Accountability and ethical governance

What does ‘accountability’ mean in the context of public services? What measures can be adopted to ensure individual and collective accountability of public servants? (UPSC 2014, 10 Marks, )

सार्वजनिक सेवाओं के संदर्भ में 'जवाबदेही' का क्या अर्थ है? सार्वजनिक सेवकों की व्यक्तिगत और सामूहिक जवाबदेही सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कौन से उपाय अपनाए जा सकते हैं
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What do you understand by the terms ‘governance’, ‘good governance’ and ‘ethical governance’? (UPSC 2016, 10 Marks, )

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An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical conduct. Elaborate. (UPSC 2021, 10 Marks, )

स्वतंत्र और सशक्त सामाजिक ऑडिट तंत्र हर सार्वजनिक सेवा के क्षेत्र में, न्यायपालिका सहित, प्रदर्शन, जवाबदेही और नैतिक आचरण सुनिश्चित करने के लिए अत्यंत आवश्यक है
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Introduction

A social audit promotes transparency in the functioning of public services, including the judiciary.

Citizens have the right to access information related to public institutions, and a social audit ensures that this information is readily available.

An empowered social audit mechanism encourages citizen engagement and active participation in evaluating public services.

It enables citizens, especially marginalized communities, to voice their concerns and hold institutions accountable.

Example: In India, social audits have been successfully conducted in various government programs like the MGNREGA, which led to increased transparency and reduced corruption.

Explanation
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