Bridging The Gap Between Law And Practice: A Doctrinal And Empirical Study Of The Whistle Blowers Protection Act In India
- IJLLR Journal
- 5 hours ago
- 1 min read
Sayantan Saha, Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, University of Kalyani
ORCID ID- 0009-0004-4739-9263
ABSTRACT
The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 represents a landmark in India’s legislative efforts to promote transparency, administrative accountability, and ethical governance. Enacted in response to public outrage over the murders of whistleblowers like Satyendra Dubey and Manjunath Shanmugam, the Act formally acknowledges the critical role of individuals who expose corruption and maladministration in public institutions. It seeks to provide statutory protection to such individuals, aligning India’s legal framework with global standards of integrity and anti-corruption. However, despite its progressive intent, the Act remains inadequately implemented, hindered by the absence of notified rules, limited enforcement mechanisms, and proposed 2015 amendments that aimed to weaken its provisions. This study evaluates the doctrinal and constitutional soundness of the Act, identifies legal and administrative barriers to its application, and situates it within a comparative international context. Employing a mixed-methods approach that includes doctrinal analysis, case law review, and empirical fieldwork through structured interviews and surveys, the research highlights both the symbolic value and practical limitations of the Act. The findings underscore the urgent need for operational clarity, institutional reinforcement, and legislative strengthening to realize the Act’s full potential in supporting democratic accountability in India.
Keywords: Whistleblower Protection, Administrative Corruption, Public Accountability, Ethical Governance, Empirical Legal Analysis.
