Opinion ‘The credibility of the government is its lowest since independence’

Second: That this situation is too deleterious for the nation. That too much is at stake for too many in such a situation.

Third: On you and officers of the all-India services,among others,rests the onus to remedy the situation. You and I have a part to play. We can make the difference.

The first proposition: Why do I make this statement? We have chief ministers who have had to vacate their positions,allegedly for graft,and on whom courts and other judicial bodies have made adverse pronouncements. We have Union cabinet ministers who are in prison. We have Union cabinet ministers who have also had to vacate their positions again,allegedly on complaints of ill-doing.

We have members of Parliament who are being indicted by the judiciary for various acts,including accepting cash for exercising their vote in Parliament,and also seeking cash to ask questions in the House. These are examples of lawmakers,and form the highest echelon of administrators. In the civil service we have many examples. They are too many to merit counting now!

All this compelled a senior cabinet minister in the Union cabinet to say: There is a deficit of ethics in governance. Does all this not bode very ill for the nation?

Today,we are facing a testing time in the history of our nation. The quality of governance is below par,and subject to severe criticism. There has been an erosion of people’s faith in government. Their confidence in public institutions has declined. National trust in bureaucracy,including the police force,has collapsed. The integrity and professionalism of civil servants are being questioned. It often provides very poor testimony of our capabilities if members of the all-India services allow themselves to be used if not as facilitators,certainly as a medium for wrongdoing by others. This has brought the credibility of government to its lowest since independence.

…Secondly,why do I say that too much is at stake for too many people? As all of you are aware,we are among the fastest-growing economies of the world. From contributing to 6.2 per cent of GDP of the world today,by 2040 we would be contributing about 8.8 per cent. This is indeed commendable. But,there is no room for complacency for the simple reason that countries like China would leap from 13.7 per cent to 19.4 per cent over the same timeframe,perhaps replacing USA,Japan and Germany. We have to ensure smooth economic development. We have to ensure inclusive growth. Our actions will provide stability in the nation,thereby ensuring rapid economic growth. It is a poor commentary on our attempts to foster growth if 64 years after independence,we still believe Rs 32 defines a poverty line!

…We are living in an era where good governance has assumed primacy in public discourse,as it is expected to lead to improvement in the quality of life of citizens,by reinforcing the legitimacy and credibility of our institutions and improving the quality of public service. Ironically,the demand for good governance is entwined with demand for less governance as well…

Sustained citizen-centric and voluntary movements have compelled successive governments to rethink their approach to different issues. Hitherto followed models of governance are proving to be ineffective. We need to rethink our entire approach towards citizens…

My third proposition: …All attempts to improve governance will come to naught if the agencies responsible for governance do not consider probity in public life and ethical behaviour as cardinal principles in their official dealings. In this,the police force and audit have a twin role to play. While we have ourselves to maintain highest standards of probity in public life,both these agencies are also mandated to enforce such standards on those involved in public administration…

One of the oft-repeated criticisms against enforcement and accountability institutions is that they paralyse administration,kill initiative and reward the votaries of the status quo. Such debates are commonplace in our country today more than ever,with a number of recently released reports by the Indian Audit and Accounts Department pointing out irregularities and the follow-up action taken thereon by other law enforcement agencies. These criticisms emanate from a mindset that views accountability agencies as an adversary than as an aid to good governance and better management. While the primary responsibility of the audit institutions in the country is to report to Parliament about the proper utilisation of public funds,it is also conscious of the need for adding value to the audited organisation through its reports.

Rai is the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India,

Extracted from the 26th Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial lecture,at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad on October 11