Accountability: Significance, Framework & Challenges
The NEET-UG paper leak and the Union Education Minister’s resignation have revived debates on accountability in democratic governance.
About Accountability
- Meaning: Accountability is the bedrock of democratic governance, requiring public authorities to explain decisions, accept responsibility, and face consequences for misconduct or failure.
- Triple Accountability: In NCT of Delhi v. Union of India (2023), the Supreme Court reaffirmed the triple chain of accountability linking civil servants, ministers, legislatures and the electorate.
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Forms of Accountability:
- Political Accountability: Elected representatives remain answerable to citizens through elections, protests, civic advocacy and community mobilisation.
- Administrative Accountability: Civil servants remain answerable to political executives through service rules, performance reviews and code of conduct manuals.
- Legal Accountability: Courts, legislatures and independent institutions scrutinise state actions to enforce constitutional and legal compliance.
Democratic Significance of Accountability
- Power Restraint: Accountability deters authoritarianism, nepotism and arbitrary use of public authority through institutional scrutiny.
- Democratic Legitimacy: Regular answerability sustains public trust in democratic institutions and maintains the legitimacy of elected governments.
- Resource Efficiency: Social audits and Citizen Charters improve welfare delivery by detecting leakage, delay and administrative neglect.
- Rights Protection: Judicial review prevents administrative convenience or majoritarian preference from overriding constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Key Drivers of Declining Accountability
- Executive Centralisation: Frequent use of ordinances and reduced parliamentary sittings have strengthened executive dominance over institutional oversight.
- Weak Ethical Culture: The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) highlighted declining public-service ethics, integrity and responsibility in governance.
- Digital Governance Gaps: India has over 97 crore internet users, yet algorithmic governance and digital platforms lack comprehensive accountability frameworks.
- Low Civic Participation: ADR surveys consistently report low public awareness of accountability mechanisms such as RTI, social audits and Citizen Charters.
Accountability Framework in India
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Major Challenges to Accountability
- RTI Dilution: Over 4 lakhs pending RTI appeals and complaints, together with prolonged vacancies, weaken the law’s deterrent effect.
- Legislative Erosion: Bills referred to committees fell from 71% in the 15th Lok Sabha to 16% in the 17th Lok Sabha, weakening detailed scrutiny.
- Decision Delays: Governors and Speakers delay decisions on assent and the Tenth Schedule, exploiting undefined constitutional timelines despite judicial guidance.
- Political Funding Opacity: Anonymous political donations weaken vertical (political) accountability by making parties more responsive to influential donors than ordinary voters.
- Lack of Institutional Autonomy: Agencies like the CBI and ED lack financial and administrative independence, resulting in political targeting over objective accountability.
Measures to Strengthen Accountability
- Institutional Reforms: Ensure transparent appointments, fixed tenure, budget autonomy; implement 2nd ARC recommendations to strengthen whistle-blower protection and digital file tracking.
- Community Audits: Extend Meghalaya’s statutory social-audit model to welfare schemes, making community-led auditing a legally enforceable right.
- Mandatory Committee Scrutiny: Mandate at least 100 parliamentary sitting days annually and compulsory committee scrutiny for major Bills, budgets and expenditure proposals.
- Fixed Constitutional Timelines: Codify binding deadlines for Governors and Speakers to decide assent and Tenth Schedule matters, following Supreme Court guidance.
- Electoral Transparency: Bring recognised national parties under the RTI Act, 2005 and establish a fully digital, transparent and auditable electoral-funding system.
- Statutory Assurances: Enact a central Right to Service law with delivery deadlines, appeals and financial penalties for unjustified administrative delays.
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton. Accountability remains democracy’s strongest safeguard against arbitrariness and abuse of power.
Reference: News On Air
PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 767
Q. Democracy is sustained not merely through elections but through effective accountability of public institutions. Critically examine India’s accountability framework, the challenges that undermine it, and the measures required to strengthen democratic governance. (250 Words) (15 Marks)
Approach
- Introduction: Write a contextual introduction about accountability in democratic governance.
- Body: Write about India’s accountability framework, the challenges that undermine it, and the measures required to strengthen democratic governance.
- Conclusion: Emphasise transparent, accountable and citizen-centric governance to strengthen democratic institutions and uphold constitutional values.
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