Citizen and the State

The Indianadministrative system, designedinthe colonial era, was builtaround command, compliance,and hierarchy. Its purposewas notto empower the peoplebutto governthem. Despite decades of democraticevolution, traces of thatarchitecture persist ~inthe bureaucraticculture, inthe opacity of decision-making, andinthestructural distance between policymakersand thepublic

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In every democracy, the relationship between the state and the citizen is shaped by a delicate balance of power, information, and trust. The state, as the institutional embodiment of collective will, wields authority, resources, and data. The citizen, as the supposed sovereign in a democracy, often stands at the receiving end ~ informed less, heard less, and empowered less. This asymmetry of power and information remains one of the most enduring challenges of governance in most countries, including India.

Whether in accessing welfare schemes, seeking justice, or engaging with regulatory institutions, citizens frequently encounter a system that appears opaque, procedural, and distant. The language of governance is still too often that of control rather than collaboration. While reforms such as the Right to Information Act and the growth of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) have begun to erode this imbalance, the deeper transformation lies not merely in systems, but in statecraft ~ in how the government perceives its citizens, and how citizens, in turn, experience the state.

The Indian administrative system, designed inthecolonial era, was built around command, compliance, and hierarchy. Its purpose was not to empower the people but to govern them. Despite decades of democratic evolution, traces of that architecture persist ~ in the bureaucratic culture, in the opacity of decision-making, and in the structural distance between policymakers and the public.