Question

Write an essay on: Concept of social audit of public policies.

Answer 1

Social audit has a special origin and huge impact on the governance of a society. Social audit can dramatically improve quality of service delivery and decision making. It increases accountability like none other. It has been promoted by institutions ranging from CAG to Supreme Court of India. The issue is related to GS-2 syllabus under the following heading-

Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- application, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

Key demand of the question.

The question wants us to describe social audit and discuss its implementation in India and identify the major problems arising in its implementation. Then it wants us to highlight the legislative and judicial initiatives taken in this regard.

Directive word

Discuss- we have to write in detail about the meaning and history of social audit and then all the impediments to implementing social auditing in India- identify the challenges involved.

Highlight- we have to briefly describe the recent legislative and judicial measures undertaken in this direction.                                                

Structure of the answer

Introduction- define social audit and discuss its origin and link with India. Try to mention names of places associated with the origin.

Body-

discuss in points, about all the impediments faced in institutionalizing social audits in India. E.g opposition by political parties, government officials, and other vested interests, lack of required skills and knowledge among the people, need for a legal mandate, problems like delays in getting justice delivered etc.

Discuss in points about the recent steps taken by the government in this direction. E.g mention SC directions and CAGs role in development social audit standards- for the first time in world history etc.)

Conclusion- form a concise and fair evaluation of scope of social auditing in India and provide some suggestions for institutionalizing the same.