Public Sector Reforms in India: New Role of the District Officer

The public sector in India has evolved over the past two centuries to adapt to contextual changes like political framework, economic conditions and people’s expectations. Certain systemic and institutional changes reflect the ongoing transformation within the sector. One such change has been in the role of the District Officer (DO). Beginning as an area administrator–with the agenda of revenue collection and representation of colonial authority– in the eighteenth century, the office has today evolved into a multi-faceted functionary at the centre of district administration. Unfortunately, this process of evolution and response to the deepening of democracy has often been mistaken for a diminution of the office. This book brings into perspective the processes and impact of public sector reforms that have gone virtually unnoticed by studying developments that have quietly, but irreversibly, altered the way the Indian State provides goods and services to its citizen-customers. It calls upon the state to support the new, evolving and transformational role of the DO in the context of rapid changes. This book also identifies gaps in current research in this area. A comprehensive study, this book would appeal to a wide audience–including students, civil servants, NGOs, and candidates for the civil services.