“Accountability is the cornerstone of public administration.” Examine this statement in the context of administrative reforms in India.

Accountability is really important for the government to work properly. It is the base that makes sure everything is fair and runs smoothly. In India the government has been trying to make some changes to make sure people in charge are responsible for what they do. This is so that the government can work better and people can trust it more. Accountability is key, to making this happen.

Accountability as the Core of Administration

• Ensures answerability of civil servants to political executives, legislature, and citizens.
• Prevents misuse of discretionary powers.
• Enhances legitimacy of administrative action.

Administrative Reforms Strengthening Accountability

Legal mechanisms:

• Right to Information Act institutionalised transparency and citizen oversight.

Institutional reforms:

The Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal are really important, for making sure that the Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal systems are honest and fair. This is because the Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal help to stop corruption and make the Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal systems better. The Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal work together to keep an eye on things and make sure that the Central Vigilance Commission and the Lokpal are doing their job properly.

Performance-based accountability:

• Shift from rule compliance to outcome orientation under Results Framework Documents.

Social accountability tools:

Audits and grievance redress portals are really helpful for citizens. They give citizens the power to do something. Audits and grievance redress portals make it easy for citizens to get their problems solved. Citizens can use audits and grievance redress portals to make their voices heard. This is very good, for citizens because social audits and grievance redress portals are there to help citizens.

Digital governance:

E-governance platforms are really good because they limit the power of people in charge and make it easier to see what decisions are made. This means that the decisions made on e- platforms are clear and we can see who made them and why. E-governance platforms are helpful, in ways and one of the main ways is that they make things more transparent.

Challenges

• Excessive accountability leading to risk-averse bureaucracy.
• Fragmented oversight institutions.
• Political interference in administrative functioning.

Way Forward

• Balance between autonomy and accountability.
• Capacity building for ethical decision-making.
• Clear performance indicators linked to public outcomes.

Accountability is not merely a control mechanism but a democratic value. Indian administrative reforms increasingly recognise that efficient governance is impossible without transparent, responsible, and answerable administration.

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