The honorable Supreme Court of India in a judgment on the appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner held “Institution is more important than an individual.”

Recently, the institution of Tehelka which has been spearheading its crusade against corruption and immorality in high places has been under attack by the media for the alleged criminal misconduct of its founder Mr. Tarun Tejpal. It is believed that this institution is completely dependent upon its Editor in chief, Tarun Tejpal.

Time reports on the institution of Tehelka…” Over the years, Tehelka has firmly established itself as a people’s media choice. With public interest journalism, serious opinion and analysis, Tehelka has earned unmatched credibility and brand recall. It has very quickly established an enviable reputation — national and international — for the quality of its reportage, the eminence of its writers, and the refinement of its analyses and ideas. As a premium English weekly, Tehelka, increasingly, influences almost every opinion leader and decision maker in the country."

Institutional integrity is above individual’s integrity. If the founding member of any institution fails to uphold his/her own integrity, the institution has to survive by the mechanism of “institutional integrity”. The institution should not be a one individual’s show. It has to be a multi-membered body wedded to the highest standards of ethics and integrity with powers to remove even its founding member.

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Author may be contacted at jobanbalagan@gmail.com