Durham E-Theses Bureaucratic culture and new public management:: a case study of Indira Mahila Yojana in Uttar Pradesh Quirk, Alison Julia How to cite: Quirk, Alison Julia (2002) Bureaucratic culture and new public management:: a case study of Indira Mahila Yojana in Uttar Pradesh, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3760/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 BUREAUCRATIC CULTURE AND NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF INDIRA MAHILA YOJANA IN UTIAR PRADESH Alison J ulia Quirk College of St. Hild and St. Bede Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2002 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. - g:)UN 2006 Bureaucratic culture and new public management: A case study of Indira Mahila Yojana in Uttar Pradesh Alison Julia Quirk Abstract The IMY scheme may be atypical within Uttar Pradesh, but it does demonstrate the importance of supporting institutions and the potential value of bureaucratic reform for provoking positive change and development. During the 1990s there has been a notable shift in governance debates from what has been termed the 'Washington' to a post-Washington Consensus. Put simply, this shift has involved a move away from the old agenda of state 'versus' market to a new discourse based on the notion of state 'and' market. A parallel shift has occurred within public administration, from a focus based on reducing the role of the state to a reconsideration of the way in which the state performs it's roles. The Indian state has initiated administrative reforms influenced by new public management (NPM) following the adoption of a new economic policy in 1991. The case of northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is particularly significant as administrative reforms their have been developed in association with the World Bank. Through the case study of the Indira Mahila Yojana programme (for women's empowerment), I consider how government officials at the various administrative levels, have engaged with the processes of change associated with new public management. Despite popular criticism of the bureaucracy in India, this study suggests that the adoption of specific elements of NPM in specific institutional environments can empower government officials, and help facilitate development. The case study of the Indira Mahila Yojana scheme demonstrates both the importance of suipporting institutions and the potential value of bureaucratic reform for provoking positive change and development. Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of so many people, and a few lines at the beginning of this work cannot even begin to suggest how grateful and lucky I am. Financial support came from the University of Durham in the form of a studentship and from the Access Fund, supported by the College of St. Hild and St. Bede. I would like to thank my supervisors, Drs. Liz Oughton and Emma Mawdsley, who from the outset have given me so much inspiration, friendship and guidance. My fieldwork in India was successful due to the generosity and helpfulness of so many, and I would specifically like to thank the following; the Rao family for their hospitality, Uma Shanker, for finding me a place in a hostel when there was none, Durgesh Hukku, for her endless enthusiasm, Rakesh Nautiyal, for his patience when I was learning Hindi and the IMY groups without whose participation and input this thesis would not have been possible. During my time at the University of Durham, I have enjoyed support from colleagues throughout the Geography Department, and I particularly thank the members of the Development Studies Research Group, and the department's administrative staff. A special thank you needs to be made to those people who have been with me for the duration of this PhD, and also those friends who have been there for a lot longer. Whether in Durham, or further afield, your friendship has been there through good times and bad! Bev, Dan, Fiona, Laura, Susan and Suzi. Finally, I would like to thank my family. This is for you. Mum, Dad, Andrea, Amy and Jon. Your love, support and understanding have made all of this possible. Thank you so much for everything. CONTENTS List of Contents Maps, Tables, Figures and Plates IV Glossary VI List of Abbreviations VII Preface xi Declaration XVII Chapter 1: Exploring New Public Management 1.1: Introduction 1.2: Washington Consensus 3 1.3: Post-Washington Consensus 5 1.4: New Public Management 12 1.5: Indian Economic and Administrative Reform 19 1.6: New Public Management in India 25 1.7: Conclusions 34 Chapter 2: Kaun Banega Krorepati? Bureaucratic Culture in India 2.1: Introduction 35 2.2: Indian Civil Services: Antecedents and Influences 37 2.3: A 'Steel Frame?': Structure of the Indian Public Administration 43 2.4: Bureaucratic Cultures 50 2.4.1: The Rational Legal Bureaucrat 52 2.4.2: The Vested Interest Bureaucrat 54 2.4.3: The Entrepreneurial Bureaucrat 68 2.5: Conclusions 71 Chapter 3: The 'State' of Uttar Pradesh 3.1: Introduction 73 3.2: The Uttar Pradesh State 74 3.2.1: Geography 74 3.2.2: Politics 77 3.2.3: Development Indicators 82 3.2.4: Administration 87 3.3: Rae Bareli District 90 3.4: Indira Mahila Yogana 94 Chapter 4:Methodology 4.1: Introduction I 01 4.2: Research Strategy I 03 4.3: The Dynamics of the Research Process and Role of the Researcher I 05 4.4: The Research Experience I 07 4.5: Selection of Research Sites and Respondents Ill 4.5.1: Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli Ill 4.5.2: Selection of Key Informants 112 4.5.3: Sampling for interviews and focus groups 113 4.6: Methods Used: 4.6.1: Semi Structured Interviews 114 4.6.2 Participatory Observation 117 4.7: Conclusions 118 Chapter 5: Insiders' Perceptions of Bureaucratic Change 5.1: Introduction 119 5.2: The Role of Training 123 5.3: Structure 136 5.3.1: Debureaucractisation- The Role of Key Individuals 140 5.3.2: Externalisation 150 5.3.3: Localisation 5.4: Monitoring and Accountability 156 5.4.1 Targets 156 5.4.2 Monitoring 161 ll 5.4.3 Accountability 166 5.5: Conclusions 166 Chapter 6: Outsiders' Perceptions of Bureaucratic Change 6.1: Introduction 168 6.2: Elite Perceptions of Bureaucratic Change 171 6.2.1: National Level 171 6.2.2 State Level 176 6.2.3 District and Block Level 178 6.3: Elite Perceptions of New Public Management 185 6.4: Vernacular Perceptions of Bureaucratic Change 187 6.4.1 Anganwadi Perceptions 189 6.4.2 IMY Members' Perceptions 193 6.5: Conclusions 202 Chapter Seven: Conclusions 7.1: Introduction 204 7.2: Ma Bap or Manager: The Experience of Indira Mahila Yojana 205 7.3: Social Capital: The Weakest Link? 211 7.6: Neo-Imperialism and the Hegemony of Western Discourses 214 Appendix 218 Bibliography 235 iii Maps 3.1 Location of Uttar Pradesh in India 74 3.2 Physical Characteristics of Uttar Pradesh 75 3.3 Indian States by sex ratio 83 3.4 The District of Rae Bareli 90 3.5 Rae Bareli Administrative Blocks 91 Tables 1.1 Key Features of New Public Management 13 4.1 Interviewee Breakdown 114 Figures 2.1 Barriers and opportunities for women's advancement 49 in the public service 2.2 'Reforming the Bureaucracy' 57 2.3 'Unified Administrative Code' 57 2.4 'Whipping Boys who hold the Whiphand' 58 2.5 'Bureaucracy Needs Realignment' 64 3.1 Uttar Pradesh State Current Assembly 81 3.2 Indira Mahila Yojana 94 3.3 Organisational and Administrative Structure of IMY 95 3.4 Aims of the IMY Scheme 98 4.1 CREME Course Outline 101 5.1 The composite force-field analysis of bureaucratic cultures 122 through the IMY in Uttar Pradesh 5.2 Excerpt from Field Diary 165 6.1 Field Diary Excerpt 192 iv Plates 5.1 Course Photograph- Training at NPCCD 132 5.2 The Use of Participation in Defining Needs through IMY 133 5.3 Annexe Bhawan, Lucknow 141 5.4 Vikas Bhawan, Rae Bareli 143 5.5 SHG Member Shop, Maharajgang Block 147 5.6 Block level Jeep at ICDS Unchahar 162 6.1 ALSA Shop 181 6.2 IMY Group, Unchahar Block 195 6.3 Lakshmi Group, Tiloi Block 199 V Glossary Adivasi The original inhabitants of India, also referred to as Tribals Adhikari Officer Anganwadi Village Level Officer Arrack Country liquor (sometimes used to describe both legal and illegally distilled alcohol, other times restricted to legal as opposed to illegal- hooch). Babu Respectful address; sir Babri Masjid The mosque at Ayodhya demolished by right-wing Hindu vandals Bahujan Masses, common people.