Glasnost

noun

/ˈɡlæznɒst/

The policy of openness and transparency in government institutions and public discourse, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev alongside perestroika in the mid-1980s, which permitted open debate, relaxed censorship, and allowed criticism of the Soviet system for the first time.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The success of any anti-corruption drive ultimately hinges on institutional glasnost: unless decision-making is opened to public scrutiny through proactive disclosure and a robust right to information, accountability remains a paper promise rather than a lived reality.

Synonyms

opennesstransparencycandourpublicityaccountabilityfrankness

Antonyms

secrecyopacityconcealmentcensorship

🌱 Word Family

glasnost (n), perestroika (n, associated term)

🔡 Root

Russian гласность (glasnostʹ) = openness, publicity; glasnyĭ = public; Old Church Slavonic glasu = voice

📜 Etymology

From Russian гласность (glasnostʹ), meaning "openness, publicity"; derived from glasnyĭ ("public, open"), from Old Church Slavonic glasu ("voice"); the term had been used in Russian since the 18th century but was popularised globally by Gorbachev from 1986.

🧠 Memory Hook

Glasnost sounds like "glass" + "nost" — picture a government working behind clear glass walls, where the "voice" (Russian glas) of the people can see and be heard: total see-through openness.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Cold War, Decolonisation & Globalisati...

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