Good Governance and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals: Examining Legal and Institutional Challenges in India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68219/qqtr3h06Keywords:
Good Governance, Sustainable Development Goals, Environmental Governance, Institutional GovernanceAbstract
The concept of good governance has gained momentum in recent times as an essential pre-requisite for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since it enables the execution of development policies through transparent, accountable, participatory, and effective institutional mechanisms. In the case of India, although there exists a well-developed constitutional and legal framework for promoting sustainable development, several institutional and governance-related issues keep posing barriers to the effective realization of the SDGs. This paper seeks to explore the connection between good governance and sustainable development through the analysis of the legal and institutional frameworks which facilitate the realization of SDGs in India. The research employs a doctrinal/analytical approach which involves the analysis of constitutional provisions, statutes, government policies, institutional frameworks and relevant literature. It focuses on exploring the key elements of good governance and their impact on the development of public administration, environmental governance, transparency, accountability and citizen participation. This paper seeks to examine the contributions of good governance to particular Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 6 (Clean water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate action), and SDG 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions). The research highlights that despite India's efforts in the form of governance reforms with regard to digital governance, legal framework, and policies, there are a number of problems, including ineffective administration, poor coordination, lack of public participation, and lack of implementation that have hampered the process of sustainable development. It can be concluded that institutional capacity building, transparency, cooperation in governance, and proper implementation of legal frameworks are vital in order for India to move ahead and attain the SDGs.
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