Accountability
Also called: Accountable government · Topic: Democracy: Forms of Government, Principles and Outcomes · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 9 "From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Governments"; Class 7, Ch 6 "The State, the Government, and You"; Class 9, Ch 6 "Democracy"; Class 10, Ch 5 "Outcomes of Democracy"
Meaning
Accountability means the government must answer to citizens for what it does and must respond to their needs. Class 10 NCERT calls it the most basic outcome of democracy. It works through regular free and fair elections, open public debate on major policies and laws, and the right to information. In India, further tools include the RTI Act 2005, Question Hour in Parliament and CAG audits (checks of government spending). Under Art. 75(3), the council of ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Example
In 2004, Nannu, a daily-wage worker in East Delhi, could not get a duplicate ration card. He filed an application under the Delhi RTI Act 2001 and got the card within a week.
Don't confuse with
- Transparency: transparency means citizens can see and check how a decision was made. It is one way to make government accountable, but it is not the same as the duty to answer.