8. Ethics Notes 01 - Jatin Gupta

Elaborate Notes

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE

The General Studies Paper IV, titled “Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude,” was introduced by the UPSC in 2013. Its primary objective is to evaluate candidates’ attitudes and approach to issues of integrity, probity in public life, and their problem-solving approach to various conflicts and dilemmas faced by society. The paper tests not just theoretical knowledge but the ethical and moral compass of an aspiring civil servant. It covers a wide spectrum of topics, including the dimensions of ethics, human values, the role of family and society in inculcating values, and the ethical frameworks that guide public administration.

TOPICS UNDER ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE

This segment of the syllabus focuses on the practical application of ethical principles within the administrative framework.

• Syllabus Points Explained:

  • Dimensions of ethical governance: This involves exploring the normative and practical aspects of ethics in public administration, including concepts like transparency, accountability, citizen-centricity, and equity.
  • Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct: A Code of Conduct is a set of explicit rules outlining what is permissible and what is forbidden (e.g., All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968). A Code of Ethics is a broader, principles-based document that guides decision-making and professional conduct (e.g., the Public Services Code proposed by the 2nd ARC).
  • Probity in Governance: Probity means absolute integrity, uprightness, and honesty. It is the quality of having strong moral principles. This concept is central to the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) Report No. 4, “Ethics in Governance” (2007), which emphasizes the need for systems that ensure probity.
  • Corruption and related issues: This includes understanding the causes, consequences, and types of corruption (e.g., collusive, coercive) and exploring institutional mechanisms to combat it, such as the Lokpal, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
  • Public Service Delivery: This pertains to the ethical and efficient delivery of services to citizens, often discussed in the context of Citizen’s Charters and the Sevottam Model, which emphasizes service quality, grievance redressal, and citizen feedback.
  • Utilization of Public Funds: This involves the principles of fiscal propriety, legality, and economy in government spending. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, through its audits, plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability in this domain.
  • Corporate Governance: This refers to the system of rules, practices, and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. Ethical corporate governance ensures fairness, transparency, and accountability to all stakeholders. The Satyam Scam (2009) is a classic case study of corporate governance failure in India.
  • Rules, Regulations, and Laws in Ethical Decision-Making: This explores the relationship between law and ethics. While laws provide a floor for conduct, ethics sets a higher standard. A civil servant must navigate situations where an action may be legal but not ethical.
  • Ethics in International Relations: This involves applying ethical principles like justice, human rights, and responsibility to foreign policy and global issues. Concepts like ‘Ethical Realism’ and debates on humanitarian intervention fall under this.

• Sources for Study:

  • UPSC PYQs (2013 onwards): The most critical source to understand the pattern and demand of the examination.
  • Second ARC Report - “Ethics in Governance”: A foundational document providing a comprehensive framework and recommendations for improving ethical standards in Indian administration.
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude: A widely used reference book for defining key terms and concepts.
  • Real-world Examples: Citing contemporary and historical examples is crucial. Awards like the PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration highlight best practices. Websites like ‘The Better India’ often feature stories of innovative and ethical civil servants (e.g., Armstrong Pame, the “Miracle Man” who built a 100 km road in Manipur through crowdfunding).

VALUES

• Definition and Nature: Values are deep-seated, enduring beliefs about what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable. As noted by social psychologist Milton Rokeach in “The Nature of Human Values” (1973), values serve as standards or criteria that guide actions, attitudes, and judgments. They form the core of our character and personality. While some values like honesty, integrity, and compassion are considered near-universal, their expression and priority can differ.

• Spatial and Temporal Differences in Values:

  • Spatial Variation: Values are culturally contingent. The example of wearing apparel with a national flag highlights this. In the USA, it is often seen as an expression of patriotism, whereas in India, the Flag Code of India, 2002, prescribes strict rules to prevent disrespect to the national flag, reflecting a different cultural value attached to national symbols.
  • Temporal Variation: Values evolve over time.
    • Historical Example: The practice of Sati was considered a high social value in certain sections of Indian society in the 19th century. However, due to the efforts of social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and subsequent legislation (Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829), it is now universally condemned as a barbaric and unethical practice.
    • Contemporary Example: Societal values regarding LGBTQ+ rights have undergone a significant transformation. The decriminalization of homosexuality by the Supreme Court in its Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018) judgment reflects this evolution, moving from a position of moral condemnation to one of inclusivity and individual rights.

• Ethical Decision-Making: A significant part of ethical reasoning involves navigating value conflicts. For instance, a civil servant may face a conflict between the value of compassion (providing immediate relief to an unauthorized settlement) and the value of upholding the law (removing encroachments). This process of weighing competing values is the essence of resolving ethical dilemmas.

FOUNDATIONAL VALUES OF CIVIL SERVICES

These are the core principles that are non-negotiable and must guide every action and decision of a public servant. They are the bedrock upon which the edifice of good governance is built.

• Core Identity: These values define the ethos of the civil service. They are meant to be internalized by every official, ensuring a consistent and principled administrative culture. For example, Political Neutrality and Impartiality are core to the identity of a permanent executive, ensuring that administration serves the state and not a particular political party. This concept is a cornerstone of the Weberian model of bureaucracy, which emphasizes a rational, rule-bound, and impersonal administrative system.

• Examples in Different Organizations:

  • Indian Armed Forces: Discipline, integrity, and courage are non-negotiable values.
  • TATA Group: Known for its employee-centricity and corporate social responsibility, values instilled by its founder, Jamsetji Tata.
  • Google: Innovation, risk-taking, and a “Don’t be evil” (now “Do the right thing”) motto have shaped its work culture.

SOURCES OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES FOR CIVIL SERVICES

The ethical framework for Indian civil servants is derived from a multitude of formal and informal sources.

• Constitution of India: The Preamble itself is a reservoir of values: Justice (Social, Economic, Political), Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) guides the state towards a welfare orientation, which is a key value for public service.
• Legal Framework:
  • All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964: These are prescriptive rules that mandate integrity, devotion to duty, and proscribe specific actions like accepting gifts, engaging in private trade, etc.
  • Laws: Acts like the Right to Information Act, 2005 (promotes transparency) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (promotes integrity) codify foundational values into law.
• Committee Reports:
  • Nolan Committee Report (UK, 1995): This report on “Standards in Public Life” is a globally influential document. It enunciated seven principles: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership. These have been widely adopted as benchmarks for public service ethics.
  • Public Services Code Bill, 2007: This was drafted based on 2nd ARC recommendations and attempted to legislate a broader ethical framework, though it was never passed into law.
• Historical and Philosophical Sources:
  • Freedom Struggle: The ideals of service, sacrifice, and nationalism championed by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Jawaharlal Nehru are enduring sources of inspiration.
  • Philosophical/Spiritual Texts: Concepts like ‘Nishkama Karma’ (selfless action) from the Bhagavad Gita or the principles of public welfare from Kautilya’s Arthashastra provide a deep-rooted ethical foundation.
• Judicial Pronouncements: The Supreme Court has often enriched administrative values through its judgments, for instance, by expanding the scope of Article 21 (Right to Life) to include the right to a dignified life, clean environment, etc., thereby guiding administrative priorities.

SIGNIFICANCE OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES TO THE CIVIL SERVICES

• Curbing Misuse of Discretion: Civil servants possess significant discretionary powers. Values like impartiality and integrity act as an internal check, ensuring that this discretion is used for public good, not private gain. The absence of such values can lead to large-scale corruption scandals.
• Restoring Public Trust: There is a perception of a trust deficit between the citizenry and the administration. By demonstrating values like empathy, transparency, and accountability, civil servants can bridge this gap and enhance the legitimacy of the government.
• Ensuring Uniformity and Consistency: Foundational values provide a common ethical standard, ensuring that decisions are not arbitrary but are based on consistent principles, leading to predictable and fair governance across the country.
• Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: Civil servants frequently face situations with conflicting moral choices. A strong grounding in foundational values (e.g., prioritizing public interest over procedural rigidity) provides a reliable compass to navigate such dilemmas effectively.
• Achieving Good Governance: The ultimate goal of civil service is to achieve the objectives of the state, which, in a democracy, is public welfare. Values like dedication, efficiency, and compassion are instrumental in translating policy objectives into tangible outcomes.

SYMPATHY, EMPATHY, AND COMPASSION

These three related but distinct concepts are crucial for a people-centric administrator.

• Sympathy (Feeling for someone): This is the recognition and acknowledgment of another person’s suffering. It is a feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. For example, feeling sorry for a person who has lost their home in a flood.
• Empathy (Feeling with someone): As defined by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his work on emotional intelligence, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It involves putting oneself in another’s shoes and seeing the world from their perspective. It is a cognitive and emotional engagement, not just a superficial acknowledgment. An administrator visiting a flood-affected area and trying to understand the residents’ sense of loss and insecurity is showing empathy.
• Compassion (Acting to help someone): Compassion is empathy in action. It moves beyond feeling and understanding to a concrete desire and action to alleviate the other’s suffering. It is the most advanced of the three. For example, the District Magistrate who, after empathizing with the flood victims, not only arranges for immediate relief but also works on a long-term rehabilitation plan and ensures its effective implementation, is acting with compassion. The four-step process—awareness, emotional resonance, desire to help, and action—illustrates its active nature.

The Dalai Lama’s quote, “Love and Compassion are necessities and not luxuries and without them, humanity cannot survive,” underscores that compassion is not an optional virtue but a fundamental requirement for social cohesion and humane governance.

SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPASSION IN CIVIL SERVICES

• The Core of Public Service: The fundamental purpose of civil services in a welfare state is to serve the people, especially the most vulnerable. Compassion translates this purpose into action, making it the driving force behind all other values. Integrity without compassion can become rigid rule-following; efficiency without compassion can be ruthless.
• Citizen-Centric Administration: A compassionate civil servant is more likely to listen to citizens’ grievances, understand their needs, and design policies that are responsive and humane. It ensures that the ‘human’ element is not lost in the bureaucratic machinery.
• Overcoming Stereotypes and Prejudices: Society is rife with biases based on caste, religion, gender, etc. Compassion allows an administrator to see beyond these labels and treat every individual with dignity, ensuring equitable service delivery to all sections of society.
• Checking Bureaucratic Apathy: Over time, dealing with immense public problems can lead to desensitization or what is often termed the ‘armchair advisor’ syndrome. Regular engagement with the public, driven by compassion, keeps an officer grounded and motivated.
• Providing Purpose and Motivation: The job of a civil servant is demanding and often thankless. A deep sense of compassion provides the intrinsic motivation to go above and beyond the call of duty to solve public problems.

INCULCATING COMPASSION IN CIVIL SERVANTS

Developing compassion requires structured and continuous effort.

• Field Visits: Regular and immersive field visits, especially to underdeveloped areas, force officers to confront the ground realities of poverty and deprivation, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy.
• Cultural Immersion: Programs like ‘Bharat Darshan’ during training at LBSNAA expose officer trainees to the diverse cultures, traditions, and challenges across India. This breaks down regional stereotypes and builds a pan-India perspective.
• Role-Playing Activities: Simulating real-life situations, such as handling a communal riot or addressing a citizens’ protest, in a controlled environment (as done at the National Police Academy) helps officers develop empathetic responses and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Direct Public Interaction: Mechanisms like ‘Janta Darbar’ or public hearings institutionalize direct communication between officials and the public, providing unmediated feedback and a first-hand perspective on people’s problems.
• Sensitivity Training: Continuous training programs throughout an officer’s career focusing on gender sensitivity, caste sensitivity, and the rights of marginalized groups can help challenge ingrained biases and cultivate a more compassionate outlook.

OBJECTIVITY

• Definition: Objectivity is the quality of being able to make judgments and decisions based on verifiable facts, evidence, and impartial criteria, rather than on personal feelings, biases, prejudices, or interpretations. It is a commitment to reality and reason.
• In Public Service: For a civil servant, objectivity means that decisions regarding recruitment, promotions, tender allocations, or beneficiary selection must be made strictly on merit and established criteria. It is the opposite of subjectivity, which would involve nepotism, favouritism, or decisions based on personal likes and dislikes.
• Weberian Ideal: Max Weber, in his theory of bureaucracy, emphasized that an ideal administrative system should be ‘impersonal’ and ‘rational’. Objectivity is the core of this impersonality, ensuring that the office is distinct from the incumbent and that rules are applied uniformly to all, without fear or favour.
• Consequences of Lacking Objectivity: A lack of objectivity can lead to flawed policy formulation (based on ideology rather than data), unjust implementation (favouring one group over another), and a complete breakdown of public trust. It makes decisions difficult to defend logically and opens the door to allegations of corruption and arbitrariness.

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Prelims Pointers

• Nolan Committee (1995, UK) recommended seven principles for public life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.
• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) report on “Ethics in Governance” is its 4th Report, submitted in 2007.
• All India Services (Conduct) Rules were framed in 1968.
• Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules were framed in 1964.
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise that discusses statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, including principles of good governance.
• Sevottam Model is a framework for excellence in public service delivery. It has three main components: Citizen’s Charter, Grievance Redressal Mechanism, and Service Delivery Capability.
• Sympathy: Feeling for someone.
• Empathy: Feeling with someone by putting oneself in their shoes. It involves both cognitive and emotional elements.
• Compassion: Empathy in action; taking steps to alleviate suffering.
• Objectivity is making decisions based on facts and evidence, free from personal bias or prejudice. Its opposite is Subjectivity.
• The landmark Supreme Court judgment that decriminalized homosexuality is Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018).

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Mains Insights

1. The Law-Ethics Dichotomy in Administration:

   • Relationship: Law represents the ethical minimum. An action can be legal but unethical (e.g., using a legal loophole to deny a benefit to a deserving poor person). Conversely, an act of civil disobedience might be illegal but considered ethical by some.
   • Dilemma for Civil Servants: A civil servant is bound by law, but their conscience and values may demand more. Foundational values like compassion and public service should guide them to interpret and apply laws in a humane manner. This highlights the tension between acting as a mere agent of the law (‘letter of the law’) versus a public servant (‘spirit of the law’).

2. Debate: Can Values like Compassion be Taught?

   • Argument For: Structured training, exposure to diverse realities (field visits, Bharat Darshan), role-playing, and sensitization workshops can effectively cultivate empathy and compassion by challenging biases and broadening perspectives.
   • Argument Against: Core values are deeply ingrained through family, school, and societal conditioning. Mid-career training can only have a superficial impact if the individual’s fundamental character is not compassionate.
   • Synthesis: While foundational character is important, a civil servant’s professional ethics can be significantly shaped and refined through continuous and immersive training. The focus should be on creating an ecosystem (training, incentives, leadership) that consistently reinforces these values.

3. Objectivity vs. Compassion: A Perceived Conflict?

   • The Conflict View: A common bureaucratic apprehension is that being compassionate may lead to subjective decisions, bending of rules, and compromising objectivity. It is seen as an emotional response in a system that should be rational.
   • The Complementary View: True objectivity and compassion are not mutually exclusive; they are complementary. Compassion should inform the goal of public service (welfare of the people), while objectivity should inform the process (fair, evidence-based, and impartial decision-making). A compassionate officer will use objective criteria to identify the most vulnerable and design effective, evidence-based interventions to help them. For instance, using objective socio-economic data to ensure that a welfare scheme reaches the poorest, driven by a compassionate desire to alleviate poverty.

4. The Challenge of Upholding Foundational Values:

   • Political Pressure: The value of political neutrality is often challenged by pressure from the political executive to act in a partisan manner.
   • Bureaucratic Inertia: A culture of risk aversion and excessive proceduralism can stifle values like innovation and responsiveness.
   • Personal vs. Professional Values: A civil servant’s personal values may conflict with the duties they are expected to perform, leading to cognitive dissonance and ethical dilemmas. Upholding professional ethics in such situations requires immense moral courage.

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Previous Year Questions

Prelims

(Note: Direct questions on these specific ethical terms are rare in Prelims. However, questions on governance principles, constitutional values, and the role of civil services, which are applications of these concepts, are common in GS Paper II.)

1. The Preamble to the Constitution of India is (UPSC Prelims 2020) (a) a part of the Constitution but has no legal effect (b) not a part of the Constitution and has no legal effect either (c) a part of the Constitution and has the same legal effect as any other part (d) a part of the Constitution but has no legal effect independently of other parts

   Answer: (d) The Supreme Court in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) held that the Preamble is part of the Constitution and can be used to interpret ambiguous areas of the Constitution. It is a source of foundational values like Justice, Liberty, and Equality.

2. Which one of the following is not a feature of Indian federalism? (UPSC Prelims 2017) (a) There is an independent judiciary in India. (b) Powers have been clearly divided between the Centre and the States. (c) The federating units have been given unequal representation in the Rajya Sabha. (d) It is the result of an agreement among the federating units.

   Answer: (d) This question touches upon the foundational structure and values of the Indian state. Unlike the US, the Indian Federation is not the result of an agreement among states; it is described as an “Indestructible Union of destructible states,” reflecting the value of national integrity.

3. With reference to the provisions contained in Part IV of the Constitution of India, which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2020)

   1. They shall be enforceable by courts.
   2. They shall not be enforceable by any court.
   3. The principles laid down in this part are to influence the making of laws by the State.

   Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only

   Answer: (d) The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) are fundamental in the governance of the country and are a key source of values for public service, guiding the state towards social and economic justice, even though they are not justiciable.

4. The main objective of the ‘Right to Information Act, 2005’ is to (UPSC Prelims - various years, similar questions) (a) Ensure access to information from public authorities (b) Secure citizens’ right to privacy (c) Provide a framework for data protection (d) Regulate the functioning of media

   Answer: (a) The RTI Act is a legislative manifestation of the foundational value of ‘Openness’ or ‘Transparency’ in governance, as recommended by the Nolan Committee and the 2nd ARC.

5. What is the position of the Right to Property in India? (UPSC Prelims 2021) (a) Legal right available to citizens only (b) Legal right available to any person (c) Fundamental Right available to citizens only (d) Neither Fundamental Right nor legal right

   Answer: (b) This question relates to the temporal evolution of constitutional values. The Right to Property was moved from a Fundamental Right to a constitutional/legal right under Article 300-A by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978, reflecting a shift in values balancing individual property rights with the state’s objective of social and economic justice.

Mains (GS Paper IV)

1. What does ‘objectivity’ mean for a public servant? How can a public servant remain objective in the face of public pressure and political interference? (UPSC Mains 2023)

   Answer: Introduction: Define objectivity as the quality of making decisions based on merit, facts, and evidence, devoid of personal bias, prejudice, or external pressures. It is a cornerstone of the Weberian ideal of a rational bureaucracy and a foundational value for civil services.

   Meaning of Objectivity for a Public Servant:

   • Impartiality: Treating all citizens equally without favouritism based on caste, religion, political affiliation, or any other extraneous factor.
   • Evidence-based Decision Making: Policies and administrative actions should be based on data, analysis, and verifiable information rather than on anecdotal evidence or populist sentiment.
   • Fairness in Action: Ensuring that processes like procurement, recruitment, and law enforcement are conducted as per established rules and procedures, giving everyone a fair chance.
   • Political Neutrality: Serving the government of the day faithfully irrespective of its political ideology, while offering frank, apolitical advice based on merits.

   Measures to Remain Objective:

   • Adherence to Constitutional and Legal Frameworks: Basing decisions firmly on the Constitution, laws, and rules provides a strong defence against undue pressure. The rules of business and conduct provide a procedural safeguard.
   • Developing Moral Courage: The internal strength to say ‘no’ to unethical or illegal requests from political superiors or influential public figures is crucial. This comes from a strong personal value system.
   • Maintaining Records (Documentation): A public servant should meticulously document the reasons for their decisions. This ‘speaking order’ creates a transparent and accountable trail, making it difficult for anyone to force a biased decision.
   • Institutional Safeguards: Leveraging institutions like the CVC, CIC, and the judiciary to uphold objectivity. Also, seeking guidance from senior, upright officers can provide support.
   • Promoting Transparency: Using tools like the RTI Act and proactive disclosure of information can reduce the scope for arbitrary action, as decisions made in the open are more likely to be objective.

   Conclusion: Objectivity is not just a theoretical virtue but a practical necessity for ensuring fairness, efficiency, and public trust in administration. While pressures are inevitable, a combination of personal integrity, adherence to the rule of law, and the use of institutional mechanisms can empower a public servant to uphold this critical value.

2. Compassion is a foundational value of civil services. Do you agree? Substantiate your answer with examples. (UPSC Mains 2022 - adapted)

   Answer: Introduction: Define compassion as empathy in action—the ability to not only understand the suffering of others but to take concrete steps to alleviate it. State the argument that compassion is indeed a foundational value, as it provides the moral purpose for public service in a welfare state like India.

   Arguments for Compassion as a Foundational Value:

   • Humanizes Administration: It ensures that the bureaucracy does not become a rigid, unfeeling machine. It puts the ‘public’ back into ‘public service’.
   • Ensures Social Justice: Compassion drives a civil servant to focus on the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society (the ‘last man’ of Gandhi’s talisman), ensuring that the benefits of development reach them.
   • Fosters Public Trust: A compassionate administration that listens to and responds to the needs of the people builds a strong bond of trust between the state and its citizens.
   • Drives Innovation and Problem-Solving: Compassion motivates officers to go beyond their prescribed duties to find innovative solutions to pressing public problems.

   Substantiation with Examples:

   • IAS Officer Armstrong Pame: Known as the “Miracle Man,” he built a 100 km “People’s Road” in a remote part of Manipur without government funds, by raising money through crowdfunding. His compassion for the plight of the people who were disconnected from the mainland drove this extraordinary initiative.
   • IAS Officer O.P. Choudhary: In the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, his compassionate approach led to the creation of ‘Education City’, a hub providing quality education to thousands of tribal children affected by Naxal violence, thereby transforming their lives.
   • IAS Officer Rajni Sekhri Sibal: She displayed moral courage driven by compassion for job aspirants when she exposed the JBT recruitment scam in Haryana, ensuring merit-based selection. Her act of transferring the list of selected candidates to a hospital locker to prevent tampering shows going the extra mile.

   Conclusion: While values like integrity, objectivity, and efficiency form the skeleton of good governance, compassion is its heart and soul. It provides the motivation and direction for all other values, making it an indispensable foundational principle for any civil servant dedicated to genuine public welfare.

3. What are the main components of ‘emotional intelligence’? Can they be learned? Discuss their application in administration. (UPSC Mains 2020)

   Answer: Introduction: Define Emotional Intelligence (EI) as conceptualized by Daniel Goleman: the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions in oneself and others. State that EI is a critical skill for administrators who constantly deal with complex human interactions.

   Main Components of Emotional Intelligence: Goleman identified five key components:

   1. Self-Awareness: Understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and drives.
   2. Self-Regulation: The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods; to think before acting.
   3. Motivation: A passion for work for reasons that go beyond money or status; a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
   4. Empathy: The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people; skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. This is a cornerstone of compassion.
   5. Social Skill: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks; an ability to find common ground and build rapport.

   Can EI be Learned? Yes, EI can be learned and developed. Unlike IQ, which is largely static, EI is a flexible set of skills.

   • Methods: It can be cultivated through conscious practice, feedback, coaching, and training. Techniques like mindfulness, journaling (for self-awareness), role-playing (for empathy and social skills), and sensitivity training are effective. The training imparted at LBSNAA and other academies increasingly focuses on these ‘soft skills’.

   Application in Administration:

   • Effective Leadership (Motivation, Social Skill): An emotionally intelligent leader can inspire and motivate their team, manage conflicts constructively, and foster a positive work environment, leading to higher productivity.
   • Citizen-Centric Governance (Empathy): Empathy allows an administrator to understand the needs and grievances of the public better, leading to more responsive and effective policies and better public service delivery.
   • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (Self-Regulation, Social Skill): Whether dealing with public protests, inter-departmental conflicts, or law-and-order situations, EI helps an officer remain calm, manage tensions, and find mutually agreeable solutions.
   • Handling Stress and Pressure (Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation): The job of a civil servant is highly stressful. EI helps in managing personal stress, preventing burnout, and maintaining composure and objectivity even in crisis situations.

   Conclusion: Emotional intelligence is not a ‘soft’ or optional attribute but a fundamental competency for effective administration in the 21st century. Its components are learnable and their application is crucial for transforming a rule-bound bureaucrat into a responsive and effective public leader.

4. Discuss the role of family and society in inculcating values in an individual. (UPSC Mains 2019 - adapted)

   Answer: Introduction: Values are the guiding principles that shape an individual’s character, attitude, and behaviour. The process of internalizing these values, known as socialization, begins at birth, with the family and society playing the most crucial roles as primary and secondary agents of socialization.

   Role of the Family (Primary Agent): The family is the first school of ethics.

   • Observation and Imitation: Children learn values like honesty, respect, compassion, and discipline by observing and imitating their parents and elders. A family environment where truth is spoken and elders are respected directly inculcates these values.
   • Direct Instruction: Parents actively teach children what is right and wrong through stories (like from Panchatantra or Jataka tales), religious teachings, and direct moral guidance.
   • Reinforcement: The family reinforces desirable values through rewards (praise, affection) and discourages undesirable behaviour through sanctions (disapproval, punishment).
   • Emotional Foundation: The family provides the love and security that are essential for the development of positive values like empathy and kindness.

   Role of Society (Secondary Agent): As a child grows, the influence of society expands through various institutions.

   • Educational Institutions: Schools impart constitutional values (democracy, secularism), civic sense, and values like teamwork, discipline, and fairness through curriculum, activities, and the conduct of teachers.
   • Peer Group: Friends and peers significantly influence an individual’s values, especially during adolescence. They can reinforce positive values or introduce negative ones like substance abuse or indiscipline.
   • Community and Religion: Religious institutions and community norms prescribe a moral code of conduct, shaping values related to diet, festivals, charity (e.g., ‘Zakat’ in Islam, ‘Dasvandh’ in Sikhism), and social relationships.
   • Media and Culture: Media, including books, films, and the internet, transmits a wide range of values. They can promote progressive values like gender equality or perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Role models and leaders in society (political leaders, sportspersons, artists) also set standards of behaviour that people emulate.

   Conclusion: The family lays the foundational bedrock of an individual’s value system, while society builds upon, modifies, and sometimes challenges it. A positive synergy between these two agents is essential for creating ethical individuals who, in turn, contribute to a virtuous society. For a civil servant, the values instilled by family and society form the core of their personal ethics, which must align with the professional ethics required by public service.

5. What is meant by ‘probity’ in governance? Based on your understanding of the term, suggest measures for ensuring probity in government. (UPSC Mains 2018 - adapted)

   Answer: Introduction: Define Probity as the quality of having strong moral principles, characterized by absolute integrity, uprightness, and honesty. It is a step beyond the mere absence of corruption; it implies an unwavering adherence to a moral and ethical code, making it a cornerstone of good governance. The 2nd ARC’s report on “Ethics in Governance” extensively deals with this concept.

   Core Elements of Probity:

   • Integrity: Adherence to a consistent moral and ethical code.
   • Honesty: Being truthful and transparent in all dealings.
   • Accountability: Taking responsibility for one’s actions and decisions.
   • Impartiality: Making decisions based on merit, free from bias or favouritism.

   Measures for Ensuring Probity in Government:

   1. Institutional Measures:

      • Strengthening Anti-Corruption Bodies: Empowering institutions like the Lokpal, CVC, and State Lokayuktas with functional autonomy, adequate resources, and manpower.
      • Robust Vigilance Systems: Creating effective internal vigilance units within departments to proactively identify and address corrupt practices.
      • Independent Audit: Ensuring the independence and strengthening the capacity of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to scrutinize public expenditure without fear or favour.

   2. Legislative and Procedural Measures:

      • Effective Laws: Periodically reviewing and strengthening anti-corruption laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.
      • Code of Ethics and Conduct: Legislating a Code of Ethics for all public servants, as recommended by the 2nd ARC, to provide a clear set of ethical principles, in addition to the existing Code of Conduct.
      • Transparency and Openness: Maximizing the use of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Implementing Citizen’s Charters effectively to make service delivery standards explicit and accountable.

   3. Governance Reforms:

      • Reducing Discretion: Simplifying rules and procedures and using technology (e-governance) to reduce the scope for human discretion, which is often a source of corruption. For example, online, transparent bidding for government contracts.
      • Electoral Reforms: Reforming political funding to break the nexus between corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, and businesses.

   4. Behavioural and Cultural Measures:

      • Inculcating Values: Focusing on value-based training for civil servants at all levels of their career.
      • Public Awareness: Creating public awareness campaigns to encourage citizens to report corruption and to foster a social consensus against it. Protecting whistle-blowers through robust legislation like the Whistle Blowers Protection Act.

   Conclusion: Ensuring probity in governance requires a holistic, multi-pronged approach that combines strong institutions, clear laws, systemic reforms, and a culture of integrity. It is an ongoing process that demands constant vigilance from the government, civil society, and citizens alike to build a truly ethical and trustworthy public administration system.