Citizens Are from Jupiter and Governments from Saturn – How Design Thinking Brings Both Worlds into Alignment

Description

Why do citizens and governments often feel like they come from different planets? This powerful and timely book offers a bold answer: it’s not incompetence or indifference—it’s misalignment. Citizens are from Jupiter and Governments from Saturn explores how design thinking can bridge this gap and transform governance into something humane, intuitive, and deeply responsive.

Dr. Mukesh Jain brings decades of administrative insight to this groundbreaking guide, showing how public systems can evolve from bureaucracy-driven to citizen-centric using the tools of empathy, creativity, and systems thinking. From the digital revolutions of Estonia and Singapore to the empathetic welfare innovations in Denmark and New Zealand, this book illuminates real-world examples that prove transformation is possible—without massive budgets or sweeping reforms.

Divided into practical parts, the book takes readers through the mindset and method of design thinking, offers step-by-step processes for service delivery improvement, and presents a clear roadmap for embedding innovation into public systems. Whether you’re a policymaker, public servant, student of governance, or citizen interested in how the state works, this book is your invitation to rethink what public service can be.

With accessible language, vivid stories, and actionable insights, Citizens are from Jupiter and Governments from Saturn shows how even small changes—like reframing a form or redesigning a space—can lead to big shifts in trust, dignity, and citizen satisfaction. This isn’t a manual. It’s a movement.

About The Author

Dr Mukesh Jain is an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He obtained his Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University along with Edward Mason Fellowship. Mukesh Jain received his PhD in Strategic Management from IIT Delhi.

Mukesh Jain joined the Indian Police Service in 1989, Madhya Pradesh cadre. As an IPS officer, he held many challenging assignments in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Government of India. He served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Power and Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) [DEPwD], Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, where he conceptualized and implemented the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), which was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Dr. Mukesh Jain has authored many books on Public Policy and Positive Psychology. His book, ‘Excellence in Government, is a recommended reading for many public policy courses. His book- “A Happier You: Strategies to achieve peak joy in work and life using science of Happiness”, received book of the year award in 2022. After this, two more books, first, A ‘Masterclass in the Science of Happiness’ and the other, ‘Seeds of Happiness’, have also been received very well. He is a visiting faculty to many business schools and reputed training institutes.