The Bhilwara Principle

"Accountability begins when citizens ask — and systems are required to answer."

The Bhilwara Principle took shape in 1996 during an MKSS Jan Sunwai at Bhimgoda, Bhilwara. Villagers demanded certified access to muster rolls, bills, and vouchers for public works, and read them aloud in the village square. By comparing entries with workers’ testimonies, they exposed ghost names, inflated quantities, and unpaid wages. The process created a public forum where officials were required to answer, rectify payments, and record acknowledgements on the spot. From this practice emerged a clear ethic: information about public money belongs to the people, verification must be collective, and decisions must withstand open scrutiny. The method became the seed for India’s Right to Information movement and a template for social audits in schemes like NREGA. It also affirmed allied norms—proactive disclosure on notice boards, citizen inspection of records, time-bound grievance redress, and protection for those who speak up. Above all, it shifted power toward ordinary citizens across India.

• 📍 Origin: 1996 Jan Sunwai at Bhimgoda, Bhilwara, led by MKSS.
• 🧭 Core Ethic: Public money means public information; officials must answer.
• 📜 Access & Disclosure: Certified copies, inspection rights, and proactive notice-board postings.
• 🔍 Method: Read records publicly and verify entries with workers and beneficiaries.
• 🧾 Accountability: Correct unpaid wages, recover losses, and record time-bound actions in writing.
• 🏛️ Impact: Seeded India’s RTI movement and institutionalized social audits (e.g., MGNREGA).

This principle remains the ethical backbone of all RTI and Social Audit activities. It is not just a historical reference, but a continuing reminder that democratic governance cannot survive without openness. The Bhilwara experience taught that laws and policies gain meaning only when ordinary people can question, verify, and correct the actions of those in power. By insisting that expenditure records, muster rolls, and vouchers be shared in public, citizens proved that transparency is the first step towards justice. Officials were no longer distant figures but accountable agents, compelled to answer directly to the people. This shift transformed the culture of governance, embedding the idea that secrecy breeds corruption, while visibility builds trust. The Bhilwara moment was therefore not only a protest against injustice, but a structural change in power relations, placing citizens at the center of decision-making and redefining accountability in India’s democracy.

⭐ Key Point: Information on public expenditure belongs to citizens and must withstand open, collective verification.