how is chanakya's administrative policy useful in today's political system
Answers
the ancient Indian classic offers deep insights into politics, state craft and issues of governance.
Body:
Importance of his contribution to administrative philosophy is gauged from the following facts
He was the first thinker to emphasize on the need for a strong political centre in India making its administration a major concern.
First political realist in ancient Indian political thought.
First Indian political thinker to separate religion from politics giving the outline of a secular polity.
He focused on a professional bureaucracy based on merit, rather than caste considerations.
Departmental system and a detailed job classification scheme were the other innovations of Kautilya.
Recognized the needs of a strong military administration
Saptanga theory is an original contribution to political science and practice.
Detailed explanation:
Kautilya advocates absolute monarchy though the King’s powers are hedged in with restrictions.
He gives extensive list of duties which king must perform for the welfare of his people.
The King’s foremost duty is rakshana (protection) and palana (nurture) of his subjects asserting “In the happiness of the subjects lies the happiness of the King and in what is beneficial to the subjects, lies his own benefit”.
In Saptanga theory Kautilya enumerates seven essential organs of the state. They are Swamin, Amatya, Janapad, Durga, Kosha, Danda and Mitra.
Principles of administration
The principle of authority is the essence of administration. Authority is obeyed by the people on account of sanctions backed by a series of punishments.
Principles of motivation: Arthshastra identifies four different methods of motivation, viz, sama, dama, danda and bheda. Sama is the persuasion method, dama is the incentive method, bheda is the internal competition method and danda is the punishment method of motivation. The bureaucracy can be enthused by any one method or a mix of various combinations of these methods.
Other Principles: division of labour, coordination of administration, hierarchy – governs the machinery of administration. All are needed for the smooth running of government.
Another distinctive feature of the administrative system is the marked preference for a decentralized polity for administrative convenience and efficiency.
Kautilya lays down a series of qualities, differing in number and order of officers holding different positions in the administrative hierarchy. A strict code of conduct for civil servants was specified in Arthshastra.