Governance and Ethics in India
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120130311 |
| Author | Subhash Sharma |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
GOVERNANCE AND
ETHICS
IN INDIA
SUBHASH
SHARMA*
In order to fight corruption, the state is expected to promote
integrity, honesty and responsibility among its public officials
in accordance with the fundamental principles
of
its legal
systems. In a democracy all public functionaries derive their
legal authority from the people, hence they are the trustees
of
the latter. The ethics is more than the absence
of
corruption as
it is a positive and ideal parameter and frame
of
reference.
Any
state functions through a government that has three arms-
Legislature, Executive
and
Judiciary
and
there is a clear
separation
of
powers between them. This article is an attempt
to discuss the prime issues
of
ethics
and
corruption in the
context
of
these three wings.
GOVERNANCE IS the system
of
governing a society at a particular time.
Mahatma Gandhi once rightly remarked, "That government is the best
which governs the least". He desired that government should not interfere
in many areas
of
public life so that there should be "Swaraj" (Self Rule)
and "Suraj" (Good Governance). Gandhiji once remarked: "Corruption
and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products
of
democracy, as they
undoubtedly are today". Undoubtedly any society comprises
of
state, market
@d civil society. As a
s~te
u~q~y
r~gµlates
®.Q
ffilpps~s
frqw.
apRY~.
anH
the market is never perfect, the civil society needs to flourish at its best by
duly ensuring real freedom, public participation in governance and
demanding adherence to rule
of
law and transparency in public affairs.
The famous Chinese philosopher Confucius once described righteousness
as the foundation
of
good governance and peace. ''The term ethics is derived
from a Greek word "ethikos"-meaning 'arising from habit', thus implying
the 'habits
of
mind' and 'habits
of
society'. Such habits are,
to
a large
extent, the reflections
of
societal standards, norms and values which guide
the behaviour and actions
of
individuals, groups, organisations and classes
in a specific society. Thus we may say that ethics
of
society is the perceived
*Views expressed are personal to the author.
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