Why in the News?

• The “civil society round-table” discussion is expected to raise some concerns from the Government of India .

1.Background

• It is a phrase that is much bandied about in the media and by politicians but if you were to stop and ask a casual passer-by what is meant by “civil society” it is unlikely many people could give an in-depth answer.
• According to the World Bank: “Civil society refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations.”
• When mobilized, civil society, sometimes called the “third sector” (after government and commerce) has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses. But the nature of civil society - what it is and what it does - is evolving, in response to both technological developments and more nuanced changes within societies.

Civil Society: The Present Scenario

• There are around 15 lakhs NGOs present in India (i.e., Non-profit, voluntary citizens’ groups organized on a local, national, or international level).
• This includes temples, churches, mosques, gurudwaras, sports associations, hospitals, educational institutions, youth groups formed during festivals etc.
• However, most NGOs are facing problems like a small workforce of volunteers, unpaid staff. This has been also found in the survey report formed by Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA).
• According to this survey, it is found that around one-fourth of all NGOs work in religious activities and one-fifth work for community and/or social service, another one-fifth in education.

Strengths of Civil Society:

• Mobilizing resources in ways that the state alone cannot do;
• Education: making people aware about the socio-economic challenges and address them;
• Facilitating citizen participation in development initiatives;
• Promoting effective, honest, legitimate, and responsive government through public scrutiny and advocacy-based activities;
• Strengthening government’s links with the overall population;
• Giving voice and assistance to underprivileged and marginalized populations, and responding to local needs;
• Serving as a partner in cases in which countries are suffering from armed conflict or civil strife;
• Frank perspective should be given on issues and challenges of policies and also on measures to solve those issues;
• Training leaders, disseminating information, and conducting research relating to public policy challenges;
• Introducing new development approaches and models;
• Creating a feeling of local ownership and commitment to ADB-financed projects and other development initiatives;
• Flexibly responding to shifts in local conditions that necessitate mid-course shifts in project implementation.

Challenges:

Constraints to CSO Participation

• Lack a resource base and have weak administrative, financial, organizational, and technical capacity;
• Have limited strategic perspectives and weak linkages with other stakeholders;
• Create only small-scale impacts;
• Focus on idealistic aims rather than on measurable results;
• Depend excessively on one or a small number of leaders, and be susceptible to capture by elites;
• Coordinate poorly with other CSOs;
• Be prone to politicization, and suffer strained relationships with governments; and
• Be donor driven, pursuing grant opportunities rather than seeking engagement in those areas in which they possess the greatest comparative advantage or expertise.

Government Approach to work with Civil Society:

• The Planning Commission initiated an NGO–government interface through a series of conferences and, in 2000, was appointed the nodal agency for NGO– state interactions.
• The Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) was decentralised in the second half of the 1990s so that the anticipated benefits of NGO activities could reach the country's less explored and extremely poor areas.
• CAPART was established in 1986 to facilitate and sustain grassroots efforts to implement rural development programmes.
• The state's and NGOs' priorities have converged, especially in the areas of community empowerment, engagement, democratic institution strengthening, and improving access to basic services like health and education.
• The government has established a number of institutions to promote NGO funding (e.g., Khadi and Village Industries Cooperatives, Central Social Welfare Board, National Wasteland Development Board, CAPART).

National Policy on the Voluntary Sector

In May 2007, the cabinet of ministers of the Government of India approved the National Policy on the Voluntary Sector as the first step in a process to evolve a new working relationship between the government and volunteer organizations.

• The policy identifies four objectives:
• Create an enabling environment for volunteer organizations that stimulates their enterprise and effectiveness, and safeguards their autonomy.
• Enable volunteer organizations to legitimately mobilize necessary local and foreign financial resources.
• Identification of proper systems which will facilitate the government to work together with volunteer organizations, based on the principles of mutual trust and respect, and with shared responsibility.
• Encourage volunteer organizations to adopt transparent, accountable systems of governance and management.

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