Patronage Appointments And Ethics:
Patronage appointments in the public sector raise several ethical issues that can affect the efficiency and accountability of the civil service.
- Patronage Appointments refers to the appointments that are made based on the recommendation or source (personal connections) of an influential person, political leader, public servant, etc.
- This has not only affected the people involved by has affected the overall Governance of India.
- When appointees get their position through patronage, then they are likely to be more accountable to that person rather than to the system.
- Ideally, positions should be awarded based on individuals’ abilities and qualifications. Bypassing meritocracy indirectly compromises the integrity of the system and can result in ineffective or incompetent individuals occupying important roles.
- In the light of appointments through patronage, qualified and capable individuals may feel their efforts and qualifications are not given equal consideration.
- It erodes public trust in the fairness and impartiality of the system and people in power.
- It leads to a loss of confidence in the administration as a whole.
- The associated nepotism/favouritism further erodes the trust of the individual in the system.
