{Arcle from: The Journal of Governance; Vol.21 July 2020 IC Centre for Governance (ICCfG); 3, Palam Marg, 3 rd Floor, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057} Commitment to Swadharma Pre-condion for Ethics of Governance (Sunil Kumar) Commitment to Swadharma: Swadharma refers to our respecve dues, in different situaons and roles. The composite culture of India that is Bharat was based on the clear-cut ideal that the primary purpose of schooling is to get us established in our swadharma. Only then can we remain commied to our dharma, ethics, in and thru’ our daily ‘earning’ and ‘enjoying’ and aain the highest human ideal. And, our culture, our epics, our various religious faiths, our elders are connuously inspiring us to remain on the path of ethics, dharma, because that alone guarantees peace, happiness, prosperity that we are seeking. This was our idea of schooling, religions, governance. Our teachers, religious preachers and administrators were educated to be role models of society. They were held responsible and accountable for bringing ethics in society and in governance. We’ve failed to build a civic culture where cizens are commied to their civic dues. We are responsible for this ‘ chalta-hai, inefficient, and a corrupt civic culture. It is me to reflect; what exactly needs to be done during educaon, schooling, recruitment, to make governance ethical, led by the ethical? Our suggeson is to introduce a compulsory subject on Enlightened Cizenship for creang the Shrestha commied to their swadharma. Unfortunately, educaon that we’ve inherited and connue to follow is focused on the 3R’s, IQ, knowledge of various subjects and skills. Educaon and religions have no responsibility and accountability, towards building an ethical society; whereas commitment to dharma, kartavya-palan, swadharma were and have always been the hallmark of our culture. How do we ensure that all our systems of schooling, training, selecon, recruitment, focus on producing the Shrestha, Enlightened cizens commied to dues? Schooling is the me to get established in daily self-development pracces to awaken Viveka and build strength of mind to be good and do good. The Academia has to be given the responsibility to draw upon the spiritual wisdom of all faiths and religions from our composite culture and create a compulsory subject on Enlightened Cizenship for creang the Shrestha commied to their swadharma. The Supreme court has also pointed out that: Aainment of constuonal ideals is possible only if side by side with intellect, moral character of children is also developed to make them good cizens. How best religious pluralism can be made to accord with “secular thought” can be achieved by properly selecng material for inclusion in text books of children appropriate for different ages and stages. Scruny of text books to see whether they conform to Secularism is to be undertaken. Prohibing study of religions would amount to denying children right to understand their own religion and religions of others with whom they are living and interact. Study of religions is not prohibited. Otherwise chances of spiritual growth of humans to be the highest goal of human existence would be totally frustrated. A dogma is quite different from study. The Academia has to create an universal acon plan of ‘Inner Governance’, of daily ‘ sadhana and swadhyaya’; ‘self-development and self-introspecon pracces’, to supplement and complement our schooling, so that every cizen, of any vocaon – teacher, religious preacher, administrator, professional, businessmen, farmer, or workforce, all imbibe the spirit of: