Welcome

Research Foundation for Governance in India works in the area of evolving a legal thought on 'good governance' through involving youth from different spheres.

The objective of the Foundation is to help create strong processes of governance and an aware citizenry, primarily through seeking reforms in the legal and political arena. It aims to pursue this objective through spreading awareness on laws pertaining to governance, by conducting research on key legal issues which affects governance of the country, as well as through its consulting activities. Foundation seeks to find concrete solutions to existing problems of governance in India by working closely with governmental/non-governmental institutions and committed individuals.

The focus is particularly in the areas of functioning of publicly funded institutions, welfare-related issues and also those pertaining to elections and democracy.

The Foundation looks at 'governance' in a broad manner. The definition of 'governance' for the Foundation is based upon the one given by the European Commission, which is as follows:
"rules, processes and behaviour that affect the way in which powers are exercised…. particularly as regards openness, participation, accountability, effectiveness and coherence"

The Foundation is a non-party, neutral and independent Foundation and does not support or endorse any political candidate/party or extreme political ideology.

Report: Panel Discussion

RFGI debate on "Is India's legal system hampering its economy and democracy?".

Panelists

On Sunday December 13th 2009, the Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) held a panel discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association. The topic being discussed was “Is India’s legal system is hampering its economy and democracy”. Founder of RFGI, Kanan Dhru, opened the event by introducing the Foundation and explaining its objectives; to help create strong processes of governance and an aware citizenry, primarily through seeking reforms in the legal and political arena. RFGI was privileged to have Mr Sunil Parekh, Professor Dileep Mavalankar and Mr Girish Patel as panellists for the discussion.

A short documentary made by RFGI interns Curtis Riep (Canada), Ramiro Gomes Monteiro (Netherlands) and Catherine See (Malyasia) in partnership with Ahmedabad-based film production company Social Canvas, was shown. The documentary highlighted the injustice and inequality within the legal system in India, focusing on issues such as the inaccessibility of justice to the ordinary people of India and the huge backlog of cases at the Indian courts. Mr Sunil Parekh then opened the panel discussion.

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Debate: Compulsory Voting

On January 12th, 2010, RFGI organised the first-ever public debate on the Gujarat Local Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2009 titled "Compulsory Voting: Blessing or Curse". The Bill makes voting in local elections compulsory in Gujarat.

The debate was a great success and brought together a cross section of youth to debate this important legislation. Recommendations raised at the debate will be sent to the State Government, so that public opinion can influence implementation of this Bill. Please find attached the summary of the debate as well as some pictures for those who missed out.

The event was very well covered by the media as well and the links of the coverage are as follows:

1) Indian Express
2) Ahmedabad Mirror
3) DNA

Summary of the debate

FAQ: Compulsory Voting

Debate at Zen Cafe

Study on Legal Education

Effective delivery of justice is dependent on the lawyers and judges in a society. To improve the standards of the delivery of justice in any country, it is crucial to oversee the way legal education is imparted. It is the responsibility of legal education to communicate ideals of justice, equality and fairness in society and train bright young minds to become the lawyers and judges of tomorrow.

A recent survey conducted by the Research Foundation for Governance: in India (RFGI) on the quality and nature of legal education, revealed shocking results on the quality of legal education in law colleges in Ahmedabad. With few exceptions (mainly the National Law Schools providing 5 year integrated legal education) serious reform is needed in law colleges if the legal system of the country is to be improved.

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	We encourage and look forward to involving young and enthusiastic volunteers who can provide assistance in primary research as well as in spreading awareness on issues pertaining to governance. If you would like to be part of our team, feel free to contact us at info@rfgindia.org.


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	We are a registered trust and are looking for funding in order to sustain our current projects and to expand our operations. Your support will help you enable a young team bring about aware citizenry and effective and efficient governance in India. Please write to info@rfgindia.org to know various ways to donate.