Preface ; Seven Decades of Republic ; Whither Seven Decades of Planned Development ? ; Decline in Party Politics ; Country of Contradictions ; Pillars of the Republic ; Cost of Parliamentary Democracy ; Options and Alternatives ; Understanding Linkages ; Power to People ; Differentiating Parties ; A Development Paradigm ; Good Governance, Not Rhetoric ; Origins of Good Governance as a Concept ; Different Perspectives ; Distinguishing Features of Governance ; Good Governance : Compulsions and Characteristics ; Sustaining Development ; Some Differentiating and Inhibiting Factors ; Proof of Pudding Indicators ; Pillars of the Republic ; Political Parties ; Declining Legislatures ? ; The Executive / Civil Services/Bureaucracy ; Justice System and the Judiciary ; Basic Dilemma of the Fourth Estate ; Civil Society : Is It Not the Fifth Pillar ? ; Education : A Differentiator ; ICT : The Double Edger ; Facilitators and Destabilisers ; Negating Trends of Governance ; Is Government a Continuing One ? ; Corruption - Public Face of Good Governance ! ; NITI Ayog: The New Commission ? ; Dampening Trends ; Desh Badal Raha Hai, Not Our Leaders ; Prajala Vaddaku Palana (Government at the Doorsteps) Most Sought - After Public Services ; Hire- and Fire-based Appointments ; Institutions Sustain Governance ; Not Without a Future Outlook ; Slogans Could as Well Be the Mantras ; Rights Regime ; Rights Regime and Mechanisms ; Basic Public Services for Good Governance ; Six Pillars of the State ; Dilemma of Right to Education ; RTI Crying Out for Revival ; Could There Be a Formula to Go About ? ; Initiatives and Instruments ; Isn't Having a Vision Not Good Governance ? ; It's a Six - Pronged Pursuit ; ICT - A Differentiator ; Big Change with Citizen Initiatives ; Networking ; Systems and Institutions Are Important ; Education Route - A Sure Bet ; Independent Research and Training ; Index