Should a PM presiding over a corrupt govt be considered clean?

ashishs

Ashish Sharma | November 1, 2010



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presides over a government that is beset by corruption scandals involving thousands of crores of rupees. The telecom scam involving Union minister A Raja and the mega contracts doled out in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games are just the most brazen among such examples.

Yet, the prime minister himself has never been accused of corruption. He continues to enjoy a clean image that is bolstered by his outsider-insider status in politics. Despite being the prime minister, he is not the most powerful politician in the country. He owes his position to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and he will remain in his job only so long as he enjoys her confidence.

The question, however, arises as to whether the circumstances of his elevation to the post of prime minister suffice to absolve him of any personal accountability for the conduct of his team members. Should a prime minister presiding over a government that is perceived as corrupt be considered clean?

Comments

 

Other News

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP

Labour law in India: A decade of transition

The story of labour law in India is not just about laws and codes, but also about how the nation has continued to negotiate the position of the workforce within its economic framework. The implementation of the Labour Codes across the country in November 2025 marks a definitive endpoint in the process. Yet


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter