Next Gen governance reforms must be driven by evidence

 
Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh today said that India’s next-generation governance reforms must be driven by evidence-based decision making, professional capacity building and robust financial management at the grassroots. He made these remarks while addressing the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for Capacity Building of Municipalities and Strengthening Municipal Accounting and Financial Management Practices. 
Dr Singh said strong institutions, backed by research and professional expertise, are essential for creating efficient Urban Local Bodies capable of meeting the aspirations of a rapidly urbanising nation. He said that governance today is increasingly shaped by technology, reliable data and professional systems, making municipal accounting reforms more relevant than ever before. Talking about the institutions, the Minister said while IIPA has expanded far beyond its traditional role of training civil servants to serve elected representatives, judicial officers, defence personnel, the private sector and other stakeholders, ICAI has emerged as one of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies with unmatched expertise in financial management. Dr Singh noted that bringing these complementary strengths together would create a strong institutional platform for improving governance at the municipal level. He also expressed confidence that the partnership would open a new chapter in institutional collaboration for municipal governance and public financial management. 
The collaboration seeks to combine IIPA’s expertise in governance, research and public administration with ICAI’s professional strengths in accounting, auditing and public financial management to support institutional reforms across municipalities. The agreement will remain in force for an initial period of three years.