2025, Vol. 7, Issue 11, Part B

Author(s): Karri Manikanteswara Reddy, M Nani Babu and D Ajay Rathan

Abstract: This paper explores the theoretical relationship between climate governance and political accountability within India’s federal framework. Drawing on multilevel governance, principal-agent, and institutional accountability theories, it analyses how authority, incentives, and transparency shape India’s climate policy design and implementation. The study finds that while India has progressively integrated the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into a coherent framework, vertical and horizontal coordination remains weak due to fiscal asymmetries, uneven institutional capacity, and fragmented oversight mechanisms. Parliamentary debates, judicial review, and participatory forums enhance accountability but operate unevenly across levels of government. The paper proposes that effective climate governance in federations depends on adaptive accountability systems that align incentives, decentralise authority, and link democratic legitimacy with policy performance. It contributes theoretically by synthesising existing frameworks to explain how federal democracies manage complex, multi-scalar climate governance challenges. Policy implications emphasise fiscal reform, intergovernmental coordination, and stronger state-level capacities. Future research should empirically examine subnational dynamics, funding accountability, and sectoral pathways in energy and agriculture to deepen the understanding of India’s evolving climate governance model.

DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i11b.748

Pages: 94-103 | Views: 78 | Downloads: 11

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