Good Governance Day, also known as ‘Sushasan Diwas’ in Hindi, is annually observed across India on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of the former (10th) Prime Minister (PM) Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The day also aims to create awareness of accountability and administration of government among the people.
- 25th December 2024 marks the 11th Good Governance Day and 100th birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- Theme of Good Governance Day 2024 “India’s Path to a Viksit Bharat: Empowering Citizens through Good Governance and Digitalisation,”.
- The day also ensures that residents are treated fairly by the government and they receive advantages of various government services.
Background:
i.In 2014, the Government of India (GOI) declared 25th December as Good Governance Day to honor the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- The first Good Governance Day was observed on 25th December 2014.
About Atal Bihari Vajpayee:
i.Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a poet and a politician, born on 25th December 1924 in Gwalior, present Madhya Pradesh (MP).
ii.He served as India’s PM for three terms: 13 days in 1996, 13 months from 1998-1999, and a full term from 1999-2004.
- He was the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to have become India’s PM.
iii. He received Bharat Ratna (Highest Civilian Honour in India) in 2015, and Padma Vibhushan (2nd highest civilian award) in 1992 for his contributions to Public Affairs.
Good Governance Week 2024:
i.The 4th Good Governance Week (Sushasan Saptah) is celebrated annually from 19th to 25th December.
- The first Good Governance Week was observed from 19-25 December 2021.
ii.The Good Governance Week 2024 celebration was inaugurated in New Delhi (Delhi) by Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independant Charge), Jitendra Singh,Ministry of Science and Technology(MOST), MoS in the PM’s Office (PMO), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (MoPPG&P), Department of Atomic Energy (DEA) and Department of Space(DOS).
Good Governance Day 2024- Events:
i.Inauguration of National Workshop Good Governance Practices 2024
Union Minister of State, Dr Jitendra Singh, (Independent Charge), inaugurated the ‘National Workshop on Good Governance Practices’ held on 23rd December, 2024 at Bhim Auditorium, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi (Delhi).
- The event, in line with the annual Sushasan Saptah (Good Governance Week) was organized by the DARPG(Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (PERSMIN).
Special Campaign 4.0 Overview: Conducted from October 2 to 31, 2024, the campaign focused on cleanliness and reducing government office pendency.
- It cleared 25.19 lakh files, generated Rs.650.10 crores from scrap disposal, and freed 190 lakh sq. ft. of space. From 2021-2024, Special Campaigns earned Rs.(₹).2,364 crores from scrap disposal.
ii.Inauguration of ‘Prashasan Gaon ki Ore’ Campaign 2024
The DARPG conducted the 4th Sushasan Saptah (Good Governance Week) from December 19-25, 2024, alongside the “Prashasan Gaon ki Ore Campaign”, India’s largest people-centric campaign for citizen-centric governance. The initiative aimed at improving public grievance redressal, enhancing service delivery and documenting good governance practices.
- The campaign was engaged with more than 700 districts, focusing on doorstep service delivery and creating District Vision @ 100 documents, with 272 districts completing their vision reports.
Key Highlights:
- Over 2.99 crore applications disposed of and 14.8 lakh grievances redressed.
- 51,618 special camps held, with 1,167 governance innovations reported.
- District Vision @ 100 documents created by 272 districts, shaping future governance strategies.
iii.DoPPW Welfare Observes National Good Governance Week 2024
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), MoPPG&P observed the National Good Governance Week from 19th to 24th December 2024. The week focuses on promoting better governance practices across government departments.
i.National Workshop on Pension Grievance Redressal: An event was the National Workshop on Effective Redressal of Pension Grievances, held on 19th December 2024 aimed to improve the grievance redressal mechanisms by involving senior officers from 90 Ministries and Departments.
ii.Citizen-Centric Initiatives and Online Platform: The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has undertaken various citizen-centric initiatives.
- An online platform Centralized Pension Grievance and Redress System (CPENGRAMS) for filing of pension grievances through SMS.
- The platform was available through https://pgportal.gov.in/pension and the “My Grievance App”, facilitates online grievance registration.
- Grievances can also be reported via the toll-free number 1800-11-1960.
- Ministries and Departments are now expected to resolve pension-related grievances within 21 days.
iv.Defence Secretary Launches ‘Rashtraparv Website & Mobile App’
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh launched the “Rashtraparv Website” and its “Mobile App” (application) which aims to provide public access to important information about national events like Republic Day, Independence Day, and the Beating Retreat Ceremony. The platform was developed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and was created after consultation with States and public feedback.
- Features include live streaming, ticket purchases, seating arrangements and event route maps.
- The platform will manage ‘Tableau Proposals’ offering a ‘Tableau Management Portal’ for States, Union Territories (UTs), ministries, and departments to design and finalize their tableaus.
- The Rashtraparv Website can be accessed at https://rashtraparv.mod.gov.in, and the app is available for download on the Government App Store (M-Seva).
v: Launched ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi‘
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO, Atomic Energy, and Space, launched the ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi’ initiative.This initiative aims to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by enhancing the capacity of elected representatives and officials through effective governance and participatory planning.
- This initiative is a part of the ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ campaign, aimed at decentralizing governance and fostering participatory decision-making at the grassroots.
i.Target Area: Odisha, Assam, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh (AP) are the pilot states where the initiative will be rolled out.
ii.Tools & Technology: The initiative uses (electronic)e-learning platforms, (AI)-powered chatbots, and mobile apps to bridge knowledge gaps and improve governance.
vi.Union Minister Jitendra Singh Launched Five Pioneering Initiatives
- New Dashboard on iGOT Karmayogi Platform: To monitor and improve capacity-building efforts for civil servants, with customizable views and data filtration capabilities.
- 1600th e-learning Course: Introducing diverse learning resources to equip officials with skills needed for modern governance.
- CPGRAMS Annual Report 2024: Review of the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, showcasing successful grievance resolution and improvements in transparency.
- Simplified Pension Application Form: A digital format merging nine separate forms to ensure faster pension processing with Aadhaar-based e-signatures.
- Compendium of Pension Instructions, 2024: A comprehensive guide consolidating pension-related rules and guidelines to ensure clarity in the pension process.
vii.Gujarat Signs MoU with SAC-ISRO for Improved Water Resource Management
On Good Governance Day (December 25), a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Water Resources Department of Gujarat and Space Applications Centre- Indian Space Research Organisation (SAC-ISRO) under the chairmanship of Gujarat Chief Minister (CM) Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar (Gujarat). This collaboration aims to improve the management and development of water resources by incorporating space technology.
- Objective: To enhance water conservation and improve resource management through space-based technologies.
- Duration: The MoU will remain in effect for five years.
- Collaboration Focus: The Water Resources Department will set up regional geospatial cells to implement activities across various regions in Gujarat.
- Expected Outcomes: Better water conservation, efficient resource utilization, and improved governance in the water sector.
- The Space Application Centre-SAC of ISRO, located in Ahmedabad, is engaged in developing applications for various fields based on space technology.
About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPG&P):
Union Minister – Narendra Modi (Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State(MoS) – Jitendra Singh (Constituency: Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)
