The principle aim of this project is to explore the dynamics between Citizen’s ‘voice’ and service providers ‘responsiveness’ to issues regarding improvement of education services in a few administrative wards in Delhi. This issue will be situated within the larger context of State-Civil society relations, specifically under the new forms of urban public management.

As with most other urban services, the range of users of education services is very wide. This study will examine the voices of the ‘empowered consumer’ to that of the ‘recipient’ and where necessary question the reasons behind its absence. This study will examine both the direct and the indirect voices, (expressed through local action groups, associations and political representatives) demanding for better education services.

While assessing the demand (voice) end of education service delivery, simultaneous efforts will be made to gauge the kinds of responsiveness shown by a variety of education service providers.

We are all aware of the fact that education, like any of the other crucial social services is now provided by a range of service providers. The reasons for multiplicity of providers is partly due to the failure of the State in providing adequate services and partly due to the liberalisation of the economy, thus allowing more competition among the providers and a wider choice for the consumers or users to select from.

Service providers, depending on their sectoral lineage (government, private, voluntary etc.) may adopt various measures to be more responsive towards the needs of the service users.I will analyse a few specific issues such as policy changes at the national and state levels, pedagogic restructuring (curriculum, lesson plans and teaching styles) and better learning material and physical infrastructure. Also as with the issue of voice, the responses which are conspicuous by their absence will also be taken into consideration for this study.