COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INDIA AND SWEDEN ON THE INSTITUTION OF OMBUDSMAN

Abstract

The term ombudsman connotes an institution which exists to represent grievances. Accordingly, it refers to an office established by the constitution or by the Legislature and an independent high-level public official, who is responsible to the Legislature or Parliament and responsive to citizens is the head of such office. The concept of Ombudsman first originated in Sweden in 1809. The word “Ombud” in Swedish means representative, agent, or intermediary. The gradual spread of the idea began after a decade when Denmark, Norway and New Zealand adopted the institution. The reason why such a notion was implemented, because the existing machineries such as the courts, administrative agencies and other government bodies proved fruitless to the voice of the public, and to combat this situation a special individual who can particularly look into such matters was required, who primarily solved citizen’s complaints against the bureaucracy.