It is the principle which means that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization. In other words, any activity which can be performed at the local level should be decentralized.
Functions shall be carried out closest to citizens at the smallest unit of governance possible and delegated upwards only when the local unit cannot perform the task.
The citizen delegates those functions he cannot perform, to the community, functions that the community cannot discharge are passed on to local governments in the smallest tiers, and so on, from smaller tiers to larger tiers, from local government to the State Governments, and from the States to the Union.
Importance of the Subsidiarity Principle
- Greater democratic participation: Subsidiarity helps the democratic system derive its full legitimacy and promotes self-reliance at the local level as well as greater ownership of programmes by the local communities.
- Improved administrative and economic efficiency: People have better knowledge of problems in their localities. They also have better ideas on where to spend money and how to manage things more efficiently.
- Clear delineation of responsibilities: Since whatever can be done best at a particular level should be done at that level only and not at higher levels, this necessitates a rational and realistic analysis of the functions that are required to be discharged at different levels. Thus, clearly delineating responsibilities at different levels.
- Better decision and policy making: Once decision-making and its consequences are integrally linked at the local level, people can better appreciate that hard choices need to be made in governance. Further, it also helps in formulating such policy which has the concurrence of all stakeholders. Principles of subsidiarity especially gains relevance for India due to large geographical expanse
