A BSTRACT
Professions and
Professionals are an
essential part of any given
society. Every individual is
usually engaged in one or
the other profession not
only for their sustenance
but also to render services
and settle human issues
through peaceful means. It
is equally important along
with formal education one
needs to develop certain
code of conduct in their
profession and towards the
society at large.
Professionals are respected
and honored throughout
the world and are
considered as the “Pure
fountain of justice”. In
order to maintain the
standards, every
Professional needs to
adhere and adopt certain
ethical principles. For
centuries, the world in
general has followed and
regulated certain ethical
norms and standards of
professional conduct.
Misconduct in any
profession is considered as
dereliction of duty. It may
level to certain amount of
consequences or
punishments depending
upon the degree and
nature of breach. India in
particular has a long history
of professionalism and
professional conduct. Be it
in the field of formal
education, legal practices
and medical sciences. To
trace the historical
narrative of professional
development in India
would help to restore,
rebuild and restructure the
entire system which seems
to have forgotten or
perhaps have become in-
efficient.
KEYWORDS : Professional
ethics and etiquette,
Professionalism, Origin,
Professional Ethics and Professionalism in India – A historical perspective
Mr. Imti Lemtur
Assistant Lecturer, Department of Political science, Loyola College Williamnagar,
India
Introduction
In every given society, man occupies different occupations for their livelihood
or for their satisfaction. These occupations can be broadly divided into
Productive and Service occupations. By Productive occupation, it means that
category of occupations wherein the basic motive is to earn or enjoy a
reasonable amount of benefits in return of the activity performed. The Oxford
Dictionary ascribes the meaning of Productive occupation as, “a category of
occupations which focus on employment, self-development, or making a
contribution (socially or economically) to the society”. On the contrary, Service
occupations means that category of occupations wherein the basic motive is
not to earn any profits or benefits in return of the services provided. The
Longman’s Business Dictionary ascribes its meaning as, “a job that involves
providing a service for a person or company, rather than producing a product,
for example the job of a cleaner, sales person, or lawyer.
Thus, the occupations which require advanced education and special
training are called professions such as Lawyer, teacher, architecture, Doctors,
and so on. Their prime objective is to provide service for other with the
intention of making the world a better place. These Professionals are usually
guided by certain principles and value which is why, some considers
“Profession not a craft but a calling”. Therefore, every professions in a given
society posses certain characteristics such as Specialized knowledge, Service
motive, Regulated by professional body, Code of Conduct, Employment, Work
for others, Terms and conditions and Fixed income.
Of all the characteristics, specialized knowledge in a particular field has
been considered as the most important feature of any Profession throughout
the world. Society excepts from an individual when in a profession, certain
degree of specialized knowledge in that field, for example; from Doctors –
medicines and ailments, lawyer – law and liabilities and teachers – education
and guidance. Certain codes of conduct are also expected from an individual
when in a profession. In legal parlance, it is called “The Seven Lamps of
Advocacy”. And finally, to work for others seems the only means of self-
satisfaction in life. This is the reason as to why people called teaching,
advocacy and doctors as a noble profession.
Professional Ethics
The word Ethics has been derived from the Latin word “Ethos” which means a
“Habitual mode of conduct”. It springs from long habits and customs of an
individual. According to Business Dictionary, Professional ethics are
professionally accepted standards of personal and business behavior, values
and guiding principles. Professional ethics as such, encompasses the personal
and corporate standards of behavior expected by professionals. By personal
standards of behavior, it means showing due respect to ones employers and
obeying the set rules and regulations; for example, Hippocratic Oath, Oath of
allegiance, Oath of citizenship and Oath of office.
Codes of professional ethics are often established by professional
organizations to help guide members in performing their job functions
according to sound and consistent ethical principles. It is usually associated
with “Etiquette” which refers to a pattern of behavior and the mode in which a
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person is required to conduct himself. Etiquette consist of the following elements namely elegancy, dignity and
decency. Thus, for the purpose of maintaining proper decorum in any profession, ethics and etiquette plays a
crucial role in determining its positive outcome and developing an effective management system.
From the Applied Ethical point of view, professional ethics means the assessment of the moral values of
an individual towards the classical approaches to occupations of law, medicine and ministry. By and large, it
also refers to the higher education, advocacy, medical and other occupations that constitute to a professional
status. It is mainly concerned with the standards and moral conduct of an individual which governs the
profession and its members. Precisely, it examines the issues, problems, and the social responsibility of the
profession itself and individual in the light of philosophical and religious principles such as duty and obligation.
Thus, an occupations enjoying professional status by social consent are generally characterized by the
following criteria; (a) technical training implying generalized knowledge, (b) both theoretical and practical
knowledge in a specific field, (c) recognition by an issuing authority of the knowledge and skills, and (d)
regulating authority to enforce the knowledge and skills for the service of public good.
Professional Associations generally set standards to secure the competence and integrity of its
members engaged in Private as well as Government sector such as medicine and law, and the structures to
monitor their conduct. Over often, the same standards are reinforced by civil law through a process of
examinations and licensing. Thus, professional ethics not only provide guidelines to govern their relationship
with clients, as in the case of a doctor-patient relationship or a teacher-student relationship, but also define
norms which govern their responsibility to colleagues and the public as a whole, as in the case of lawyers who
are officers of the court and sworn to serve the cause of justice.
The guidelines provided by the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association
governed advertisement by a lawyer or a doctor. They may participate and organize programs such as medical
aid or legal awareness to promote, inform and educate the general public. Such programmes however, shall be
with regards to services available to the individuals so that they can be in a position to make proper choices
regarding the selection of specialists to address their needs. It is thus, improper and restricted for advertising to
promote a lawyer or doctor at the expense of others.

Professionalism
The word professionalism was originally applied to vows of a religious order in the past. But by the beginning of
the year 1675, the term had seen secular application and was generally applied to the three learned
professions, viz. Divinity, Law, and Medicine. It was also used for the military profession during this period.
Thus, Professionals working in acknowledged professions exercise specialist knowledge and skills. The quest of
as to how the use of such knowledge and skills should be governed when providing service to the public can be
considered as a moral issue and is commonly termed as professional ethics. It is capable of passing judgments,
encouraging positive outlook, and giving reasonable and logical conclusions pertaining to a situations which the
general public seems incapable due to lack of necessary knowledge and skills. One of the earliest examples of
professional ethics is the Hippocratic Oath to which medical doctors still adhere to this day.
Professional organizations in many countries defined their ethical approach through a number of
explicit elements. These are Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability, Confidentiality, Objectivity,
Respect, obedience to the law, and Loyalty. Of all the elements, the element of being honest carry much weight
simply because, the quality of honesty stems from an individual’s veins and is not adopted or inherent. It means
the quality of straightforwardness, freedom from deceit, cheating or stealing and not telling lies. The best
professionals of all generations have been devotees of honesty. Example for honest character is Abraham
Lincoln, who founded his fame and success on what some called ‘preserve honesty’. The nobleness of
professionalism lies in honesty itself.
The element of accountability in any profession speaks in volume about ones character and personality.
To be accountable is to be courageous and industrious towards ones profession and allow a room for
correction. Cambridge English Dictionary ascribes its meaning as, “the fact of being responsible for what you do
and able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens”. Thus, it is affirmative to hold
responsible for any acts or negligence happening on our watch. The element of respect also plays a vital role in
any profession. Similar to honesty, respect cannot be acquire or attained through examinations and

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assessment, it can only be received when ones starts to respect the other. It is a quality of moral-ethical values
which can only be transformed.

Professional ethics and professionalism in India

Origin: In India, the Professional ethics and professionalism originated during the time of British rule. There is
no clear evidence of the existence of any profession before that period that is during the Hindu Rule or the
Mughal dynasty period. Particularly, during the Hindu Rule the regulation of professions was based on the caste
system wherein a particular caste was confined to a designated profession. It was a system of hierarchy which
professes that “only the prince shall become the king and not the one who deserves to be”. Thus, professions
under this system were woven into the fabric of the social needs, as in the case of Brahmins who were the
scholars and Priest class and so the Vaishyas who were the framers and artisans class were not allowed to
practice or alter their professions. Therefore, it was fixed that only a Brahmins can become an educator or
Priest.
However, during the Mughal period, professionals such as teachers, doctors and lawyers were
promoted following the abolition of caste-based designed profession. For instance, the term “Physician” is
derived from the Arabic word “Hakim” which means a wise or learned man, a physician or a doctor used mostly
in Muslim countries during the 11th century (The Physician – Noah Gordan, 1986).
Later on, the coming of British East India Company in India, established a new social group of individuals
consisting of the bureaucrats and professionals like lawyers, teachers and doctors trained in Western countries.
In case of doctors, they were trained in western medicine to heal the ailments and diseases and in case of
bureaucrats, they were educated in England. The famous remarks of Sir Thomas Babington Macaulay while
discussing the English Education Act, 1835 in British parliament read as follows; “a class of persons, Indian in
blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect who could in their turn develop the
tools to transmit Western learning in the vernacular languages of India”. Thus, the beginning of 1870 witnessed
a major change in social life with regards to the rise and growth of middle-class consciousness. It was then
reflected in the aspirations of native associations started in Madras, Bengal and Bombay Presidencies.
Sumit Sarkar, an Indian modern historian recorded on the basis of evidence of J.R. Maclane, that by the
year 1880, the total number of English-educated Indians rose to 50,000 and by 1907, the number of English-
educated Indians rose to 5, 05,000 and the circulation of English newspapers to 2, 76,000. There is no question
about Sumit Sarkar’s data and that western education has provided its beneficiaries a unique capacity to
establish contacts on a countrywide scale. It also provided opportunity to channelized and mobilize public
opinion either against or in favour of the governmental policies.
In addition, western education also created awareness about the global issues and ideologies which
helped Indians to formulate conscious theories of nationalism. Most of the English-educated elites were thriven
by modern ideologies which motivated them with a desire to bring about change rather than defending
conservation or privileges of caste. These ideologies were based on the principles of reason and social justice. It
inspired the Elite section to made personal sacrifice so as to lead the society on a progressive line of western
outlook. Thus, some of the English-educated elite emerged as intelligentsia and guided the destiny of Indian
nation by their ideas and principles. The intelligentsia of 19th century in India stood for social reform and revival
of professionalism as in the case of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Some of these intellectuals were impressed by the progressive ideas of the West. They were fully
convinced that the need of the hour for the Indian society is to bring about social change and acted as catalysts
in achieving the desired goal. But on the other hand, some intellectuals resisted total modernization of the
society based on secular values. Thus, the educated-elite class played a critical role in restoring its past glory
and re-writing the destiny of India by their critical and rationale approaches.

Development: Opinions and views differ among scholars with regards to whether British colonization has
benefitted the Indian mass or not. Some scholars argued that, the British has no intention of developing India,
for instances when the British left India, the literacy rate of India at that time was only at 12% and India’s GDP
was at 4% of the world total. It was raised by the British Whig politician Edmund Burke who in 1778 began a
seven-year impeachment trial against Warren Hastings and the East India Company on charges including
mismanagement of the Indian economy. Thus, the development of Professional ethics and professionalism in

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India began only after the Independence in 1947 and consequent partition of the nation into two political
entities – India and Pakistan.
Appointment of the Planning Commission in 1950 by the Government of India paved the way for the
development of different aspects of life, including education. The main objective of the Plan was (a) to achieve
universal elementary education, (b) to eradicate illiteracy, (c) to establish vocational and skill training programs,
(d) to upgrade standards and modernize all stages of education, with special emphasis on technical education,
science, and environmental education, on morality, and on the relationship between school and work, and (e)
to provide facilities for high-quality education in every district of the country. Thus, Barbara Ehrenreich, in 1977
also defined a new class in the United States as, "salaried menial workers who do not own the means of
production and whose major function in the social division of labor is the reproduction of capitalist culture and
capitalist class relations”.
Ehrenreich named this group as the "professional-managerial class”. This group of middle-class
professionals were distinguished from other social classes by their training and education and included
academics and teachers, social workers, engineers, managers, nurses, and middle-level administrators.
Ehrenreich developed the definition from studies by André Gorz, Serge Mallet, and others, of a "new working
class”, which, despite education and a perception of themselves as middle class, were part of the working class
because they did not own the means of production, and were wage earners paid to produce a piece of capital.
The professional-managerial classes seek higher status and salary and tend to have incomes above the average
for their country.
India, in the field of medical practitioners, the development of professional ethics and professionalism
started with the establishment of the Medical Council of India, 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act,
1933. The Council was later reconstituted under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 replacing the earlier Act.
Dr. Surendranath Ghosh was the first native Indian doctor to be appointed in PG Hospital. It was the first Post
Graduate Medical Institute in Eastern India in 1957 when this hospital came to be known as The Institute of
Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER). It was inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the
then Prime Minister of India, on 16th January 1957.
In the field of legal profession, the development started with the enactment of the Bar Council of India
Act, 1926 and the Advocates Act, 1961 by an act of Parliament. The Bar Council act was passed to consolidate
the various aspects of legal practice and to provide self-government to the Bars. It was empowered to decide all
matters relating to legal education, qualification for enrolment, discipline and control of the profession. Later,
The Advocates Act, 1961 took this initiative further such as admission, practice, ethics, privileges, regulations,
discipline and improvement of the profession as well as law reforms became significant. These acts prescribe
punishments against professional misconduct and Contempt of Court. It not only recognized and regulated the
legal profession but also abolished the difference between an advocate and Vakil.
Accordingly, a candidate in order to become a Vakil, must be a graduate, must have good common over
English language and must pass a Vakil’s examination. But from 1940, a Vakil must be a graduate with an LL.B.
from a University in India along with three other certificates. These certificates should prove that (a) he had
passed in the examination, (b) read in the chamber of a qualified lawyer and (c) was of a good character. Thus,
Sir Sunder Lal, Jogendra Nath Chaudhary, Ram Prasad and Moti Lal Nehru were all Vakils who became an
Advocate.
Education has been the cornerstone for the development of professional ethics and professionalism in
India since independence. The establishment of the University Education Commission, 1948 – 49 paved the way
for progress and development. It was constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, which was
intended mainly for the improvement of higher education. It was observed that the standards of theory courses
offered in various teacher training colleges were competent , but the practices followed needs to improvised,
and thus, recommended for remodeling of teacher training programmes giving more time to school practices
and more weight to practice in assessing students’ performance.
The Secondary Education Commission, 1952 – 53 under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Lakshmananaswami
Mudaliar, also presented one of the most important educational documents of free India. It recommended
dynamic methods for teaching and suggested that the teaching should be shifted from verbalism and
memorization to learning through ‘activity method’ and ‘project method’.

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 Education Commission, 1964 – 66 under the chairmanship of Dr. D.S. Kothari, an eminent Indian
educationalist, constituted a Commission with eleven Indian members and five others each from France, Japan,
U.K, U.S.A., and U.S.S.R. It recommended for (a) removing the isolation of teacher training, (b) improving
professional education, and (c) measures for improving the quality of training institutions. Thus, based on the
recommendations of the Kothari Commission, M.A. degree in education has been introduced in universities like
Aligarh, Kurukshetra and Kanpur.
National Commission on Teachers, 1983 – 85 was appointed by the Government of India under the
chairmanship of Prof. D.P. Chattopadhyaya. It recommended for the improvement of educational process
regarding the selection of trainees for the teaching profession. The Commission further suggested that a
professional must have (a) Good physique, (b) Linguistic ability and communication skills, (c) A fair degree of
general mental ability, (d) General awareness of the world, (e) A positive outlook on life, and (f) Capacity of
good human relations.

Conclusion
The Delors Commission Report, 1996 proposed an integrated vision of education based on two key concepts
namely ‘learning throughout life’ and the four pillars of learning - to know, to do, to be and to live together. It
was by no means the blueprint for educational reform, but rather the ground for reflection and arguments
about what alternatives should be enforce while formulating educational policies. The report argued that it is
the choice of our human society that determines the kind and nature of educational system. Therefore, beyond
the immediate functions of education, it considered the development and formation of an individual to be an
essential part of the purpose of education. The Report was closely aligned with the moral and intellectual
principles that underpin UNESCO, and therefore its analysis and recommendations were more humanistic and
less instrumental and market-driven than other education reform studies of the time.
The Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the 21st century “Learning the
Treasure within” recommended that the University education should prepare students for research and
teaching; provide them highly specialized training courses adapted to the needs of economic and social life; to
be open to all, so as to cater for the many aspects of lifelong education in the widest sense and to render
International co-operation. Thus, the foundation of ethics, etiquette and professionalism are rooted in ones
educational system as it deals with the extraordinary expansion of knowledge and the human’s capacity to
assimilate it.

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