Ethics in Public Administration: Classical Insights and Current Practices

Abstract

This paper examines in some detail the chief reasons for the low ethical standards in public administration today. References have been made to the concept of dharma and the principles for ethics in public adminis tration as reflected in our tradition in the Vedanta, Upanishads, Manu and the Bhagwad Gita. Several radi cal, legal and systemic remedies are suggested and defended at length. The leitmotif of all this is an earnest call to return to and practise the ancient principles of dharma to manage the polity on the basis of enduring verities. The suggestions offered by the author are all anchored in such permanent principles.