We need institutions that can hold officials accountable: SC judge

“The constitutional vision or preambular objectives cannot be realised if we do not invest time and effort in working our institutions. At the lecture organised by the National Law School of India University, he discussed the importance of Fourth-Branch Institutions recognised by the Constitution, such as the Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Public Service Commissions, and other Statutory bodies. While looking at ‘Institutions’ in the context of separation of powers, Justice Narasimha noted that the traditional three branches have clearly demarcated constitutional spaces for themselves. “We need institutions that can withstand political tribulations, hold power-wielding officials accountable and ensure a smooth democratic process,” he added. Justice Narasimha listed capacity failure, infrastructural failures, lack of autonomy, enforcement failures, political interference, overlapping mandates and lack of coordination among institutions as the “six non-exhaustive reasons as to why institutions don’t deliver or underperform.”