagreement may exist in society over what constitutes appropriate methods of promoting public good at a given point of time. Given the policy experiments in the 20th century, we have realised that both 'scientism' and 'economism' have their inherent limitations. However, it cannot be denied that they need to be factored into any attempt at rational policymaking. Sound bases of public policy is critical in every aspect of governance, not the least for making laws or rules, but also for the execution and implementation of the same. A particular public policy can be an overarching macro-action stating a framework of values, or, as in most sectoral policies, part of a continuum in a particular sector. A transformatory shift can be a paradigmatic shift in terms of a radical break with the past in terms of societal or cultural mores, economic values or political preferences. Small changes or reforms cannot be called a transformatory shift though in democracies the normal practice is to progress through incremental changes. In India, the constitution itself was a radical shift from our customs or traditions of the past in terms of trying to impose a Western liberal democratic political culture and way of life within a steeply hierarchical society through the inculcation

Information Privacy, Cultural Values, and Regulatory Preferences

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Creating Cultural Capital for Dalits and Adivasis: Policy Passage for Their De-marginalisation in Higher Education

“…Public policy in higher education differs significantly in India and the United States (US). Historically, India views public policy as the exclusive realm of government officials (Basu, 2019; Maheshwari & Maheswari, 1987). In contrast, the US employs a dynamic model, with professionals from academia and the corporate sector transitioning into governmental roles with political changes (Gale & Tranter, 2011; Hayton & Paczuska, 2003).…”

“…Sorokin (1927) recognises it as a process crucial for securing the future of offspring effectively. Capital, whether social or cultural, serves as a powerful tool enabling individuals to ascend the social and economic hierarchy (Basu, 2019; Bhoi, 2016). Social change and mobility, driven by economic and social marginalisation, result in reduced access to economic, social and cultural resources for individuals.…”

A typology of the sources of mental health precarity among migrant workers in India during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…Public policy decision-making in India is largely top-down, with the voices of those most affected by decision-making rarely part of the process (Basu, 2019). The implications of such communicative inequity are serious in the Global South, with long-term, wideranging implications.…”