Government policies have a significant impact on a country’s destiny. They have an effect not only on economic growth and public welfare, but also on citizens’ quality of life. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of policymakers in India have formal education in public policy and administration.
Education in public affairs
- The study and teaching of the principles, theories, and methods engaged in the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies that address societal problems is referred to as public policy education.
- This field of study aims to provide students with the information and skills needed to successfully analyze, create, and manage public policies.
How are government policies, economic growth, and general welfare intertwined?
- Policies of the government: Governments develop and implement policies to guide economic activity, keep social order, and support citizens’ well-being. Fiscal and monetary policy, trade policy, education, healthcare, social protection, and infrastructure development are all covered by these policies. These policies’ effectiveness can have a direct influence on economic growth and public welfare.
- Economic growth is the increase in a country’s output of products and services over time, which is typically measured by the growth rate of GDP. (GDP). A growing economy usually leads to more jobs, higher income, and better living standards for citizens. Government policies have a significant impact on economic growth by influencing variables such as investment, consumption, trade, and innovation.
- Public welfare refers to a society’s general well-being, which includes aspects such as income distribution, access to vital services, health, education, and environmental quality. Government policies can have a substantial effect on public welfare by allocating resources, setting priorities, and providing social safety nets.
A scarcity of programmes
- According to the All-India Council for Technical Education, there are 3,182 institutions with an authorised intake of 4.22 lakh in business management programs, but only about 130 colleges and 29 institutes offer public administration and public policy programmes.
- The batch size of public policy courses is 20-60, and there are few jobs open for individuals who complete such courses, which disincentivizes educational institutions and students from pursuing such courses.
Inadequate Exposure to Public Management
- Most civil employees go through departmental induction training programmes that concentrate on their department’s role rather than how to make good public policies.
- As a result, very few civil servants have prior exposure to public management, which is essential for developing effective policies.
Suggestions to boost public policy education in India
Public Management as a Compulsory Subject in UPSC:
- Public administration should be made a mandatory topic for the UPSC civil service examination, either as a replacement for one optional subject or as an extra paper. This will encourage colleges and private institutions to provide public policy education, research, and case studies at the graduate or post-graduate level, resulting in a significant increase in public policy education.
- Furthermore, civil servants who join the government would receive formal education in public management before entering service, and even those who do not advance to government positions would gain a better understanding and sensitivity to the complexities involved in public management, making them better citizens and effective private sector managers.
- Induction Training Should Include a Greater Focus on Public Policy: Existing government training schools should include a greater focus on public policy as part of their induction training. A case study bank for training purposes should also be created.
- Specialized Positions for Public Policy Analysts: The government can establish certain specialised positions for public policy analysts that can be filled directly from the market, thereby opening up new employment opportunities for graduates of public policy programmes.
@the end
Because of a lack of formal education in public management, governance has fallen behind private-sector management in terms of efficiency and efficacy. Public policy education is critical for creating effective policies that promote economic growth, public welfare, and enhance citizens’ quality of life.
Source: https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf