Public Administration and Jainism: Principles and Practices for Ethical Governance

Public administration is a key aspect of governance, involved in the implementation ofgovernment policy, management of public assets, and maintaining accountability.Ensuring the fair delivery of services and maintaining public trust depends on ethicalgovernance. The 2500-year-old philosophy of Jainism focuses on ahimsa (non-violence),satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (self-control), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness)an ethical framework that can be conducive with good governance. Jainvalues are comprehensive and detailed, and this paper investigates how those valuescan be translated through the lens of public administration to strengthen Transparency,Equity, Social Justice and Sustainability practices. The paper examines the significanceof Jain ethical principles for contemporary governance by analysing the connectionsbetween Jainism and public administration, along with posing challenges by viewingJain ethical teachings for their implications on governance yet also seeking opportunitiesto deduce their relevance to modern public policy.