Impact of ideology on public policy and governance :

Abstract

India's public policy has been strongly conditioned by political ideology. While dirigisme was the preferred ideology when India became independent, the early 90s witnessed a sharp U-turn toward a freemarket economy and the dismantling of LPQ (License, Permit, Quota) raj. This paper tries to analyze the impact of changed economic ideology on structural transformation and high GDP growth coupled with a dissonance between growth and development parameters such asMYS (mean years of schooling), malnutrition, IMR (Infant Mortality Rate), and MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate). The paper also brings out how parties in power with different political ideologies (Congress and BJP) have shown remarkable congruence in terms of economic ideology and pursuing the free market philosophy of the Washington consensus. It brings out how autonomy for bureaucracy is critical for quality governance (Fukuyama) and looks back into India's professional approach to perspective planning, policy design, and program evaluation under the erstwhile Planning commission. It also brings out the importance of RCT (Random Control Trials) before undertaking developing programs and not putting the cart before the horse. The paper makes a strong recommendation for institutional independence, capacity build-up, and proper regulation of the free market. Liberal democracy, without inclusive development and shared prosperity, and public policy without empathy for the most disadvantaged sections of the society, can lead to social disharmony and disruption.