Harness on tech, instill accountability, CJI tells Karnataka Lokayukta

Harness on tech, instill accountability, CJI tells Karnataka Lokayukta

Bengaluru, CJI Justice Surya Kant on Saturday called on the Karnataka Lokayukta to continue to innovate by harnessing technology, deepening outreach, and instilling accountability as a shared creed.

Harness on tech, instill accountability, CJI tells Karnataka Lokayukta

He said that as the Lokayukta completes four decades of service, its journey demonstrates how constitutional values can continue to evolve with changing requirements, while remaining faithful to their founding purpose.

The Chief Justice of India was speaking at an event organised to mark the four decades of the "Journey of Karnataka Lokayukta," during which the assets and liabilities portal for Karnataka's elected representatives and an online investigation module were launched.

"Citizens today seek timely access to information and greater clarity regarding the conduct of those who hold public office. To fulfill these expectations, we need a system that promotes openness in practical and measurable ways. It is therefore extremely significant that today's commemoration coincides with the inauguration of a digital portal containing the statements of assets and liabilities of elected representatives from across Karnataka," Kant said.

He said when disclosures of this kind become easily accessible to citizens, transparency moves from promise to practice, becoming part of the everyday grammar of public life.

"As the Lokayukta completes four decades of service, its journey demonstrates how constitutional values can continue to evolve with changing requirements, while remaining faithful to their founding purpose. The true measure of such institutions lies not only in the cases they decide, but in the confidence they build across society. That confidence is one of democracy's most valuable safeguards and one of its greatest achievements," he added.

Supreme Court Judge Aravind Kumar, Lokayukta B S Patil, Upa Lokayuktas K N Phaneendra and B Veerappa, state's Advocate General K Shashi Kiran Shetty, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh were among those present.

Conveying his gratitude to those who served the Lokayukta, the CJI said successive Lokayuktas have ensured that the office remains within the reach of citizens across the state through sustained engagement and outreach.

"Looking ahead, let us continue to innovate by harnessing technology, deepening outreach, and instilling accountability as our shared creed. I am sure that the Lokayukta will undoubtedly remain an important pillar in promoting fairness, integrity, and transparency in governance," he added.

Noting that the Lokayukta may be a modern conception, but the idea behind it is quite ancient, Kant said in India, authority has never been understood as ownership of power; it has always been understood as stewardship of trust.

"Across centuries of political thought in this country, power was treated as a duty and responsibility to be exercised with restraint and fairness," he said.

Ethical traditions across the subcontinent repeatedly affirm that governance drives its legitimacy from service to the people. He further said the Lokayukta carries this long tradition into the present. It gives contemporary form to the enduring principle that authority must remain open to scrutiny and responsive to those in whose name it is exercised.

"Seen in this slide, the Lokayukta stands as a part of a continuing Indian understanding of good governance," he said.

Noting that the vitality of democratic mechanisms ultimately rests on the shared understanding between the state and the citizen, the CJI said an electoral mandate confers authority, but legitimacy is sustained through conduct.

Citizens assess governance through what they are able to see and experience in their daily lives, especially how decisions are taken, how resources are used, and whether these bodies remain accessible when concerns arise, he said.

Transparency, therefore, performs a deeper democratic function. "It enables citizens to remain informed participants in public life, rather than passive observers. It clarifies how power lies and how it is exercised, and strengthens the sense that public institutions are working in alignment with their desired purpose," he said.

Kant appreciated Karnataka Lokayukta, pointing out that it has come to be regarded as one of the most significant and effective Lokayukta in the country, shaping perceptions about how such mechanisms should function in a democratic system.

"A defining feature of the Karnataka Lokayukta has been the breadth and independence of its investigative powers. I have compared some of the Lokayukta statutes in different states. Unfortunately, in most of the states, this part of the robust mechanism is conspicuously missing, which I find that it is strongly embedded in the Karnataka Lokayukta Act," he said.

Justice Aravind Kumar said an empowered Lokayukta is not a threat to governance; it is its strongest ally.

As we reflect on four decades, the Karnataka Lokayukta, it is equally important to look ahead in order to strengthen the institution. "The future calls for greater autonomy and protection from political interference, adequate resources and staffing, stronger legal backing for its recommendations, enhanced coordination with other anti-corruption bodies, public awareness and outreach initiatives," he said.

"There is also a need to revisit and update the legislative framework to align with contemporary challenges," he added.

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