Civil Society and Ethical Governance in the Indian Context

This paper examines the role of the Civil Society in establishing ethical governance in the Indian context. Though the term Civil Society is of recent origin in India, the nature and scope of functions of such voluntary organizations have a long history beginning with the local self-help institutions at the village level (like Caste and Village Panchayats, trader's associations) that were/are performing such functions which had/has social backing but falling outside the legal framework. However, in the post liberalization era (post-1991) in India, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been actively participating in the process of governance by monitoring the delivery of public utility services and programs, creating awareness among citizens on social and legal matters, and involving in development issues at the local level. CSOs are working in diverse areas and have even gained field experience. But in their eagerness to emphasize on good and ethical governance it is being felt that they are overreaching their scope and are not conducting themselves in a mature and responsible manner. They are trying to impose in the law-making process and demand a final say in the formulation of policies and law, which has been fiercely challenged by the legislature. This paper explores the issues involved in areas of collaboration and conflict between CSOs and representative democracy.