Vinod C Dixit
Vigilance Awareness Week is being celebrated from 28th October to 2nd November November 2019. Vigilance means to be watchful, to be alert what is happening and what can happen. It is observed that people always have wrong approach towards vigilance as they perceive vigilance as enquiry, fixing responsibility etc. but vigilance is not investigation but it is prevention. To punish and not to prevent is like pumping the water through a pump without arresting the leakages which result in wastage of water, energy and time. Thus Vigilance plays a proactive and positive role in good governance which helps in preventing corruption both in public and private sectors. Vigilance is an Institution that tries to keep the values and valuables of Government carefully in the public interest.
Today corruption is found to be one of the most damaging consequences of poor governance system. It is characterized by lack of both transparency and accountability. It is one of the factors responsible for poverty. Corruption has reached such alarming proportions in India that it has undermined the foundations of democratic governance. Corruption undermines good governance, distorts public policy, leads to waste of resources and hampers development.
Moral values
Moral values are extremely important for our overall well-being. Positive moral values are important because they allow us to have an overall feeling of peace and joy. Moral values can give meaning and purpose to our life. When we live our life according to moral values that are based on honesty, compassion, courage, modesty, and forgiveness, then we are able to form positive bonds with other people. Incorporating the moral value of honesty in our life makes us trustworthy. In addition to honesty, we also need to incorporate the moral value of compassion into our life. Compassion allows us to have sympathy for the misfortunes of other people. The moral value of courage gives us the determination to face anything that impedes our progress through life. When courage is one of our moral values, we can bravely face the world. Moral values allow us to live our life in a manner that we can be proud of. The bonds that we form with others will also be more fulfilling because we live our life according to honesty, compassion, courage, modesty and forgiveness. Forgiveness allows us to move past hurtful or damaging situations. It allows us to abandon feelings of anger or resentment against others or ourselves.
Ethics Matter the most
Mahatma Gandhi rightly said “GOOD ETHICS IS GOOD BUSINESS”. “Non-corporation with the evil is as much a duty as is co-operation with good”. Albert Einstein said “We should be men of values rather than men of success.” Winston Churchill said, “We should extend values beyond our homes.”
Ethics is important not only in business but in all aspects of life because it is the vital part and the foundation on which the society is build. Ethics refers to a code of conduct that guides an individual in dealing with others. Business Ethics is a form of the art of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in business environment. It deals with issues regarding the moral and ethical rights, duties and corporate governance between a company and its shareholders, employees, customers, media, government, suppliers and dealers. Warren Buffet said “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
Robert Noyce had rightly said that “If ethics are poor at the top, that behavior is copied down through the organization”. A manager should treat his employees, customers, shareholders, government, media and society in an honest and fair way by knowing the difference between right or wrong and choosing what is right, this is the foundation of ethical decision making. The mindset of a business leader creates a mindset for the company, which in turn sets the work culture of the business organization. It is the attitude to life and the value system one as to cherish and live with. Values are universal in character. It is the application of values that has been undergoing change.
Good Governance Practices
Good governance as expressed through factors like reliability, predictability and accountability is increasingly seen as a key factor in ensuring national prosperity. Good government depends on an ability to exercise power and to make good decisions over time, across a spectrum of economic, social, environmental and other areas. Good governance has to be built on the quality of organizations so that development is based on this rather than simply relying only on political will of a strong leader and state power which may not be sustainable over the longer term.
Governance is the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country's affairs at all levels. Without good governance, no amount of developmental schemes can bring in improvements in the quality of life of the citizens. Good governance is the most effective way to ensure that public funds are actually and effective used for the purpose they are sanctioned, and that Government's welfare measures actually reach the intended beneficiaries without any leakage or the least possible leakage on the way. Strengthening governance therefore is vital and over the recent past, several initiatives have been undertaken to improve the quality of governance.
Conclusion:
Time has now come to improve our system, make transparent policies for good governance in public administration and sincerely and effectively implement them. Transparency is an important aspect of good governance, and transparent decision making is critical for making sound decisions and investments.
Corruption has become such an integral part of our day today life that it has become very difficult to eradicate it. Today, we wish to have more luxuries and more comfort even at the cost of our integrity and moral values. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values.
We should do our best with full devotion, honesty and integrity. Time has come to improve our system, make transparent policies for good governance in public administration and sincerely and effectively implement them.
