What is it about?
The jan sunwai (public hearings) in Rajasthan played a catalytic role in the struggle for Right to Information in India. It caught the political imagination of people at the grassroots and provided a forum where they could speak-up freely and openly. These hearings also emerged as a mechanism for enforcing public accountability of government officials and elected representatives through social audit. Jan Sunwai has now been institutionalized through different legislation. This paper demonstrates the significance of jan sunwai as a mode of citizen engagement for greater political participation and transparency in governance.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
This study integrates various components of transparency such as the Right to Information Act, Social Audit, Right to Service Acts in different states, and the Rajasthan Right to Hearing Act 2012. The study links these legislation with the Jan Sunwai (public hearings) and demonstrates how it can help build democracy from below.
Perspectives
Writing this article helped me grow as a researcher. Exhaustive editorial reviews meant opportunities to constantly update the article with the latest developments in the field or research understanding of the authors.
Vidhi Agrawal
Birla Institute of Technology and Science
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: From Jan Sunwai to Rajasthan Right to Hearing Act 2012: Fostering Transparency and Accountability through Citizen Engagement, Studies in Indian Politics, September 2018, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/2321023018797537.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
