THANJAVUR: The present generation, particularly students, are the custodians of the country, said Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog.
Delivering the first Cho S Ramaswamy Memorial Lecture at SASTRA University on Saturday, Debroy spoke of public policy as a tool for national development.
Elaborating on the abstract nature of the term, he said that though public policy had a wide range of meanings, its understanding had to be gauged from the state-citizen relations. He traced the history of the Constitutional thrust on public policy and examined the scope of socialism, secularism and federalism in the Constitution.
Debroy underscored the significance of amendments to the Constitution and also spoke of its effects vis-a-vis the ground realities of Indian society. In touching upon the role of public policy in relation with the State and its instrumentalities, he said that the State was primarily concerned with security, defence and rule of law, from the earliest times.
Quoting the Arthashastra, he commented on the need for minimal governmental intervention in sectors where the people had to decide organically from within.