Face2News/Chandigarh
The Chandigarh Legal Forum on Thursday hosted an in-depth seminar at the Ladies Bar Room, Punjab and Haryana High Court, where Ajay Jagga, Senior Standing counsel UT. delivered a keynote presentation on “Right to Service (RTS): India’s Modern Law Rooted in Ancient Governance Values.”
Sh. Jagga highlighted that RTS, though legislated in the last decade, is fundamentally embedded in India’s ancient administrative ethos. Drawing from the Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva, Bhagavad Gita, Arthashastra, Manusmriti, and Shukraniti, he emphasised that principles such as time-bound service, accountability of officers, accessible governance, and penalties for delay existed in India for millennia.
(SUBHEAD)He explained how these ancient principles form the philosophical base for present-day Right to Service mechanisms adopted across India. He also traced the global evolution of service rights—beginning with the UK’s 1991 Citizen’s Charter and expanding across Europe and Asia—before India’s statutory strengthening from 2010 onwards, including the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011 and its extension to Chandigarh in 2017.
During the seminar, he presented the “Chandigarh Right to Service – 2025 Quick User Guide”, offering citizens a clear understanding of designated officers, appellate structure, time-bound delivery, and penalties recoverable from erring officials.
The forum appreciated the perspective that RTS is not merely a governance reform but a revival of India’s ancient administrative philosophy rooted in public service, transparency, efficiency, and citizen-first governance.