Politicians, bureaucrats not ready for transparency: Antony

People holding key positions not ready for the "transition to transparency" and this was creating problems

PTI | June 8, 2011



Amid the anti-corruption campaign by civil rights activists, defence minister A K Antony on Wednesday said politicians, bureaucrats and others holding key positions are not ready for the "transition to transparency" and contended that this was creating problems.

"Country is passing through a new era revolution-- the transparency revolution. The walls of secrecy are crumbling in every field gradually including politics, business, administration and judiciary. Once the trend has started, you can't stop it midway," he said after inaugurating the renovated conference hall of the Press Club of India.

He said the "transition to this transparency revolution" was facing "problems" as "India is not ready as Indian politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, journalists, armed forces and all those who are holding key positions are not ready for this transition that is why there are problems in this transition."

Describing it as part of democracy, the senior Congress leader expressed confidence that after a few years they will agree and the "transition will go on."

With regard to efforts to bring about transparency, he said, "For that (transparency), you have to give credit to Indian media, NGOs and social activists but ultimately it was the Indian Parliament through the RTI Act."

The comments assume significance as there has been a surge of campaigns by civil society activists like Anna Hazare for accountability of politicians and bureaucrats and transparency in governance.

Comments

 

Other News

How Rafi, Raj Kapoor helped pave the way for a great uranium deal

There`s a certain moment in diplomacy that`s too personal to be captured in a communiqué, too small to make the front page, but more revealing than the front page. This week, prime minister Narendra Modi reached Tashkent and, amid the pomp of state visits, managed to evoke the old Bollywood tunes

Distinguishing Fish 1 and Fish 2: The pragmatism behind India’s WTO ratification

 India became the 123rd WTO member to ratify the multilateral Agreement on Fisheries subsidies (AoFS) when it deposited the Instrument of Acceptance for Phase 1 on July 20, 2026. The ratification is restricted to disciplining Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), protection for overfished

The 7% growth problem: Why the next 7% will be harder

India has become accustomed to hearing the 7% growth number. It is now less a milestone than an expectation. Yet the paradox is becoming clearer: maintaining 7% growth may be considerably harder than achieving it once. India’s real GDP grew 7.7% in FY2025–26, following growth of 6.5% in FY202

The Constitution cannot be altered: Justice Abhay Oka

Justice Abhay Oka, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2025, has said that the Constitution of India cannot be altered. Explaining the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) on the basic structure of the Constitution, he said, “This is one judgment that has saved democracy in India.&rdq

How the flora and fauna evolved in the Indian subcontinent

Mammals of India  By A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer HarperCollins India in association with Bombay Natural History Society  

India`s renewable race is moving beyond megawatts

When Shell bought Sprng Energy in 2022, India`s renewable energy market appeared to offer precisely what global energy majors were seeking: scale, growth and a place in one of the world`s largest energy transitions. Four years later, Shell is selling the same business to Aditya Birla Group for an enterpris

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter