Can Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations present an alternative model of public service delivery to benefit the common citizen? Discuss the challenges of this alternative model.

Civil society as an alternative delivery channel

The 2nd ARC report 'Social Capital — A Shared Destiny' recognises civil society organisations and NGOs as vital partners in governance. With last-mile presence, community trust and low-cost innovation, they can deliver services where the state is absent or ineffective — though more as complements than substitutes.

How they benefit the common citizen

• Scale with efficiency: Akshaya Patra serves mid-day meals to lakhs of children daily through centralised kitchens run in partnership with governments.
• Evidence and innovation: Pratham's ASER surveys and 'Teaching at the Right Level' reshaped learning policy; SEWA organises informal women workers for credit and social security.
• Last-mile reach: NGOs ran community kitchens, migrant relief and oxygen logistics during COVID-19 when formal machinery was overwhelmed.
• Voice and accountability: MKSS's jan sunwais seeded the RTI Act; social audits are now institutionalised in MGNREGA.

Challenges of this model

• Accountability deficit: of an estimated 30 lakh-plus registered NGOs, only a fraction file audited returns; internal governance is often opaque.
• Funding squeeze: FCRA (Amendment) Act, 2020 restrictions and donor dependence make services financially unsustainable.
• Uneven coverage: concentration in accessible regions leaves the poorest districts underserved, and successful pilots rarely scale.
• Legitimacy limits: unelected bodies cannot guarantee rights or universality, and the state may abdicate core duties by outsourcing them.
• Capacity gaps: professional staffing, data systems and monitoring remain weak outside a handful of large NGOs.

Conclusion

CSOs and NGOs offer a credible complementary model — piloting innovations, reaching the excluded and holding the state to account — but universal, rights-based delivery must remain the state's obligation. Accreditation through NITI Aayog's Darpan portal, transparent funding and genuine partnership frameworks can harness their strengths while managing the risks.