The oath of office

So, the long election process has come to an end. The people have spoken, differences have been buried under mounds of expediency, and the new Council of Ministers has taken their oaths or affirmations of office. While most must have seen at least some portion of the proceedings of the ‘swearing’ (as the website of the Cabinet Secretariat proclaims) of new ministers on national television in the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan, very few would have taken little more than a cursory note of the very solemn oath of office they all took while being sworn in. The Form of Oath or Affirmation, in case one does not wish to invoke the great seer of all things on Earth, God, is detailed in the Third Schedule of the Constitution. It bears repetition:

Form of oath of office for a Minister for the Union: “I, AB (name of the person taking oath), do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Minister for the Union, and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

Form of oath of secrecy for a Minister for the Union: “I, AB, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.”

The words are significant. A person taking the oath of office of a minister is, in effect, making a solemn appeal (to a deity) as a witness of truth or a promise. The promises in this case are threefold: upholding the sovereignty and integrity of India, faithfully and conscientiously discharging duties as a minister, and doing right to all manner of people without fear or favour, or affection or ill-will. These are onerous burdens. Burdens that all who have taken the oath would have pondered over. The sheer weight of the words will surely ring in their ears and dictate all their actions while holding this high office. 

The original draft oath for a member of parliament, state legislature, and judges made mention of their having to discharge their duties ‘solemnly and sincerely.’ The word ‘sincerely’ was missing in the oath required to be taken by a minister. This provoked discussions as to whether, while a member of parliament had to be sincere, sincerity was not a requirement of the member if elevated to a minister. In the end, though, ‘sincerity’ did not find a place in any of the oaths of office.

There were heated discussions about whether ‘solemnly affirm’ should come first, as was suggested originally, or ‘swear in the name of God.’ Shri Mahavir Tyagi (United Provinces) made a passionate plea that, “God is truth and affirmation is ‘expediency sublimated. I desire expediency to go under the line and truth to go up.” ‘Truth’ did go up ultimately and has stayed there since.

The country is on the cusp of tremendous growth. But as the manifestos of all major parties, including the leading partner in the current coalition, show, there is still a lot of work to be done. We would need to create an eco-system where there will be no need to provide free rations to over 80 crore citizens; an eco-system where quality education leading to the creation of employable youth is made available; an eco-system where there is a spurt in manufacturing and service sectors leading to the creation of jobs across the spectrum and a reduction in unemployment; an eco-system where the quality of infrastructure improves for ease of living, and consequently the quality of life also improves; a truly Viksit Bharat where, with Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas will take place. This is possible. All those who hold office will have to sincerely adhere to the oath they have taken while getting into that office.

(The writer is a former chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs)