Public institutions support good governance, which, in turn, promotes sustainable economic development and, thereby nurtures the welfare of the people. The vital bond between a people and its government is that of trust and these public institutions help maintain that trust. They serve as the pillars supporting the foundation of a robust and vibrant democracy. In Rethinking good governance, Vinod Rai highlights the strength of each of these pillars and analyses the circumstances that may have led to their weakening, resulting in the foundations of our democratic fabric being somewhat shaken. From numerous occasions when parliamentarians failed to adhere to the decorum expected of lawmakers in the house, the serious deficit of impartiality and integrity within the central Bureau of investigation, to the issue of governance that has plagued the Board of control for cricket in India (BCCI) and the imbroglio around the perceived lack of cohesion between the government and the Reserve Bank of India, Rai reveals how each of these instances led to a gradual decline of the independence and autonomy of these institutions over the decade.