India’s Response to Coronavirus Pandemic: Nine Lessons for Effective Public Management

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has spared no country. Yet, the degree of infection and consequent deaths have differed vastly. There is, as yet, no scientific explanation based on climatic or genetic differences in populations. However, there seems to be an emerging consensus that public management matters. This article looks at three largest countries in the World and finds that outcomes in India, measured in terms of deaths from COVID-19 virus, are a fraction of deaths compared to other two large populous countries and appears to be an outlier. This article examines the public management response of a democratic government and draws lessons for effective public management in dealing with other grand public management challenges of our times.