"India's governance is the world's most ambitious experiment in managing diversity, scale, and aspiration yet its greatest challenge is not what it promises, but what it delivers."
As India stands at the threshold of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, the nation's governance is under a microscope. With 1.4 billion citizens, 28 states, 8 union territories, and over 250,000 local bodies, India's administrative and political system is the largest and most complex in the world. According to the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators (2024), India scores 54.8 (percentile rank) on government effectiveness—well above the global median, but trailing China (67.3), Brazil (57.9), and far behind developed democracies like the US (91.8). The UN's Human Development Report (2024) ranks India 134th out of 193 countries, with persistent gaps in health, education, and gender equity.
"India's governance is a paradox—capable of world-class innovation, yet haunted by endemic failures," observes Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta. "The next decade will decide whether it becomes a global leader or remains a nation of unfulfilled potential."
Bureaucratic Inertia and Field-Level Failures: The Cost of Red Tape and Status Quo
India's bureaucracy is both the backbone and bottleneck of governance. The Economic Survey 2024-25 admits that "project delays and underutilization of funds" have contributed to a four-year GDP growth low of 6.4%. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) 2024 report found that 18% of funds allocated to flagship schemes like MGNREGA and PMAY remained unspent, while the World Bank's Doing Business 2020 report ranks India 63rd globally, with "enforcing contracts" at a dismal 163rd.
"The Indian bureaucracy is more focused on adherence to rules than on outcomes or accountability," concluded the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).
Field audits in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reveal that delays in land acquisition and regulatory clearances routinely stall infrastructure projects, with the CAG flagging ₹47,000 crore worth of stalled projects in 2023 alone.
Evidence: The 19th Secretariat Reforms Report (2025) shows that while file pendency has dropped by 31%, e-office adoption is still below 60% in lagging ministries.
Corruption and Regulatory Capture: The Deep Roots of Governance Failure
Corruption is a persistent, structural threat. Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (2024) ranks India 96th out of 180, with a score of 38/100 its worst in a decade. KPMG's Forensic Survey 2024 estimates annual corruption costs at ₹921 billion (1.26% of GDP).
"Corruption is such a perennial issue in India because its roots go deep down into both the governmental and economic systems," notes KPMG.
The Supreme Court in Vineet Narain v. Union of India (1997) warned: "Corruption is antithetical to democracy and must be tackled with the utmost seriousness."
Evidence: The India Business Corruption Survey 2024 found that 67% of businesses paid bribes for basic regulatory approvals. Recent CBI and ED investigations into banking frauds and shell companies have led to over 1,200 convictions in 2024, but high-profile cases often languish for years.
Federalism and Cooperative Governance: Between Constitutional Promise and Political Practice
India's federal structure is under visible strain. The GST Council, hailed as a milestone in fiscal federalism, has seen states complain of delayed compensation and reduced fiscal autonomy.
"The Constitution of India is federal in structure with a strong unitary bias," observed the Supreme Court in State of West Bengal v. Union of India (1962).
Recent controversies such as the use of centrally-appointed Governors to influence state politics and the withholding of GST dues have drawn criticism from constitutional experts like Fali Nariman, who warns, "The health of Indian federalism depends on mutual respect, not just constitutional text."
Evidence: PRS Legislative Research reports that 8 states petitioned the Supreme Court in 2024 over GST compensation delays, and the Inter-State Council has not met since 2017.
Judicial Delays and Rule of Law: The Pendency Crisis and Its Consequences
India's judiciary faces a staggering backlog: over 50 million cases are pending across all courts, with the Supreme Court itself burdened by more than 70,000 cases.
"Justice delayed is not just justice denied—it is a drag on economic dynamism and social cohesion," states the Law Commission of India (245th Report).
The World Bank's Doing Business 2020 report ranks India 163rd for contract enforcement, with average dispute resolution taking 1,445 days.
Evidence: The Supreme Court's Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979) judgment remains a touchstone: "The right to a speedy trial is a fundamental right." Despite e-courts and fast-track benches, the conviction rate for serious crimes remains below 50%.
Corporate Governance and Boardroom Accountability: New Risks in a Volatile Era
Corporate governance in India is under pressure from global investors and regulatory tightening. Russell Reynolds' 2025 report notes that Indian boards face mounting pressure for transparency and risk management, especially after the NSE co-location scam and the Byju's financial crisis.
"A volatile global environment and real-life impact on businesses in India has ensured that geopolitics has earned a permanent seat in the boardroom," notes Russell Reynolds.
SEBI's 2024 audit found that 22% of listed companies had lapses in related-party disclosures, and the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) flagged persistent weaknesses in audit quality.
Evidence: Proxy advisory firm IiAS reports that 41% of Nifty 500 companies received at least one "against" vote on board resolutions in 2024, a record high.
Digital Governance and AI: Promise, Pitfalls, and Privacy
India's digital leap is undeniable: over 1.3 billion Aadhaar enrollments, 850 million smartphone users, and UPI transactions exceeding ₹20 lakh crore daily. Digital India 2.0 has brought 90% of government services online.
"Digital governance is a powerful tool, but without rights-based safeguards and universal access, it risks becoming another layer of exclusion," ruled the Supreme Court in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017).
MeitY's 2025 report outlines eight principles for responsible AI governance, drawing from OECD frameworks. Yet, the Internet Freedom Foundation warns that rural internet penetration remains below 40%, and data breaches have doubled since 2022.
Evidence: The CAG's 2024 audit of the Digital India Mission found that 17% of rural e-service centers were non-functional.
Sectoral Governance: Health, Education, Urban, and Environment
Health: The National Health Profile 2024 shows that India spends just 1.8% of GDP on public health well below the WHO's 5% benchmark.
"The pandemic exposed the chronic underfunding and fragmentation of India's health governance," notes the Lancet Commission (2023).
Education: UDISE+ 2024 data reveals that 23% of government schools lack basic infrastructure, and learning outcomes in math and reading have stagnated since 2018 (ASER 2023).
Urban: The CAG's audit of the Smart Cities Mission (2024) found that only 42% of proposed projects were completed on time, with cost overruns of ₹21,000 crore.
Environment: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued over 1,200 orders on air and water pollution since 2020, but enforcement remains patchy.
Evidence: The Supreme Court's M.C. Mehta series of judgments have repeatedly castigated governments for "institutional inertia" on pollution.
Legislative Process and Parliamentary Functioning: Erosion of Deliberation
Parliamentary productivity has declined: PRS Legislative Research reports that in 2024, only 37% of bills were referred to standing committees, down from 71% in 2010.
"The quality of lawmaking is being sacrificed at the altar of expediency," warns former Lok Sabha Secretary-General P.D.T. Achary.
The use of ordinances and voice votes has increased, with 18 ordinances promulgated in 2023 alone.
Evidence: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned 27% of scheduled hours in the 2024 Budget Session due to disruptions.
Social Audits, Citizen Participation, and Civil Society Oversight
Social audits in schemes like MGNREGA have uncovered over ₹3,500 crore in irregularities since 2018 (Ministry of Rural Development).
"The Right to Information Act has empowered citizens, but bureaucratic resistance and pendency of appeals remain major hurdles," observes the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).
RTI applications topped 2.7 million in 2023, but only 68% were disposed of within the statutory period.
Evidence: Landmark civil society interventions such as the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan's campaign for wage transparency have led to policy changes, but activists face growing legal and physical threats.
Law Enforcement, Police, and Administrative Reform: The Unfinished Agenda
The Supreme Court's Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) mandated police reforms fixed tenures, independent complaints authorities, and separation of investigation from law and order but implementation remains patchy.
"Police reform is the most delayed promise in Indian governance," says Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai Police Commissioner.
NCRB data (2024) shows a 28% vacancy rate in police forces and a conviction rate of just 49% for violent crimes.
Evidence: Only 7 states have fully complied with the Prakash Singh directives as of 2025.
Data, Trends, and International Comparisons: Where India Stands
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators (2024) place India at the 55th percentile for government effectiveness, compared to China (67th), Brazil (58th), and Indonesia (60th). The Global Competitiveness Index (2024) ranks India 43rd, with governance cited as a key constraint.
"India's governance challenge is not unique, but its scale and diversity make solutions uniquely difficult," observes the OECD's 2024 South Asia Governance Review.
Evidence: India's SDG Index score is 66/100 (NITI Aayog, 2023), with "zero hunger," "quality education," and "gender equality" as persistent laggards.
Critical Dissent and Alternative Views: The Debate Within
Some experts argue that excessive decentralization can undermine national priorities, while others warn that centralization erodes local innovation.
"India's governance must be both strong and supple—too much rigidity or too much flexibility can be equally damaging," argues Prof. Upendra Baxi.
Evidence: The Carnegie India 2024 Governance Survey found that 61% of respondents favored more local autonomy, but 49% also wanted stricter national standards for service delivery.
Global Commitments and SDGs: The International Dimension
India is a signatory to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, yet progress is mixed. The FATF's 2024 review flagged gaps in anti-money laundering enforcement, and the UN's Voluntary National Review (2023) noted that "governance bottlenecks remain a primary obstacle to SDG achievement."
"India's global ambitions must be matched by domestic governance reforms," says the UNDP India Country Director.
Conclusion: Towards a Governance Renaissance—From Rhetoric to Results
India's governance is at a historic inflection point. The evidence, data, and expert analysis are unequivocal: incremental change is no longer sufficient. The road to "Viksit Bharat" demands a governance renaissance rooted in transparency, accountability, and a relentless focus on outcomes. This will require not just administrative tinkering, but a cultural shift: from patronage to performance, from centralization to genuine federal partnership, and from opacity to citizen empowerment.
"Governance reform is not an option but an imperative—without it, the dream of Viksit Bharat will remain unfulfilled."
[Major General Dr Dilawar Singh, a Ph.D. with multiple postgraduate degrees, is a seasoned expert with over four decades of experience in military policy formulation and counter-terrorism. He has been the National Director General in the Government of India. With extensive multinational exposure at the policy level, he is the Senior Vice President of the Global Economist Forum, AO, ECOSOC, United Nations. He is serving on numerous corporate boards. He has been regularly contributing deep insights into geostrategy, global economics, military affairs, sports, emerging technologies, and corporate governance.]
