The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that earlier physical activities used to be part of daily routine. (Source: File Photo) The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that earlier physical activities used to be part of daily routine. (Source: File Photo)

The institutional structures of India need far-sighted and liberal leadership to be nourished, and the leadership must look out for the best global practices to make the systems best in the world, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an event to mark the 104th birth anniversary of former Supreme Court jusdge V R Krishna Iyer, Naidu said, “The institutional structures we have established over the years are intended to translate the vision of our Constitution-makers into tangible reality. They need to be constantly nourished through a far-sighted, liberal leadership. A leadership that looks for the best practices from around the world and strives to make our systems among the best in the world.”

India, he said, needs men and women “who are sensitive to the complex interplay of socio-economic, cultural and political realities of contemporary India” and have the patience “to listen to different voices… and have the courage of conviction to stand for constitutional values.”

Speaking on the division of roles, as defined in the Constitution, Naidu said that the founding fathers of the Constitution had demarcated the roles and responsibilities of the executive, judiciary and legislature for “smooth functioning of our democracy”. Indian institutions, he said, have stood the test of the time and there has not been “major conflict or friction among the three organs”. This mutual respect for each other’s powers, roles and responsibilities has “acted as a fulcrum in strengthening our democracy”, he said.

The judiciary, Naidu said, has a critical role in “accelerating India’s transformation and in ensuring that justice is delivered speedily, transparently and dispassionately”. While much can be said “for and against judicial activism, I feel that the delicate balance of powers between different wings should not be disturbed”.

Any “encroachment” by one organ into the domain of another will upset the equilibrium of the constitutionally-demarcated powers and functions and will set “bad precedents and weaken the institutions”, he said.

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