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Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Legal Forum on Wednesday hosted an in-depth seminar at the Ladies Bar Room of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the theme “Right to Service (RTS): India’s Modern Law Rooted in Ancient Governance Values”, where Ajay Jagga, Senior Standing Counsel, UT Chandigarh, delivered a detailed and thought-provoking keynote address.
Tracing the origins of the Right to Service far beyond its recent legislative framework, Jagga underlined that time-bound public service, officials’ accountability, and citizen-centric governance were deeply embedded in India’s ancient administrative philosophy. Citing authoritative texts such as the Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva, Bhagavad Gita, Arthashastra, Manusmriti and Shukraniti, he explained that penalties for delay, transparent administration and officer accountability were guiding principles of governance in India thousands of years ago.
He said that while the statutory Right to Service laws were enacted in India only from 2010 onwards, their philosophical roots lie firmly in the country’s civilisational values. Jagga also traced the global evolution of service rights, beginning with the United Kingdom’s Citizens’ Charter in 1991, followed by its adoption across Europe and Asia, and culminating in India’s introduction of structured legal backing through state legislations, including the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011, which was extended to Chandigarh in 2017.
During the session, Jagga also unveiled the “Chandigarh Right to Service – 2025 Quick User Guide”, a practical handbook designed to help citizens understand the structure of designated officers, appellate mechanisms, time-bound delivery of services and the recovery of penalties from erring officials.
The seminar witnessed active participation from several prominent legal personalities, including Ranjan Lohan, Founder Chandigarh Legal Forum; Additional Advocate General Ruchi Sekhri; Raman B. Garg, Senior Standing Counsel UT; Varun Baanth, Senior Public Prosecutor UT; Ajay Sharma, Junior Panel Counsel UT; Surinder Singh, Advocate; Ms. Meenakshi, Advocate; Geeta Sharma, Advocate; Rupesh Kumar, Advocate, along with other members of the legal fraternity.
The Chandigarh Legal Forum observed that the Right to Service should not be viewed merely as a governance reform, but as a revival of India’s ancient administrative ethos, rooted in public service, transparency, efficiency, and citizen-first governance.
