In a conference attended by Chief Ministers from various states and union territories on May 24, 1997, chaired by the Prime Minister, an “Action plan for effective and responsive government” at both the Union and state levels was established. One of the decisions taken at the conference was, the Union and state governments would formulate citizen charters starting with those sectors that have a large public interface- Railways, Telecom, Postal department, Public Distribution System, etc.

These charters were mandated to include service standards, delivery timeframes, channels for grievance resolution, and provisions for independent oversight of standards involving citizens and consumer organizations.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) took the lead in coordinating, formulating, and operationalizing the citizen charters. Guidelines for creating these charters, along with a list of dos and don’ts, were provided to various government ministries and departments. he DARPG guidelines are as follows:

• To be effective, the Charter should be straightforward. 
• The Charter ought to be developed not solely by senior experts but also through collaboration with frontline staff who will ultimately implement it and with the users (individual organizations). 
• Simply announcing the Charter will not alter our operations. It is crucial to establish conditions through interaction and training to foster a responsive atmosphere. 
• Start with a description of the service(s) being provided. 
• For each service, there should be a clear mention of user entitlements, service standards, and remedies available if standards are not met. 
• Procedures, costs, and charges should be made accessible online, on display boards, via booklets, or at inquiry counters in the locations specified in the Charter. 
• Clearly indicate that although these commitments are not legally enforceable, they represent a promise to be upheld by both the organization and the user. 
• Establish a framework for collecting feedback and conducting performance audits, and set a schedule for reviewing the Charter at least every six months. 
• Distinct Charters can be created for different services and for organizations/agencies/subordinate entities linked to a Ministry/Department.

Utilizing these guidelines, various ministries and departments within the Government of India and state government agencies developed citizen charters to enhance effective service delivery.

An independent review of the Citizens’ Charter in India was carried out by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore and the results have been published in a report titled ‘India’s Citizens’ Charter – A decade of experience’. 

The Report of PAC has also brought out the following general deficiencies in the citizen charters-

• Poor design and content: Many organizations lack the necessary skills to create effective and concise Citizens’ Charters. The Citizens’ Charters produced by government bodies are often poorly designed. Essential information that users require to hold agencies accountable is frequently absent from numerous charters. As a result, the Citizens’ Charter program has not effectively empowered users to seek increased public accountability. 
• Lack of public awareness: Although many public service providers have adopted Citizens’ Charters, only a minority of users are aware of the commitments outlined in them. There has been no significant effort to communicate and educate the public regarding the promised standards of delivery. 
• Inadequate groundwork: Government agencies often develop Citizens’ Charters without conducting sufficient groundwork to evaluate and improve their processes to fulfill the promises made in the Charter. 
• Charters are rarely updated: The Charters reviewed in this report seldom appeared to be updated, despite some documents originating nearly a decade ago. Only 6% of the Charters reviewed provide a guarantee that the document will receive updates after its initial release. Additionally, few Charters specify a release date. The presence of a publication date is crucial for assuring users of a Charter’s current relevance. 
• Lack of consultations: Civil society groups and end-users are typically not involved in the creation of Charters. Since a Citizens’ Charter’s main objective is to enhance public service delivery with a citizen-centric focus, agencies must assess the needs of end-users by consulting ordinary citizens and civil society organizations during the Charter formulation process. 
• General insensitivity: The requirements of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities are often overlooked in the drafting of Charters. Only one Charter examined in this report guaranteed equal access for disabled users or seniors. While many agencies do accommodate the needs of disadvantaged or elderly individuals, these services are frequently omitted from their charters. 
• Resistance to change: New practices necessitate significant shifts in the behavior and attitudes of agencies and their personnel toward citizens. Occasionally, vested interests may hinder the progress of the Citizens’ Charter or render it ineffective.