Srinagar, Aug 8 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said ethical and accountable leadership is vital for strengthening democratic institutions and urged young leaders to make public service, integrity and excellence the guiding principles of their professional lives.
Addressing the convocation of the ninth batch and induction ceremony of the 10th batch of the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL), an initiative of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Mumbai, Sinha said leadership is about understanding people, creating new opportunities for them and serving with humility and honesty.
Congratulating the graduating students and welcoming the new batch, the LG said the institute has an important role in nurturing young leaders with constitutional values, discipline and wisdom.
Highlighting the contribution of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini since its establishment in 1982, Sinha said more than 60,000 parliamentarians, legislators, panchayat representatives, entrepreneurs and youth have been trained by the institution.
He said India’s future depends on addressing key challenges, including sustaining economic growth, eliminating terrorism and divisive forces, ensuring transparent and technology-driven governance, promoting merit-based opportunities in politics, strengthening national integration, achieving leadership in emerging technologies and building a world-class education system.
Sinha outlined four principles of democratic leadership — honesty and transparency as the foundation of trust, knowledge and wisdom as the compass for decision-making, sensitivity to maintain balance in democracy, and public service as the highest duty of leadership.
“The strength of democracy lies in Constitutional values, institutions and in those leaders who are committed to the values of honesty, humility, and public service,” he said.
The LG said institutions provide the structure of democracy, but ethical leadership gives them purpose and vitality.
“Without ethical leadership, even the finest institutions weaken over time, whereas honest and accountable leadership can turn even ordinary institutions into powerful engines of change and nation-building,” he said.
Referring to India’s demographic strength, Sinha said more than 65 per cent of the country’s population is below the age of 35 and called upon the youth to convert this demographic dividend into a leadership dividend by building teams, empowering others and creating roadmaps for inclusive growth.
He cited the transformation witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020 as an example of leadership based on public service and good governance, claiming that more than 30,000 projects have been completed through public participation, alongside strengthening of Panchayati Raj institutions and digital governance.
Urging the youth to make ethics their character and public service their duty, Sinha said success should not be measured by one’s position but by the number of lives transformed, the trust earned and the positive impact created in society.
“To realise the resolve of Viksit Bharat, young leadership must bring change into the life of the last person standing in the queue of development,” he said.
The LG also called upon young leaders to balance tradition with modernity and progress with sensitivity while working towards building a prosperous, inclusive and innovative India.
He said young leadership should be driven by innovation, empowered by technology, strengthened by transparency and guided by sensitivity and effective implementation.
“True leadership rises above the boundaries of caste, religion, and region, carries everyone together, and treats public welfare as its highest duty,” Sinha said.(NVI)
