Limits of the Citizen's Charter in India

Abstract

In line with the current neoliberal public sector reforms, there has recently emerged the so-called Citizen's Charter in many developed and developing nations. In most cases, this Citizen's Charter aims to ensure the delivery of services based on quality, promptness, transparency and customer choice realized through the display of information related to services expected, their quality standards, feedback options and complaint and redress mechanisms. In the case of India, although this Citizen's Charter may benefit affluent customers, it is less likely to ensure access to services for the majority who suffer from various forms of social exclusion based on class, caste and gender. This article explores how such social exclusion may render the Charter ineffective for the less privileged citizens. It concludes by stressing the need for appropriate initiatives to overcome such social exclusion as a precondition for the success of the Citizen's Charter in India.