By Narayan Prasad Mishra
Nepal drafted a National Integrity Policy in 2018, but it was not adopted. The present Government of Nepal has given considerable attention to the need for a National Integrity Policy. As a result, we now have the National Integrity Policy 2083. Such a policy is undoubtedly important. It seeks to promote honesty, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in public life. However, an integrity policy by itself cannot transform a nation. It is only one instrument among many. Without good governance, even the best integrity policy remains little more than words on paper.
Good governance is a far broader concept. It embraces integrity, but also includes the rule of law, accountability, transparency, efficiency, impartiality, justice, public participation, and respect for democratic values. In other words, integrity is one pillar of good governance, but good governance is the foundation upon which a healthy and prosperous nation is built.
A country does not become well governed merely by announcing new policies or passing new laws. Just as a person does not become religious simply by claiming to belong to a religion, a government does not become accountable simply by adopting an integrity policy. What matters is the actual practice of honesty, fairness, and responsibility in everyday administration.
Nepal has no shortage of policies, laws, commissions, and constitutional bodies. Yet corruption, abuse of authority, favoritism, political interference, and administrative inefficiency continue to trouble the country. The problem, therefore, is not simply the absence of an integrity policy. It is the absence of good governance.
Good governance begins with people of character. No government can function honestly if those entrusted with public office lack honesty, sincerity, loyalty, and a sense of duty toward the nation. These qualities cannot be created merely through government directives. They are cultivated from childhood through family upbringing, education, culture, and moral values.
In the past, Nepalese society was materially poor but morally rich. Honesty, sincerity, and loyalty were widely respected. Our parents, teachers, elders, and spiritual guides taught us to distinguish right from wrong, virtue from sin. Cultural traditions and religious teachings encouraged people to live honestly and to respect the rights and property of others.
I still remember the beliefs of the Jyapu farmers in the Kathmandu Valley during my childhood. They believed that even accidentally taking another person’s rice while it was being dried alongside their neighbors’ rice in public places during the harvest season was a sinful act that would lead them to hell. Likewise, they carefully avoided encroaching upon their neighbors’ land while cultivating their fields because they regarded such actions as morally wrong and believed they, too, would lead them to hell. Whether one interprets these beliefs literally or symbolically, they nurtured a society in which honesty and respect for others became part of daily life.
Unfortunately, these moral values have gradually weakened. As society has become increasingly driven by the pursuit of power, wealth, and personal gain, honesty and integrity have steadily declined. Many political leaders speak eloquently about democracy, socialism, nationalism, or good governance, but their actions often reveal different priorities. Political alliances are formed and broken with astonishing speed, not because of principles, but because of calculations of power and personal advantage.
This moral decline has directly affected governance. When appointments are made on the basis of political loyalty rather than merit, public institutions become weaker. When laws are amended to serve temporary political interests rather than the long-term interests of the nation, democracy itself is weakened. When honest civil servants are discouraged while political favoritism is rewarded, public confidence in government inevitably declines.
Good governance also requires stability and professionalism in public institutions. Laws governing the civil service, police service, and other state institutions should never be amended merely to serve the interests of a particular government or political party. Such changes undermine institutional independence, discourage honest and competent public servants, and ultimately weaken democracy itself. National institutions should be strengthened through consistency, fairness, and long-term vision rather than short-term political expediency.
Good governance demands much more than personal integrity. It requires governments to make laws impartially, administer them fairly, and apply them equally to all citizens. Public institutions must be protected from excessive political interference. Recruitment, promotion, and retirement in the civil service should be determined by objective national interests, not by the convenience of those holding political office.
An integrity policy may encourage ethical behavior, but it cannot substitute for independent institutions, competent administration, an impartial judiciary, a professional civil service, or responsible political leadership. These are all indispensable components of good governance.
Similarly, democracy cannot exist merely because a nation conducts elections. Democracy becomes genuine only when governments respect the rule of law, protect freedom of expression, ensure equal justice, and remain accountable to the people. A government that manipulates laws to strengthen its own political position weakens democracy regardless of how often elections are held.
For this reason, Nepal’s highest national priority should not simply be the adoption of an integrity policy. It should be the establishment of genuine good governance throughout the machinery of government. An integrity policy should be viewed as one important component within this broader framework.
Good governance also requires leaders who lead by personal example. Citizens are far more likely to act honestly when they see honesty practiced by those in authority. Laws and policies alone cannot create public trust; trust is earned through consistent ethical conduct.
At the same time, citizens also have responsibilities. Good governance cannot be achieved solely by governments alone. Every citizen must reject corruption, respect the law, fulfill civic duties, and uphold moral values in daily life. The quality of a nation’s governance ultimately reflects the character of both its leaders and its people.
Nepal possesses a rich cultural heritage that has long emphasized truthfulness, compassion, self-discipline, and service to others. These values should not be regarded as outdated traditions but as enduring foundations for building modern democratic institutions. Progress and tradition need not be enemies. A modern state can embrace scientific advancement while preserving the moral principles that strengthen society.
If Nepal succeeds in building genuine good governance, integrity will naturally become part of public life. But if good governance is absent, an integrity policy alone will produce little lasting change.
The future of Nepal depends not merely on drafting better policies but on practicing good governance. Only through good governance can honesty flourish, democracy function effectively, public confidence be restored, and national development become a lasting reality.
Good governance is not merely another policy. It is the guiding principle that gives life, credibility, and effectiveness to every public policy, including an integrity policy. Without good governance, no integrity policy can achieve its intended purpose.
Email: narayanshanti70@gmail.com
About the author: A non-partisan writer of several books and numerous articles in Nepali and English; former Chief of the Office of the Tribhuvan University Service Commission, Nepal; and a senior citizen in his mid-eighties.
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