Mains Practice Questions

Introduction:

Accountability and transparency are core ethical principles that ensure power is exercised responsibly in a democracy. Accountability implies that public officials are answerable for their actions, while transparency ensures openness in decision-making and access to information. Together, they operationalize constitutional values such as rule of law, justice, and popular sovereignty, forming the moral backbone of ethical governance.

Body:

Ethical Significance of Accountability and Transparency

• Prevention of Abuse of Power: Transparency exposes decisions to public scrutiny, while accountability deters misuse of authority through sanctions and corrective action.
  • For example, mandatory asset declarations by public servants discourage accumulation of disproportionate assets.
• Promotion of Integrity and Ethical Conduct: When actions are visible and answerable, officials are more likely to act with honesty and fairness.
  • Example: Transparent procurement portals reduce discretion and ethical conflicts in public spending.
• Enhancement of Informed Participation: Transparency empowers citizens to make informed judgments and participate meaningfully in governance.
  • For instance, access to budgetary data enables civil society to question skewed policy priorities.
• Strengthening Institutional Legitimacy: Accountability mechanisms such as audits, parliamentary oversight, and vigilance institutions enhance moral legitimacy of the state
  • Reports of constitutional bodies help maintain checks and balances.

Impact of Absence of Accountability and Transparency on Public Trust

• Erosion of Credibility and Trust Deficit: Opaque decision-making creates suspicion of corruption and favoritism. Citizens begin to doubt the intentions of public institutions.
• Normalization of Corruption and Impunity: Lack of accountability fosters a culture where wrongdoing goes unpunished, weakening ethical standards.
  • For example, Delayed action on scams reduces faith in investigative agencies.
• Alienation and Democratic Disengagement: When people feel unheard or misled, voter apathy and cynicism increase, weakening democratic participation.
• Undermining Rule of Law: Selective accountability leads to perceptions of “rule by discretion” rather than rule of law, damaging democratic credibility.

Measures to Strengthen Accountability and Transparency to Enhance Public Trust

• Strengthen Legal and Institutional Oversight: Empower independent bodies like the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Lokpal of India with adequate autonomy, staffing, and timely reporting to ensure effective checks on misuse of power.
• Ensure Proactive Disclosure and Open Data: Mandate suo motu disclosures under the Right to Information Act, 2005, publish budgets, contracts, performance dashboards, and beneficiary lists in machine-readable formats to reduce information asymmetry.
• Digitisation and E-Governance Reforms: Use end-to-end digital platforms (e-procurement, DBT, online grievance portals) to minimize discretion, create audit trails, and enable real-time monitoring—thereby curbing corruption and delays.
• Time-Bound Grievance Redressal and Appeals: Establish statutory timelines, escalation matrices, and public tracking of complaints to ensure responsiveness and deter administrative apathy.
• Whistleblower Protection and Ethics Infrastructure: Operationalize strong whistleblower safeguards, internal vigilance units, and ethics committees to encourage reporting without fear of retaliation.
• Transparent Appointments and Transfers: v Adopt rule-based, publicly disclosed criteria for appointments, postings, and transfers to prevent arbitrariness and patronage.
• Social Audits and Citizen Participation : v Institutionalize social audits, public hearings, and participatory budgeting to bring community oversight into governance processes.
• Capacity Building and Ethical Leadership : Train officials in transparency norms, conflict-of-interest management, and records management; reward ethical leadership and integrity through recognition systems.
• Independent Evaluation and Public Communication: Commission third-party evaluations and communicate findings clearly to citizens, closing the feedback loop and reinforcing trust.

Conclusion:

Accountability and transparency are not merely administrative tools but ethical imperatives that sustain democratic trust. Their absence corrodes institutional integrity and distances citizens from the state. Therefore, strengthening social audits, independent oversight, proactive disclosure, and ethical leadership is essential to rebuild trust and ensure ethical governance in a democracy.