Ethics in Public Administration

Transparency and accountability are important since they are part of good governance framework. The following are some of the measures that can be taken in order to improve these principles in the government institutions:

1. Right to Information (RTI) Act:
Enhance the RTI Act given that this will cause timely and a transparent response to the various queried by the citizens.
Support the utilization of the information communication technology in the sharing of information.

2. E-Governance Initiatives:
– The government needs to bring in e-governance solutions that can facilitate better processes, less corruption and enhance transparency.
Electronic gateway to prompt disclosure of citizen information and service support.

3. Social Audits:
Semi yearly social audits for checking the extent of effectiveness of governmental schemes and places that require changes.
Citizen participation should be encouraged to give accountability.

4. Independent Oversight Bodies:-
-Empower the Independent Oversight Agencies like the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as the Lokpal.
Let and enable these bodies to probe corruption and maladministration.

5. Rights that include protection of whistleblowers
Call for strong enactment of the laws that protect the whistleblower so that individuals would step forward to report corruption and such vices as well as put in place decent measures meant to safeguard the whistleblower against prejudices.

6. Citizen’s Participation:
The improvement of the processes where the public is involved in decision making, hearings and writing online forums
Enabling citizens to volunteer their opinion about matters of public policy on their own
7.Media Scrutiny
-The advent of free independent media to countercheck the government malpractices together with reporting cases of corruption.
-Support initialise investigative journalism.

These strategies would assist governments to become more transparent thus more accountable and forces to become more effective and more responsible to the public.

Democratization of Science and Technology: An Anticipate of the Populace Emancipation

Senator Cabalfin strongly emphasized that true growth and development for the Filipino people will not only need ‘democratization of science and technology’. It implies translating scientific information and technology into design, encouraging more invention, and guaranteeing technology serves the public good.

Here’s how it contributes to inclusive growth:

1. It empowers the person by giving him/her inputs and tools hence the problem solving skills and the knowledge based economy get to make the right decisions.
2. This democratized approach puts forward everyone’s opinions allowing for collective work on improving innovative solutions of societal issues.
3. It erases the digital gap, making equal chances in technology for the less fortunate.
4. Social Issues: It highlights application of science and technology for helping the society in terms of major social problems including poverty, hunger or diseases within the developing world.
5. Democratization of Sustainable Development: Making clean energy technologies and sustainable practices visible and affordable to communities fosters environmental sustainability and climate change.

Important Strategies for Democratization:

Open Access to Information: Full and immediate availability of scientific articles and datasets.
-Education and Skill Development: Spendings to develop human capital of STEM education for cultivating skilled human capital.
-Digital Literacy: Using technology, the social chapter seeks to enhance digital literacy to enable individuals embraced the technology.
-Community Engagement: Engaging communities in the decision-making processes of Science and Technology.
-Ethical Considerations: Maintaining that technologies are employed properly and rightly.

While disseminating the knowledge about science and technology, countries can enhance the development of the society, decrease the number of poor people, and make people’s lives better.

One would say that, from an ethical viewpoint, people owe a moral obligation to future generations and the planet. They can make a difference to mitigate climate change by reducing their carbon footprint or conserving energy, wasting less and living styles that are more sustainable. Another important impact is through policy advocacy that creates room for such innovation and also holds corporations and entities accountable for the environmental damages they perpetuate.

But then, it’s equally important to realize the limit an action of an individual might take. Systemic change mostly needs collective action or change in policies. Hence, although all efforts made individually are crucial, they should accompany wider social and governmental action on proper action regarding climate change.

Integrity is the strong observance of moral and ethical standards, even under adverse circumstances. Edward Snowden is the most poignant real-life example of that. A contractor of America by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), while at the job, Snowden discovered that the agency had mass surveillance programs against the citizen’s privacy and constitutional rights. However, he bore the evil consequences of this breach-the exile and imprisonment that will result from this revelation.

It reflects how much value Edward Snowden places on principles of transparency and accountability, as weighty as the cost may be, when it refuses to be complicit in unethical practices even under pressure.The act sparked worldwide debate over privacy, government encroachment, and how security should be played off against civil liberties. Hard as it may seem, drawing a fine line between the two certainly winds up in controversy. His case, however, illustrates an adamant refusal to trade integrity for personal purposes. Thus, it is quite imperative to abide by one’s values, no matter how inconvenient life can be when acting in passion against principle.

Implementation of High Taxation ‘Policies’ in India: Do They Yield Enough Return to the Public?

In other words, does the humongous sum paid as taxes by the Indian citizens ever commensurate with the services and other infrastructural returns? With people contributing nearly 20 per cent of the indirect and direct taxes, the expectation from the citizens’ perspective, is effective management, quality services, and facilities.

Tax Utilization Challenge
1. Inadequate Public Services: Health, education, and law enforcement services are poorly developed and managed, forcing people to rely on the private sector.
2. Wastage and inefficiencies: Corruption and administrative ineffectiveness rendered all these spending useless.
3. Tax Compliance: Direct tax collection has been low, with as few as 1% of Indians being tax compliant; hence the compliant taxpayers bear a higher burden and offer complacency to the non-compliant ones.
Progress and Positives
1. Infrastructural growth: Investment in construction of highways, metro rail, and digital infrastructure; a positive indication for the utilization in application of some of these resources.
2. Welfare schemes: Disadvantaged sections are reached out by this programs but their implementation is not even,
With the exception of a few sectors which have some developments, the return is not commensurate with the exorbitant taxes collected. Better efficiency, broader tax base and accountability in all public spending will eliminate this difference.