Second time right

After a lapse of four months without a Central Vigilance Commissioner,ever since the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of P.J. Thomas as CVC in March,the news of the selection of the Union defence secretary,Pradeep Kumar,for the post is welcome. An institution like the CVC couldnt have remained vacant for too long,especially after the political bad blood over the prolonged Thomas affair. This time round,the three members of the high-level committee that selects the CVC comprising the prime minister,the home minister and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha have reportedly been in agreement and Kumars appointment is only a question of the president formalising the matter.

The health of a democracy is measured by the strength of its institutions. For our democracy to uphold the rights of its citizens and ensure transparency and checks on the system,institutions have to be upright and running. But institutional health cannot be acquired or maintained by quick fixes or short cuts. Allowing institutions and regulators to be depoliticised and independent ensures their health over time. That is also why faith in the invulnerability and incorruptibility of exceptional individuals doesnt work,and is a pointer in the wrong direction,because the idea would supplant the durable institution with the whims and fallibility of a human individual as,for instance,advocates of an all-powerful Lokpal would have it.

If the Election Commission is a paragon of credibility among independent institutions,it didnt acquire its goodwill overnight. Likewise,the CAG has shown of late that it can be autonomous if it chooses. And regulators like the Securities and Exchange Board of India have also demonstrated how they can withstand powerful lobbies. It is this framework of institutions and independent regulators that can ensure the preservation and health of Indian democracy.