Combating Corruption for Ethical Governance in India
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120130307 |
| Author | Prabhat Kumar Datta |
| Subject Matter | Article |
COMBATING CORRUPTION
FOR
ETHICAL
GOVERNANCE IN INDIA
PRABHAT
KUMAR
DATTA
Administration in a democracy is a dependent variable. The
erosion
of
ethical values in governance cannot be understood
in isolation
of
the general political atmosphere and social
environment. Demystification
of
the administrative procedure
has to be followed by two separate steps. Decentralisation
of
power can be effected through local government with provision
for
participatory governance and empowerment
of
people. It
is therefore necessary to create objective -situations not only
by tightening codes
of
conduct and corrective measures but
also
by
sensitising
the
citizens
about
their
roles
and
responsibilities in case they become victims
of
corruption. For
this purpose the constitutionalised democratic bodies
at
the
grassroots need to be made more effective. The society has an
important role in the reforms process aimed
at
combating
corruption in public life and making governance ethical.
INTRODUCTION
ETHICS IS a branch
of
Philosophy concerned with study
of
moral
principles and morality in relation with those practices and activities that
are considered right or wrong. Morality is also related to values these
practices reflect and the rules through which they are carried out. Ethics
is 'in fact' a search for moral standards. It has long been an axiomatic
truth in public administration that public governance has to be ethical.
Machiavelli, however, argued the case for exempting rulers from moral
judgement.
1 He wrote that the Prince not only can but is actually required
to cheat, betray and deceive because that is the way
of
successful
statecraft.
1Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, Harmondsworth; Penguin Books,
1513
and
1961.
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