Information is the currency of democracy and one of the most crucial things to achieve good governance is sharing of information among all the stakeholders in government functioning. Elaborate.
According to the World Bank, good governance means presence of mechanism, institutions for individuals to fulfill their duties, resolve their differences and adjudicate disputes.
Features of good governance:
- Rule of law
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Inclusiveness
- Participatory
- Responsive
- Efficient
- Economical
Importance of sharing information:
- Promote transparency of government functioning. There is a direct correlation between organization efficiency and its transparency norms.
- Promote accountability – Many high profile cases like 2G Scam, CWG Scam are exposed due to sharing of information with CAG.
- Improve service delivery in schemes like PDS, where people used RTI to verify their eligibility.
- This reduced leakages and improved outcomes of service delivery.
- It acts as disinfectant to corrupt offices and officials.
- Vital for social audit mechanisms and accountability.
- Better coordination between various government agencies.
In the present age, where data is often called as the new oil and gold, information sharing has become imperative for good governance. Thus, sharing of information improves social capital between government and citizen, with trust as currency in return.
Topics: GS-II: Important Aspects of Governance Transparency and Accountability Citizen Charters • GS-II: Role of Civil Services in Democracy