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The evolution of public policy in India post-independence focused on policy research to evaluate its implementation. As the demand for independent assessment grew, the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) conducted various evaluation studies..

India established various institutions i.e. NCERT, IIPA, and NCAER. The Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) was founded in 1969, starting the second phase. It attempted to create a policy research institute outside of universities.

Evolution of Public Policy in India

• First Phase: Post-independence India selected planned economic growth. It was believed that economic progress would spur social, political, and human development.
  • The Planning Commission shaped the nation’s policies and opinions. 
  • The FYP formed the basis for all government policies.
• Second Phase: It was started after LPG reforms in India and marked with devolution of power through the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments act.
• Present Phase: It is characterised by the creation of the NITI Aayog and the emergence of cooperative and competitive federalism in India. 

Major Types of Public Policy in India

• Depending on their geographic scope or expansion, public policies can be divided into two major categories: domestic and foreign.
• A country’s domestic policy is a collection of actions made by the government that have an immediate impact on its citizens. 
  • This policy’s scope is limited to the borders of one country. 
  • It encompasses a wide range of topics across all facets of the nation. 
  • Regulatory policies, economic policies, and social policies are only a few examples of the many sorts of domestic policies. 
• Regulatory Policy: Regulating policies strive to keep people and groups within social norms by controlling their behaviours. 
  • These rules may curb their discretionary behaviour. Example Anti-Dumping duty.
  • Regulatory policies can be competitive or protectionist. Ex: Establishment of SEBI and RBI.
• Economic Policies: integral aspect of public finance of a country. These refer to all those actions which are taken by the government to influence the economy and economic conditions. 
  • Example Mudra Yojana, LPG reforms, Aatamnirbhar Bharat. Stabilisation policy, monetary policy, fiscal policy, industrial policy, investment policy and trade policy.
• Social Policies: These policies aim at social control and social change. 
  • These are concerned with creation of favourable social conditions for fostering social existence. 
  • Example: National Nutrition Policy, 1993, Poshan Abhiyan, MGNREGA etc.
• Foreign Policy: strategy to deal with other nations on bilateral and multilateral issues. 
  • The policy is particularly meant to safeguard national interests and foster international relations to enable peaceful co-existence of nations.
  • Example NAM, Gujral Doctrine, Neighbourhood first Policy, etc,.

Stages in the Policy Process of Public Policy in India 

Thomas Dye (2004) sets out the following stages in his analysis of the policy process: 

• Problem Identification: The identification of policy problems through demands for government action. 
• Agenda Setting: Focusing the attention of the mass media and public officials on specific public problems as a prelude to decision making. 
• Policy Formulation: The development of policy proposals by interest groups, officers of the chief executive’s office, committees of the legislature, think tanks, etc. 
• Policy Legitimation: The selection and enactment of policies through political actions by the executive, the legislature, and the courts. 
• Policy Implementation: The implementation of policies through organised bureaucracies, public expenditures, and the activities of executive agencies. 
• Policy Evaluation: The evaluation of policies by government agencies themselves, outside consultants, the press, and the public. 

Significance of Public Policy in India

• Public policies are key instruments in the hands of the government to realise public ends. 
• Redistribution of Economic growth: For example, giving grants in aid and special category status to the underdeveloped states.
• Promoting inclusive growth through financial inclusion and social inclusion. 
  • Example: JAM trinity.
• Reformative and progressive in society: Eliminating poverty and hunger, giving universal health coverage. 
  • Example– MGNREGA, Ayushman Bharat Abhiyan, Zamindari reforms, national food security act-2013.
• The main objective of policies is to provide social stability by reducing deprivation and social conflict.

Issues with Public Policy in India

In India, when policies are made and implemented without the desired impact, the blame is often placed at the implementation end.

• Conceived in nature: Policies essentially flow from problem discovery, followed by problem definition. 
  • Hence policies need to be designed, they cannot be conceived.
  • For example, Operation Blackboard began with a rudimentary problem diagnosis. If teachers are missing, children don’t go to school.
• The temptation to roll out policies quickly: leads to a rush to accept inadequate design, despite the lack of adequate information and data.
• Impact evaluation is too slow and too small, and willingness to acknowledge weak points is almost nonexistent.
  • Evaluation should have led to problem redefinition and possibly changes in policy. 
  • For example, in Beti bachao Beti Padhao scheme, the component-wise distribution of expenditure for 2017-18 and the planned expenditure profile for 2018-19 and 2019-20 show that media campaigns at the national level account for 43% of expenditure, with 4% going to district campaigns.
• Politicians and bureaucrats struggle to retract huge commitments. 
  • MGNREGA was initially limited to 200 drought-prone districts, and the 100-day employment guarantee would have provided vital input. 
  • But either due to activist pressure or political attraction, it was expanded to all 600 districts quickly with unsatisfactory results, pushing reasonable and viable policy goals away.
• Problem of implementation: An insufficiently conceived policy lacks manpower and funds for implementation, especially at the grassroots level, while top-down programmes require substantial documentation.
  • As per MGNREGA requirements, the majority of states have not paid wages within 15 days. Workers also don’t get paid for late wages.
• Inadequate professionalism of policy-makers and advisers. For example, three farm laws formulated without consulting the stakeholders and due to widespread protest, the government has to roll back these laws.
• Left to bureaucrats, policy-making results in flawed, unrealistic, and undesirable policies and without them owning up, it becomes political predation.
  • It creates problem of red tapism, corruption and operation inefficiencies.

Measures to Improve Public Policy in India

For Better policy formulation

• Decentralization of  policy making process and separating policy-making from implementation
• Improving the flow of information and feedback mechanism to guide policy making as demand driven.
• Ensure participation of all stakeholders and civil society in policy making to reflect the inclusiveness and comprehensiveness in Policy
• Strengthen the environment for Policy monitoring and assessment. 
• Collect real time empirical data 
• Building linkages among government agencies and academic institutions: inherent limitations of competence, lack of time and attention, while dealing with the sheer magnitude of bureaucratic procedures making executive and legislature confined their thinking. 

For better Implementation

• Developing a robust delivery mechanism that encourages active participation of individuals at the grassroots level. 
• Promoting convergence of schemes. 
• Emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among the public about details of various schemes enabling them to access benefits effectively. 
• Incorporating provisions for social auditing to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of policies and programs. 
• Establishing a strong institutional framework.

Conclusion

Clearly, if public arguments about enhancing service delivery remain misinformed about implementation issues, reforms may fail and potentially do more harm. Better public services are improbable without fundamental field administration reform based on profound awareness of the difficulties.