Day 19 – Q 2. Does accountability affect decision making? Critically examine.

2. Does accountability affect decision making? Critically examine.

क्या उत्तरदायित्व निर्णय लेने को प्रभावित करता है? समालोचनात्मक जांच करें।

Introduction

Accountability refers to answerability towards a decision made or a responsibility discharged. In a democratic polity like India, it is expected that public servants exercise decision making powers with accountability. Hitler, in his book Mein Kampf, considers the relation between accountability and decision making as the key factor that makes one institution (or political system) more efficient than the others.

Body

Accountability and Decision making – positives 

1. Improves quality of decision making – for eg,
2. Decision making related to use of Art 356, issue of ordinances greatly improved after accountabilities were upheld by the supreme court through Judicial review 

3. After enactment of Environmental impact assessment (EIA) provisions, decisions with respect to development projects became more sensitive and inclusive 

4. Issues like conflicts of interests, partisanship etc. get addressed in a better manner. Qualities of professionalism and dedication get motivated. 
5. Facilitates dispute resolution after the decision has been made. 
6. Moral satisfaction to those who exercise power
7. It helps in running the democracy and act a soul for successful governance.
   The best example is a part 4 A of the constitution fundamental duties, and directive principle of the state policy(part 4) which makes citizen accountable toward abiding the constitution, to preserve the environment, to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood etc which ultimately affect decision making. Accountability and Decision making.
8. Accountability to various parliamentary committees provide government with expert advise which helps in proper decision making.
9. Civil servants are held accountable through code of conduct which prevents transgression of decision making capacity.

Negatives
1. Accountability might act as a deterrent, as acknowledged by ARC reports. The fear of consequences might lead to inactivity from decision makers. 

2. Promote red tapism, time delays.
3. Back channel mechanism may develop – corruption, informal gratification
4. Accountability affects the free will. Free will gives space of innovation or creativity without the interference of the state.
   for instance, every year a large number of books like in 2017 god man tycoon was banned, and every year movies scenes are removed from the movie like the recent one Sarkar.

 As recommended by ARC reports, measures like :

1. Rewards and prizes should be instated 
2. Performance reviews to be conducted and their use in deciding promotions etc. 
3. Cutting red tapism and codification of procedures  can help in enhancing accountability in decision making.

Conclusion

Overall, accountability isn’t the silver bullet to ensure efficient decision making. It must also be paired with some level of discretion to allow the system to reap all the positive impacts of accountability while avoiding the negative ones. Thus only this way we can ensure good governance.

Beat answer: Mahi meher

Free will is a very important thing for decision making. accountability affect the free will. 
free will gives space of innovation or creativity without the interference of the state.
for instance, every year a large number of books like in 2017 god man tycoon was banned, and every year movies scenes where removed from the movie like the recent one sharkar, because of the accountability toward the state, this in large affect the other people decision to write, published etc. which restrain the creativity. and because of the accountability toward the society decision was affected. not even to think for writing or publishing etc. section 124 of the IPC is one of such examples, which ensure accountability(by force) by charging under sedition. which effect freedom of speech and expression and affect decision making.

but, we cannot completely deny that accountability affect the decision making in a positive sense also, in fact, it helps in running the democracy and act a soul for successful governance, the best example is a part 4 A of the constitution fundamental duties, and directive principle of the state policy(part 4) which makes citizen accountable toward abiding the constitution, to preserve the environment, to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood etc which ultimately affect decision making. for a country like India where corruption is in the core, multi-diverse society. etc their accountability affect decision making positively