A basic principle of management is that the responsibility/ accountability should not be divested from authority; however, generally it is found that there is a mismatch between authority and accountability in public service in India. Discuss suggesting how the congruence between authority and responsibility can be ensured in public services.

Accountability along with authority is necessary for good governance. The congruence between accountability and authority in public service can be ensured by some of the following measures:

• Stringent rules should be put in place so that all civil and public servants irrespective of their positions and designations are held accountable for their actions.
• Taking necessary actions to improve E-governance in the country because e-governance makes ever process transparent which in turn makes more accountable
• Creating awareness in citizens to known about their rights through methods like Citizen Charters.
• Implementing acts like Right to service act and Right to information act.
• Conducting regular internal and social audits in public services.
• Establishing suitable grievance redressal mechanism.
• Monitoring performance of public service employees by implementing recent initiatives like SPARROW (SMART PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL REPORT RECORDING ONLINE WINDOW) in a more effective way.
• Adequate powers and authority should be given to civil servants to perform their responsibility.
• Avoiding nexus between political leaders and public servants and clearly demarcating their roles and responsibilities.

Further, a well-defined hierarchy should be implemented which promotes greater accountability and responsibility along with authority.

Topics: GS-II: Role of Civil Services in Democracy