The way of all recommendations

Within the government system,success rate in implementing recommendations of assorted commissions,committees and task forces is low. Just consider the 10-volume report of the Expenditure Reforms Commission (ERC).

To get back to ARC,we now have government decisions on those five reports and the quote I have reproduced is from fourth report on ethics in governance. It’s the government response to ARC recommendations on the reform of political funding. In this age of IT and copy-paste,it is also a response to recommendations on tightening of the anti-defection law,disqualification,coalition and ethics,appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner,grounds for disqualification of MPs/MLAs,enforcement of ethics in legislatures,office of profit and so on.

On these issues,one is then forced to deduce that ARC didn’t understand its mandate and TOR and wasn’t aware of all these other fora. The point is not that all recommendations of a commission need be accepted. Nor is this the place to go down each ARC recommendation item by item and discuss government reactions. However,the general impression one forms is of the central government’s contentment with status quo and passing the buck to state governments.

This is especially true of the report on local governance. “Existing provisions are adequate as only the central government can have a precise understanding of the intricate issues involved in decision making.” That’s another quote,this time from a reaction to the recommendation that prior concurrence for registration of corruption cases should be given by CVC. There is much more in the same vein.

Since the central government alone can understand the intricate issues involved in decision-making,why do we even bother to set up the ARC? In an approach paper,ARC stated,“There is a need to restructure our political and governance institutions and rejuvenate our Republic. Otherwise,the growing cynicism and despair among large sections may shatter public confidence in democratic institutions.”

True,but those who are cynical and despairing don’t understand intricate issues.