Indian Philosophical Thought as a Framework for Sustainable Governance: A Qualitative Exploration of Ahimsa, Aparigraha, Dharma and Ecological Interconnectedness

Abstract

Increasingly severe problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and the consumption of unsolicited resources have revealed the deficiencies in governance models that essentially depend on regulation and market-based tools. Therefore, it is necessary to develop value-based governance systems which can be an effective mean of promoting environmental sustainability at a long-term basis. The study examines how Indian Philosophical Thought may serve as the basis for Sustainable Governance by looking into the principles of Ahimsa, Aparigraha, the concept of Dharma, and Ecological Interconnectedness in an interpretivist paradigm research methodology and qualitative exploratory design approach. The research is carried out with a target sample of informants through semi-structured interviews of scholars, policymakers, and environmental practitioners as well as experts in Indian philosophy. Thematic analysis was employed in processing and analyzing collected data to come up with themes that are most relevant for explaining how the principles of Indian philosophy find their relevance in modern governance and sustainability practices. The results are expected to show that the values found in Indian philosophical traditions which emphasize environmental consciousness, the ethical approach to resource utilization, and the promotion of the interests of the community at the expense of individualistic pursuits encourage sustainability as a long-term goal. Moreover, this paper outlines a governance framework that is a complement of the traditional public policy and the environmental governance model through the integration of indigenous ecological ethics into the discourse of sustainability. This research is relevant for the fields of governance, sustainability and public policy as it presents a local, culturally rooted framework that deals with environmental issues and at the same time gives practitioners, policymakers, and different institutions guidelines and a tool with which they can operate more efficiently by taking the indigenous perspectives into account.