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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.

0: Ethics

● Sacrificing Ethics, Values, Integrity and ● Research and Studies: Public relations
Spiritualism: These things are sacrificed in professionals should study the academic research
comparison to the materialism & worldly and best practices of issues management to best
success. prepare themselves to engage in ethical issues.
● Social Acceptance: Society as a whole has ● Ethics Audits: To identify risks to the integrity of
started to accept the people who are corrupt. the most important processes Effective external and
Silence of good people is more dangerous than internal complaint and redress procedures.
the moral erosion of some people. ● Violation and Breaches of Code of Ethics: This
● Mega Administration, Slow Methodology and should invite sanction and punishment under the
Delay in Decision Making: There is growth of disciplinary rules.
each department and institutions both vertically ● Computerization and Digitization: Remove the
and horizontally. This has created confusion in middle layers in which people have to depend on
hierarchy leading to delay in decision making. bureaucrats for work
● Soft-Society, Tolerant Public Opinion and ● Setting CCTV: It creates fear that they are being
Politico-Business-Bureaucracy Nexus: Public watched.
don’t resent & tolerate the wrong doings. This
gives decision makers more liberty against not
doing such crimes in future.

RELATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ETHICS

Private Relation Public Relation

● In private relations, People expect intimacy, ● In public relations, respect, attention, power,
loyalty, love and affection. authority and materialistic benefits are expected.
● One involves people sharing similarity in the value ● one has to deal with people having completely
system. different temperament.
● Duties are voluntary, self-imposed and informal. ● Duties externally imposed and formally mentioned
Example- Standing by your friends or loved ones in codes. Example- All India civil service conduct
in the good and bad times, providing good facilities rules, prevention of corruption. Failure to oblige
to your children etc. If you fail, the relationship may usually ends the relationship.
remain intact.

How to Ensure that both Lives Remain Separate:


● Take decisions rationally and objectively based on facts and merits only.
● Go by code of conduct always when faced with dilemmas.
● Be impartial always and ensure that your actions are not only impartial but looks to be impartial too.
● When with family, spend quality time with them and don’t bring your office between you and them.
Why Tight Separation Isn’t Possible:
Private life does have bearing on the public life of a person and thus, the tight separation in Public and Private relationship
is not possible because of following reasons:
● Personal life often affects the work of the individual and affects her role in public spheres of life.
● Ethics in private relations helps in humanizing public relations and plays an important role in forming the moral system
of a person.
● If a person becomes bankrupt because of his lavish private lifestyle, then he is automatically ineligible from various
constitutional public posts in India. Because if such a financially distressed person is holding a public office, he is
more likely to accept bribes.
● Certain values like honesty, respect, empathy, trust, equality and efficiency etc which are considered to equally guide
our actions in both professional and private spheres.
Conclusion:
● There is a need for ethics in every profession, voluntary organization and civil society structure as these entities are
now vitally involved in the process of governance. Finally, there should be ethics in citizen behaviour because such
behaviour impinges directly on ethics in government and administration.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

MORALS
● Derived from the Latin word moralis, meaning “traditional customs”.
● Morals are the social, cultural and religious beliefs or values of an individual or group which tells us what is right or
wrong. Example- Do not cheat, always tell the truth etc.
● Morals are the principles that guide individual conduct within society.

WHY BE MORAL?
● Attainment of What is Best for a Person: In every human person there is a deep desire for good. Each man/woman
desires what is best for himself/herself.
● Helps to Live a Better Life: Morality is a lot like nutrition. While nutrition focuses on our physical health, morality
is concerned about our moral health.
● Broader Consensus: Morality aims to Constitutional Morality
provide us with a common point of view from
which we can come to agreement about what • Constitutional Morality means adherence to or being faithful
all of us ought to do. to bottom line principles of the constitutional values.
● Argument from Enlightened Self-Interest • It includes commitment to inclusive and democratic political
and Tradition: It is generally better to be process in which both individual and collective interests are
good rather than bad and to create a world satisfied.
and society that is good rather than a bad one. • The major elements of the constitutional morality in the
Traditions and laws have governed the context of Indian constitution are – Rule of law, right to
behaviour of human beings over the years equality, social justice, unity and integrity of nation, social
and urge human beings to be moral rather justice, secularism, individual liberty and freedom of
than immoral. expression etc.
● Morals Lead to Stability of Society: • The SC had relied on constitutional morality to allow entry of
Morality helps to wear out differences women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple under a 4-1
between individuals and various groups by majority verdict. In the Navtej Singh Johar vs Union of India
promoting tolerance and acceptance of the SC struck down the archaic provision of Section 377 and
different viewpoints/ideologies etc. Morality upheld constitutional morality.
reduces conflict and ensures peace and
stability in the society.
● Morals and Ethics Form Grounds of Laws: Based on society’s ethics, laws are created and enforced by
governments to mediate our relationships with each other, and to protect its citizens.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ETHICS & MORALS


● “Morality describes what is, whereas Ethics describes what ought to be. Ethics and morals relate to “right” and
“wrong” conduct. While they are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different.

Ethics Morals

Origin ● Greek word "ethos" meaning ● The Latin word "Mos" means
"character". "custom".
What are they? ● The rules of conduct recognized in ● Principles or habits with respect to
respect to a particular class of human right or wrong conduct. While morals
actions or a particular group or also prescribe dos and don'ts, morality
culture. is ultimately a personal compass of
right and wrong.
Where do they ● Social system – External ● Individual – Internal
come from?
Flexibility ● Ethics are dependent on others for ● Usually consistent, although can change
definition, and it largely stays if an individual’s beliefs change.
universal. ● Example- views of homosexuality
change from individual to individual.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Example- truth, compassion, non-


violence etc.
Acceptance ● It is governed by professional and ● Morality connects with cultural norms.
legal guidelines within a particular
time and place.
● Thus, Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong. While ETHICS can
refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behaviour within a relatively narrow
area of activity. Ethics must trump personal morals for the greater good of maintaining the integrity of a system.

HUMAN VALUES
● Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of actions or outcomes. As such, values
reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be.
● It establishes a crucial aspect of one's self-concept and operates as a person's guiding principles.
● These are individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. These values can be ethical/moral
values, religious values, political values, social or aesthetic values etc.
● Ethical decision-making often involves weighing values against each other and choosing which values to elevate.
Conflicts can result when people have different values, leading to a clash of preferences and priorities.
● Human values are the features that guide people to take into account the human element when one interacts with
another human.

TYPES OF VALUES
● Relative and Absolute Values:
o Relative values differ between people, and on a larger scale, between people of different cultures.
Example- Materialistic values are individual and society specific.
o An absolute value can be described as philosophically absolute and independent of individual and
cultural views, as well as independent of whether it is known or apprehended or not. Example- Non-
violence, equality, non-discrimination etc.
● Protected Values: It is one that an individual is unwilling to trade off no matter what the benefits of doing so may
be. Example- some people may be unwilling to kill another person, even if it means saving many other individuals.
● Sacred Values: Some values are considered sacred and are moral imperatives for those who believe in them. Sacred
values will seldom be compromised because they are perceived as duties. Example- for some people, their nation’s
flag may represent a sacred value, but for others, the flag may just be a piece of cloth.
● Intrinsic & Extrinsic Values: It is the value “in itself,” or “for its own sake,” or “in its own right.” Example- love,
truth, and freedom.
o It is the value of something based on such things as appearance or what it could be sold for, which may
not be its real value. Example – wealth, Fame etc.
● Personal & Community Values: The values that are prescribed by the individual alone, irrespective of his or her
social relationships, are termed as Personal values. Example - Dignity of Labour, Sensitivity, Cleanliness, Politeness,
Honesty, etc.
o The values which are regarded in the whole community are called Community values. Example –
caring & respecting elders.

IMPORTANCE OF VALUES
● Guides Human Behaviour: Values are the principles and fundamental convictions which act as general guide to
behaviour.
● Driving Force in Ethical Decision-Making: Values are universally recognized as a driving force in ethical decision-
making.
● Internal Reference for Good Living: Personal values provide an internal reference for what is good, beneficial,
important, useful, beautiful, desirable and constructive.
● Differentiate What is Right and Wrong: All values are effective, cognitive and directional aspects, they guide us
shape our priorities in deciding what is right and wrong.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Promotes Peace and Stability: Human values are a tool to manage human relations and a tool for peace when the
tension is high.
● Identification of the Goals : Value education helps us accurately identify our wants and goals, as well as how to go
about achieving them.
● Transcend Specific Actions and Situations: Values go beyond specific actions and situations. Ex- Obedience and
honesty. Example- are values that may be relevant at work or in school, in sports, business, and politics.

ETHICS, MORALITY AND VALUES


All ethics and morals are values but all values are not ethics, Such as –
● Bravery is a value but not an ethics and the people who are not brave cannot be
considered as unethical.
● Conservation is a value but not ethics in our society.
● Values provide direction in the determination of right versus wrong or good
versus bad.
● Punctuality is a value but also ethics in some countries like Japan. Hard work is a
value but not an ethic.

HOW TO BE HONEST WHEN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT


● Maintain Personal Integrity: You must first practice integrity before you preach it to others. Be honest by conviction
and not by fear or by compulsion.
● Courage: Show courage to give your honest opinion to the bosses orally and verbally. Show courage to overrule your
subordinates.
● Inspire People: By being the change you want to see.
● Be Compassionate: To subordinates and support them during their tough times. Show emotional intelligence.
● Stand Alone: As the saying goes a truth will always remain a truth even if there is only one person claiming for it,
and no one is up to believing it. Always try to be that one person in your circle.
● Be a Leader: Don't develop the habit of passing the responsibility up or down.
● Suffer for Your Principles: Honesty is not without pain. Be always ready for transfers. A clear conscience is the
softest pillow.

ROLE OF FAMILY IN INCULCATION OF VALUES


“There is nothing called a self-made man. We are made up of
thousands of others”. -George Matthew Adams

“A man is usually the five closest to him”. -Jim Rohn


● A family is a social institution with the bond of common belief, religion, customs, culture, language and a way of life.
It carries on the heritage and traditions as legacies from the earlier generation to the next generation.
● First School of Value learning for Children: Family and parents act as a first school of value learning for children.
Values such as honesty, truth are passed onto children by them.
● Provide the Necessary Emotional Support: Such as caring and counselling to get him out of such negative thoughts.
● Democratic Parenting: It aids in the child's cognitive thinking growth so that he can make informed decisions now
and in the future.
● Family Provides an Informal Way of Learning: Love, compassion, self-sacrifice and values of sharing and caring
develop implicitly within a child. For instance, sharing their lunch boxes with their friends develops the spirit of
charity and brotherhood in them.
● Role Model for Children: Parents and family members are role models for children, and they often imitate the actions,
behaviour of them. Example- If family members treat women equally and respect them, children also are likely to do
the same in the future.
● Both Constructive and Destructive Role: Family can play both constructive and destructive roles in inculcating
values in children.
o Constructive Role: Example- action of helping senior citizens or blind persons to cross the road stems
from the value of respecting elders, taught by parents in childhood.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Destructive Role: Example- In our country, most of the people learn and develop a sense about the caste
system in their childhood in their families.
● Change in Values Taught by the Parents: Now focus has shifted on competition rather than cooperation, on
individualism rather than family and collectivism, on consumerism rather than gratification and sacrifice.
● Divergence Between Family and Individual Values: In recent times due to disintegration of traditional families,
technological explosion, peer influence, the role of family as a first value provider is declining.

ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN INCULCATION OF VALUES


“Intelligence plus character - that is the true goal of education.” – Martin Luther King
Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. – C S Lewis
As per National Education Policy, education is regarded as the most potent tool to inculcate values in children. School
is a place where systematic learning takes place in the earlier year of life which enables the child to learn how to regulate
his behaviour in society.
● Important Role in Inculcating a Good Value System: Teachers and Schools/Colleges play a big role in it. As
Students spend more time in school and college, they learn how to behave in society.
● Education is the Most Powerful Agent of Inculcating Human Values: At all times, education has built on a value-
system, conducive to the development of physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual life.
● Etiquettes and Values are Imparted to Children – For instance, In the Japanese system, in the first four years
basic etiquettes and values are taught to children. Children are also taught to clean their toilets.
● Curriculum and Discipline of Moral Philosophy: School curriculums must have lessons on moral issues and a
subject of moral philosophy.
● Syllabus and Textbooks Also Shape Attitude of Children:
(a) World History: French revolution - liberty, equality, fraternity.
(b) Modern History: Gandhi’s train to Pretoria - Standing against injustice.
(c) Literature: It helps us understand the human nature and prevalent social values of a given era.
● Values of Sportsmanship, Team-Spirit: Opportunity to participate in various sports at the tender age help to develop
team spirit among students.
● Overall Personality Development: Education plays important role in all round development such as Inculcating
compassion, truth, mutual coexistence between different culture,
● Social Control: Values like obedience, respect, and discipline should be taught in schools. By encouraging kids to
be good students, productive future employees, and law-abiding citizens, schools promote uniformity.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

“The aim of the teacher should be to build character; human values enhance the learning capacity of children
through technology and build the confidence among children to be innovative and creative which in turn will
make them competitive to face the future." - APJ Abdul Kalam

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key
societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” - APJ Abdul
Kalam

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VALUE EDUCATION


● Value-Based Education: It must be integral to the whole process of
education and basic human values need to be encouraged in the classroom • “A serious defect in the school
teaching. system is the absence of
provision for education in
● Deconstructing Wrong Values: Such as, gender bias, hatred, social, moral and spiritual
communalism or casteism learned by students can be deconstructed by values”. - Kothari Commission
inculcating rational approaches. (1964-66).
● Teachers Act as a Role Model for Students: A Teacher has to set a high • “Every effort must be made
standard of moral behaviour before the child and he/she is expected to therefore to teach students true
function not only as facilitator for acquisition of knowledge but also as moral values from the earliest
inculcator of values and transformer of inner being. stage of their educational life”. -
● Playful Learning for Inculcating Values: Teacher educators can involve Sri Prakasha Committee on
students in active games in the classroom to inculcate the values of fair Religious and Moral
play, honesty, courage, cooperation etc. Instruction.
● Holistic Approach: While committing to action for actualization of one’s
goals, every action needs to be analyzed in the light of universal values which are acceptable to the society.
● Technology and Value Education: Value Education is needed to train the future technocrats by making them fully
aware of both the constructive as well as destructive aspects of technology.

ROLE OF SOCIETY
● The society is a place of informal learning that guarantees inheritance to its members. It caresses the child with
love and sense of possessiveness and the child learns to value the social patterns and its philosophy. It’s a value but
not an ethics.
● The social tradition carries values of intimacy, language, love, equality, wishes to live, action, conduct, morality,
unity, attachment and jealousy. These are the obvious traits, which a child borrows from the members of the society.
● Man lives in society for his mental and Constructive Role of Society: Society can play an important role
intellectual development and Society
in development of individual’s personality. By widely upholding
preserves our culture and transmits it to
succeeding generations. Society brings ethical values it can encourage individuals to be ethical.
morality and ethics in individuals. Destructive Role of Society: Similarly, society may play a
● Society brings tolerance and national deciding role in developing a crime as a sub cultural phenomenon.
integration. If one is living in a surrounding If it does not disapprove the unethical behaviors/acts, it may lower
with people from a variety of caste, religion
the standards of ethics in the society and it may result into increase
and regional background, you develop
tolerance. in criminal activities.
● Society removes the evils of social
indifferences like caste through collective struggle.
● Political setup which may be either Democratic or autocratic transmits suitable values among citizens.
● Society imbibes conformity. A person is forced to mimic what his peers do. If they are smoking, he will smoke, if
they’re living in nuclear families, he too will feel separated from his joint family and so on.
● The child encounters many behavioural patterns and makes common causes with the peer groups; learns the value
of neighbourhood, unity in diversity, service to man is the service to God, co-operation and virtues comprehensively.
● Religion and culture are somewhat intertwined, and their moral standards are the most important influence in
instilling values through social channels.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Aesthetic senses, neighbourly relationship, emotional quotient and spiritual values are swiftly declining. The
national goals, democracy, socialism and secularism are side-tracked. Thus, the role of school, society and the teacher
need to be assigned afresh in the inculcation of values.

STRENGTH OF SOCIETY FOR VALUE INCULCATION


● Stability and Harmony: Society inculcates such values among people which match with those of the society.
Example - Society teaches young persons to respect its old traditions and customs.
● Diversity: It ensures inculcation of a variety of values and holistic development of individuals. It also gives choice
and freedom to individuals to choose their preferred values.
● Enforcement: Society also has formal as well as informal ways to incentivise adherence to some values whereas it
penalizes breach of certain values.
● Credibility: Many actors in the society enjoy sufficient credibility in people’s eyes and therefore have special impact
on values held by individuals. Example- Teachers, leaders, celebrities, religious leaders etc. have influence and their
teachings are accepted on face value.

REASONS FOR EROSION OF VALUES


● Materialism: Growing obsession with materialistic gains coupled with
rapid commercialisation is eroding values and ethics in society. Examples of Value Erosion
● Vacuum in the Social Cohesion and Stability: The vested interests,
• Chinese Expansionism
terrorism, disruption and excess attachment to worldly life have created
• Fake news and sensationalism
vacuum in the social cohesion and stability. Values are thus affected and
eroded gradually. • Drug Abuse
• Disrespecting elders and women
● Moral Degradation: The growing cynicism, gulf between rights and
• Greenwashing
duties, materialistic tendency, moral degradation and violence have
affected the powers of man’s wisdom.
● The Failure of Religious Leaders: Authorities tend to ignore environmental issues linked with religion, fearing that
they might hurt the religious sentiments.
● Social Media and Its Evil: Misuse of social media platforms, propagation of fake news, deep fake news are spread
through social media and are among the reasons for erosion of values.
● Bystanders Apathy: The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from
intervening in an emergency situation. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them
to provide help to a person in distress.
● The Decline in Values: It has led to increased greed and corruption, exploitation and degradation of the environment.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Thus, chasing materialistic achievements only will not be sustainable in the long run. Without human dignity and
social harmony, higher economic growth can't bring peace and prosperity.

CONCLUSION
● Today, more than ever, the importance of ethics is felt in every sphere of human living. The situation in the present
world is characterized by an increasing rate in crime, violence, conflict etc.
● Along with it, the power of traditional religions to inspire moral conduct continues to decline. Terrorism, civil wars,
environmental pollution, misleading advertising, unfair wages, illegal gambling, forced prostitution, match-fixing so
many are plaguing the society.
● There seems to be hardly a few areas in life that remain untouched by growing demoralization. Thus, the relevance
and need of ethics is felt more than ever in our society today.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

SC EASES NORMS FOR PASSIVE EUTHANASIA


● Passive Euthanasia: The act of withholding or withdrawing medical treatment, such as withholding or removing life
support, with the aim of letting a person die, is known as passive euthanasia.
● Active Euthanasia: In contrast, It entails an active intervention to end a person's life with drugs or an outside force,
like giving a deadly injection.

EUTHANASIA IN INDIA:
● The Supreme Court of India legalized passive euthanasia in 2018 in a landmark decision, citing the concept of a
"living will".
● It also established rules for "living wills" signed by terminally ill individuals who are aware of the likelihood that
they will enter a permanent vegetative state.
● The Court cited Article 21 of the Constitution, which states that Dignity in the process of dying is as much an
element of the right to life. An individual's sense of purpose in life is taken away when their dignity is violated near
the end of their life.
● The fundamental goal of the modifications made to the passive euthanasia regulations by the Indian Supreme Court
was to make the procedure simpler and quicker.
What Are the Major Guidelines Changes?

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Different Countries with Euthanasia:


● Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium permit assisted suicide as well as euthanasia for those who experience
"unbearable suffering" that is not likely to get any better.
● Switzerland forbids euthanasia but permits assisted suicide when a doctor or medical professional is present.
● Euthanasia and assisted suicide would be legal in Canada for mentally ill people by March 2023, but the decision has
drawn heavy criticism, and the implementation date may be postponed.
● In the United States, each state has its own set of laws. Some states, including Washington, Oregon, and Montana,
permit euthanasia.

PEOPLE'S RIGHT V/S ANIMAL'S RIGHTS


● The Supreme Court of India stated that a balance between human safety and animal rights must be maintained in
light of the increasing number of stray dog incidents.
● The court also stated that those who feed stray dogs could be held financially accountable for immunizing them and
covering costs if the animal attacks someone.

Why is it Important to Preserve a Balance Between Human and Animal Rights?


● To Address the Core Problem:
o The Rights of wild animals in society, which is controlled by humans, in general, and within the
parameters of the Indian Constitution, in particular, are raised even more by this issue.
o Ancient Hindu literature recognised the rights of animals, birds, and every other living thing. They also
believed that all living things descended from the same divine power as humans and hence deserved
respect, love, and care.
o India has a culture that values acceptance of all people and respect for all living things. Cows are revered
as sacred animals by Hindus.
● Animal Punishment Is Wrong:
o Some ancient societies used to punish animals for wrongs they had committed. But as the debate over
moral agency developed, it became clear that punishing animals was immoral since they lacked the
mental capacity to discriminate between right and wrong and that doing so would be ineffective.
o As a result, laws developed, and it was decided that animals (along with children and people who are
mentally ill) were the bearers of interests that needed to be protected by the law without any associated
duties.
o The current legal system punishes pet owners for any damage brought on by the careless treatment of
their animals.
Way Ahead :
● Animal rights are effectively supported by our court rulings and legislative regulations, although no rights are absolute.
Animal rights must be regulated, just like human rights.
● The urgent requirement is to achieve a balance between protecting humans' safety and wellbeing without sacrificing
the interests of animals. Animal cruelty must end.
● Humans ought to stop treating other creatures with patronizing condescension.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960:
● "Prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals" is the legislative goal of the Act.
● Under Section 4 of the Act, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was created in 1962.
● The penalties for animal cruelty and undue suffering are outlined in this Act. Animals and their various
varieties are defined by the Act.
● Discusses many types of cruelty, exceptions, and the killing of an animal in pain if any cruelty has been done
to it in order to end its suffering.
● Outlines the regulations for using animals in scientific experiments.
● The Act codifies the regulations governing the display of performing animals and penalties committed
against them.
● This Act specifies a 3-month statute of limitations after which no charges may be filed for any violations
of this Act.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

PERSPECTIVE - MOONLIGHTING CULTURE


● The term "moonlighting" describes the practice of working additional jobs beyond regular business hours.
● This second work is taken without the knowledge of the employer and is typically a weekend or evening job.
● When Americans started seeking for second occupations in addition to their usual 9-to-5 work to support their income,
the expression gained notoriety.

What Motivates the Employee Moonlighting What Concerns People the Most About
Culture? Moonlighting?
● Culture of Home-Based Work: Due to work ● Legal but Maybe Unethical: There is no general
from culture, employers could no longer evaluate legislation that forbids someone from doing more
the efficiency of their personnel using clock- than one job. An individual with similar types of
in/clock-out time sheets that encouraged more occupations, however, can cause confidentiality
people to moonlight. problems.
● To Have More Money to Spend: If their primary ● Inefficiency : Employees who are physically
job pays poorly and they need additional income exhausted from working long hours may be
to satisfy their needs. distracted, ineffective, and negligent in their work
● To Obtain More Work Experience: To develop duties as a result of their second job.
new abilities or pursue careers that more closely ● Utilization of Corporate Resources: Employees
align with their interests. that work a second job may utilize corporate
● To Avoid Boredom: To keep them occupied in resources, which raises operating costs.
their primary employment, employees may ● Health Compromise : Poor diet, insufficient sleep,
choose to moonlight in order to make use of the and lack of exercise can have an effect on employee
available free time. health.
Way Ahead
● To identify and mitigate hazards related to moonlighting, such as data leaking and daylighting (working on another
job during the working hours of the primary job), several firms have implemented tools and procedures.
● These personnel may be moonlighting or abusing the company's intellectual property, as evidenced by their actions
or by signs of data leaking.
● Employers may advise against working a second job out of worry for potential conflicts of interest, effects on primary
job performance, abuse of corporate resources, absenteeism, inattentiveness or exhaustion.
● Employees should have the option to moonlight unless doing so compromises the effectiveness and integrity of their
core job duties.

ETHICS OF INFLUENCER ENDORSEMENTS


● Endorsements are a type of advertising that makes use of well-known figures or celebrities that enjoy a high level of
public awareness, respect, or recognition.
● Advertisers and clients believe that a celebrity's endorsement or stamp of approval will positively affect consumer
behaviour.
● For instance, Sachin Tendulkar's endorsement of cookies and motorcycles may have an impact on young boys or kids
who look up to him as a role model.
India's Laws Against Deceptive Advertising
● The Centre has published endorsement rules for public figures and social media influencers that require them to
disclose any financial or material benefits they may receive from a brand or product they are endorsing on social
media.
● The 2019 Consumer Protection Act, which was passed to safeguard consumers against unfair business practices and
misleading advertising, is in line with the new regulations.
● Guidelines for the Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements,
2022, were released by the department of consumer affairs.
● These standards specify the requirements for legitimate advertisements as well as the obligations of manufacturers,
service providers, advertisers, and advertising agencies. Celebrities and product endorsers were also covered by these
rules.
● It declares that deceptive advertising is prohibited in all forms, formats, and media.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Influencers who fail to disclose their brand links risk a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
Who Needs to Disclose?
● People or organizations that, due to their authority, expertise, standing, or connections with their audience, have access
to and the ability to influence the buying decisions or opinions of their audiences regarding a good, service, brand, or
experience.
● An advantage or incentive could be considered a significant relationship, however this is not limited to: monetary or
other form of reward.
● Free goods with or without conditions, including unsolicited goods, discounts, and presents entries for contests and
sweepstakes.

ETHICS OF MIGRATION
● Human migration and mobility is a long-standing phenomenon that affects practically all societies worldwide. But
throughout time, things have evolved in a number of different ways.
Migration's Importance
● Demand and Supply for Labour: Migration fills in gaps in the supply and demand for labour, distributing skilled
labour, unskilled labour, and inexpensive labour in an effective manner.
● Skill Development: Through exposure to and engagement with the outside world, migration helps migrants increase
their knowledge and skills.
● Life Quality: Economic prosperity and more work opportunities are two factors that contribute to higher life quality.
● Economic remittances: Migrants' financial stability improves consumer spending and investments in health,
education, and asset building while serving as an insurance policy against threats to households back home.
● Social remittances: As migrants learn about new cultures, habits, and languages, their social lives are improved. This
fosters greater equality and tolerance as well as a stronger sense of brotherhood among all people.
Future Directions for Migration-Centric Policies
● Preventing migration may even be detrimental because it is essential to the process of human growth and is crucial to
reaching the Sustainable growth Goals.
● India must build institutional processes, policies, and strategies focused on migration in order to promote equitable
growth and development, lessen migration brought on by hardship, and improve its chances of eradicating poverty.
● The India Centre for Migration, a research institute affiliated with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), can play
a significant role in determining how to educate and orient those who want to migrate internationally.
● In order to play a more proactive role in educating and orienting the populace towards work, the Central Government
would also help the former.
● Immigration and immigration laws need to be more flexible to allow for an easier transfer of human capital.
● Furthermore, it's time to abandon outdated viewpoints that view immigration and movement exclusively as a means
of seeking safety and recognise the significance of migration for human advancement.
Conclusion
● Migration is caused by a number of variables, the most important of which are sociopolitical, economic, and
environmental. Understanding how this migration process benefits both the country of origin and the country of
destination is crucial, and this is why a more inclusive migration policy is required.

DOPING IN SPORTS
● Recently, the National Anti-Doping Bill was approved by Parliament.
● The use of illegal substances, pills, or therapies by athletes with the goal of enhancing sports performance is referred
to as "Doping".
● WADA's key initiatives include raising awareness of the health concerns associated with doping, researching the
practices, developing anti-doping tools, and creating testing procedures for doping detection.
Criteria For Doping Includes:
● It improves efficiency.
● It puts the athlete's health in danger.
● It goes against the spirit of the game.
● Problems related to doping
● The use of doping seems to be a factor in the frequent ill health effects and even early deaths experienced by athletes.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Children who experience delayed puberty and stunted growth.


● The use of steroids has been linked to sadness and, occasionally, suicidal thoughts.
Significant Clauses in the Bill:
● A statutory mandate: The National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports will be established as part of the bill, which
aims to boost anti-doping efforts in sport by providing a formal framework for the National Anti-Doping Agency, the
National Dope Testing Laboratory, and other dope testing laboratories.
o Legislation that establishes a legal foundation for outlawing doping in sports and implementing national
anti-doping initiatives.
o Investigation Anti-doping rule infractions are to be looked into, as well as anti-doping activities must be
planned, carried out, and monitored according to the legislation.
● Prohibition: The law forbids doping in sports by competitors, athlete support staff, and other individuals.

SOCIAL REFORM : A MATTER OF LAW OR ETHICS


● Recently, a hooch tragedy in Bihar claimed the lives of over 70 individuals. Bihar has banned alcohol for the past six
years. These catastrophes don't just occur in Bihar; they occasionally occur throughout much of India.
● It is debatable whether changing behaviour is a legal issue or merely an ethical one. Another crucial issue is whether
a state should restrict a person's freedom in the name of welfare.
● Using the information in this article, we will examine how the rule of law and ethical principles influence and guide
social behaviour.
Need For Law To Change Liquor Behavior:
● Obligation under the Constitution: The state or government is required by Article 47 of the Indian Constitution to
outlaw the use of narcotics and alcoholic beverages. It states that in order to promote public health, the state must
increase the bar for living conditions and nutrition.
● Moral Duties: The social contract thesis contends that the government has a moral duty to protect its citizens' welfare.
Justice theory In a country where men predominate, like India, others, especially family members, suffer as a result
of alcohol consumption habits. Therefore, it is justified to ban alcohol in order to secure justice for vulnerable groups
(females and children).
● Utilitarian Philosophy : The greatest good for the greatest number is possible, according to utilitarian philosophy, if
alcohol is prohibited. A single intoxicated person has a negative impact on the entire family.
Why Does The Law Fail In Some Cases?

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Success of a law depends on a number of variables, including: how the legislation is presented and discussed.
Successful laws typically result from lengthy discussions including the greatest number of possible stakeholders.
o For instance, the law prohibiting the use of sati was passed in response to a long-standing request from
the community where it was being practiced, but laws that were passed hastily and without much debate
sometimes fail to have the desired effect. For instance, most states have passed anti-alcohol laws quickly
and without consulting key parties.
● Justification for a major factor in its success is law. For instance, the justification for anti-slavery laws was strong
since such practices were against humanity, leading to the abolition of slavery.
● Legal Feasibility: For instance, lockdown rules may be adopted because they are legal, whereas anti-corruption
measures fail because they are not legal.
● Implementation strategy: An operational plan that directs the process of putting a policy into effect is referred to as an
implementation strategy. There are six requirements for a law to be implemented successfully:
o Consistency and clarity in goals
o Validity of the motivation behind the law.
o Structuring of the implementation process.
o Officials' commitment to enforcing the law.
o Support from civil society.
o Persistence of socioeconomic conditions

KEY TERMS

Key Terms & Their Meanings

Terms Meaning
Moral Moral muteness occurs when people witness unethical behaviour and choose not to say
Muteness anything. It can also occur when people communicate in ways that obscure their moral beliefs
and commitments.
Moral Myopia Moral myopia refers to the inability to see ethical issues clearly. The term, coined by Minette
Drumwright and Patrick Murphy, describes what happens when we do not recognize the
moral implications of a problem, or we have a distorted moral vision. An extreme version of
moral myopia is called moral blindness.
Cognitive Bias People generally believe that they are mostly rational in their thinking, decisions, and actions.
But even the smartest and best educated people often commit cognitive errors as they make
financial, medical, personal and ethical decisions. These errors in thinking, also called
cognitive bias, affect all people in virtually every situation.
Bounded Bounded ethicality is the idea that our ability to make ethical choices is often limited or
Ethicality restricted because of internal and external pressures. For example, outside pressures, such
as the tendency to conform to the actions of those around us, can make it hard to do the right
thing. So can internal biases, such as the self-serving bias, which often causes us to
subconsciously favor ourselves at the expense of others.
Conformity The conformity bias is the tendency people have to behave like those around them rather
Bias than using their own personal judgment. For ex- When we see others succeed by cheating, it
makes us more likely to cheat as well.
Ethical Fading Ethical fading occurs when the ethical aspects of a decision disappear from view. This
happens when people focus heavily on some other aspect of a decision, such as profitability
or winning.
Moral It is the study of the brain’s role in moral judgment and decision-making. As a social science,
Cognition it involves understanding the rationalizations and biases that affect moral decision-making.
Moral cognition also involves the scientific study of the brain that is evolving along with
technology.
Role Morality It is the notion that people sometimes fail to live up to their own ethical standards because
they see themselves as playing a certain role that excuses them from those standards. For

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

example, say a person views herself as a loyal employee of a company. In that role, she might
act unethically to benefit her employer in ways that she would never do to help herself.
Moral Moral absolutism asserts that there are certain universal moral principles by which all
Absolutism peoples’ actions may be judged. It is a form of deontology.

PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS

Previous Years Questions Year


1. Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of 2020
Comprehensive National Power (CNP) viz. human capital, soft power (culture and policies) and
social harmony.
2. “Education is not an injunction; it is an effective and pervasive tool for all round development of 2020
an individual and social transformation”. Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in
light of the above statement.
3. Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. 2020
4. What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three of these with suitable examples. 2019
5. What is meant by the term ‘constitutional morality’? How does one uphold constitutional morality? 2019
6. State the three basic values, universal in nature, in the context of civil service and bring out their 2018
importance.
7. What is meant by public interest? What are principles and procedures to be followed by the civil 2018
servants in public interest?
8. With regard to morality of actions, one view is that means are of paramount importance and the 2018
other view is that the ends justify the means. Which view do you think is more appropriate? Justify
your answer.
9. The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow perception of the good life. 2017
Discuss.
10. Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. 2017
11. Law and ethics are considered to be the two tools for controlling human conduct so as to make it 2016
conductive to civilized social existence.
(a) Discuss how they achieve this objective.
(b) Giving examples, show how the two differ in their approaches.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 2 ATTITUDE
"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful
outcome." - William James

“Attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of
favour or disfavour.” - Eagly and Chaiken

“You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference " - Winston Churchill

INTRODUCTION
● Attitude is an evaluation people make towards persons, objects, ideas or events. For Eg. An attitude of
reverence towards religion makes one follow its doctrine.
● Attitudes are the perspectives on a situation based upon the values held by a person or organisation.
● It is a psychological tendency of evaluating a particular object either in favour or disfavour.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTITUDE
● Psychological Construct: Attitude is a mental evaluation and predisposition.
● Learned and Acquired: Attitudes are acquired through socialisation.
● Relatively Stable: Attitudes are enduring and resistant to change.
● Evaluation and Judgement: Attitudes involve positive or negative appraisal.
● Influence Behaviour: Attitudes shape and predict behaviour.
● Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioural Components: Attitudes have thoughts, emotions, and actions.
● Subjective: Attitudes vary from person to person.
● Expressive and Communicative: Attitudes are expressed through cues.
● Context-Dependent: Attitudes can vary in different situations.
● Can Be Influenced and Changed: Attitudes can be influenced and modified.

STRUCTURE/COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDE
Attitude is made up of three main components: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioural.
1. Cognitive: This component of attitude involves our thoughts and beliefs about something or someone. It's based on
the information we have gathered and our understanding of it. We form judgments and opinions based on what we
know.
o For example, if someone believes that snakes are dangerous, it means they have a cognitive attitude
towards snakes based on their knowledge or information.
2. Affective: The affective component of attitude deals with our emotions and feelings towards something or someone.
It's how we feel about a particular object, person, issue, or event. It can include emotions like fear, hate, pleasure, or
even love.
o For example, if someone is scared of spiders, it means they have an affective attitude of fear towards
spiders.
3. Behavioural: The behavioural component of attitude is about how our attitude influences our behaviour or actions.
It's the way we tend to act or behave based on our attitude.
o For example, if someone has a fear of snakes, their behavioural attitude might be to run away when they
see a snake.

Example:

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Portugal’s football player Ronaldo sat down for his first pre-match press conference of the tournament before
Portugal's clash with Hungary, and noticed that two bottles of Coca-Cola were sitting directly in front of him. He
promptly removed the soft drinks from the view of the cameras and replaced them with a water bottle.
● In the given example, the cognitive component is the knowledge of Ronaldo that Coca Cola is bad for health.
The affective component is the feeling of disgust towards Coca Cola and the behavioural component is the removal
of the Coca Cola bottles.

FORMATION OF ATTITUDE
The following theories are used to explain the formation of attitude:
1. Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning: It involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus with an unconditioned
stimulus to elicit conditioned response.
Ivan Pavlov Discovered Classical Conditioning:
● He paired previously neutral stimulus (sound of bell, which did not elicit any response from dogs)
with unconditioned stimulus (dog’s food) to elicit conditioned response in dogs. Because of the
conditioned response, dogs produced saliva just by ringing bells.

o Example - Citizens develop a positive attitude towards civil servants who consistently work for the
betterment of people.
2. Instrumental Conditioning: According to this theory, positive outcomes strengthen behaviours while negative
outcomes suppress them.
o Example- A person who is continuously ostracised for smoking, eventually will quit smoking by
developing a negative attitude towards it.
3. Observational Learning: This theory says that a person modifies his behaviour/thought by observing the rewards
or punishments that others get.
o Example – Best employee awards are given in companies so as to change the attitude of the employees.
4. Genetic Factors: It plays an important role in shaping and developing attitude toward any thing or entity.
o Example - For certain food is more influenced by genetic factors.
5. Culture: Culture exerts enormous influence on an individual. Culture in itself includes religion, tradition, customs,
prohibitions, rewards and sanctions.
o Example - Maria's cultural upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of respect for elders, shaping her
behaviour to prioritise their opinions and seek their guidance in decision-making.

FUNCTIONS OF ATTITUDE
Following are the main functions of attitude:

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Utilitarian/Instrumental Function: Utilitarian attitude leads to behaviour that optimises one’s interest. Positive
attitude towards objects that are associated with rewards and negative attitude towards those associated with
punishment.
o Example - Awards such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhusan, Padma Vibhusan etc are bestowed by the
government to develop a positive attitude in the citizens towards their respective works and social service.
● Knowledge Function: It enables one to understand the environment and be consistent in one’s ideas and thinking.
It desires for a predictable, stable world.
o Example - a person avoids visiting countries like Syria as he has knowledge that his life will be in danger
there.
● Ego Defensive Function: It protects an individual from acknowledging the basic truths about himself or harsh
realities of life. It helps an individual to psychologically isolate him from groups perceived as hostile or threatening.
o Example - You may not be able to play football like Messi. Instead of accepting this reality, you can
claim that you don't like football to maintain your self-image.
● Value Expressive Function: It helps to demonstrate one’s self-image to others. It expresses our basic values. It
helps in securing social approval for an individual
o Example - standing in solidarity with victims of injustice (even if one is not directly related to it) serves
the value expressive function.
● Function of Decision Making: Our decisions are based on how we evaluate situations. Attitude facilitates decision
making.
o Example - Attitude of alleviating poverty
● Self-Awareness Function: Attitudes can help people to approach things that are beneficial to them and avoid things
that are harmful to them.
o Example - Sarah's positive attitude towards healthy eating leads her to choose nutritious foods and avoid
harmful dietary habits.
● Social Adjustment Function: Attitudes help us in social adjustments. Attitudes help us in simplifying our perception
about the world and make it more manageable to us.
o Example - Michael's open-minded attitude allows him to adapt to diverse cultural perspectives,
facilitating social interactions and fostering understanding in a globalised world.
● Social Identity Function: It helps in displaying the information of attitude of an individual to others.
o Example - Celebrating Independence Day demonstrates the patriotic image to others.

INFLUENCE OF ATTITUDE ON BEHAVIOUR


● Attitude is defined as tendencies to behave in certain ways in social situations.
● But most recent researchers have found that not always people behave according to their attitude i.e there is
mismatch between attitude and expected behaviour.
● Attitude is a personal trait, whereas behaviour is a social trait.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Attitude Behaviour
● Attitude is an internal component of our cognition ● Behaviour is the manifestation or exhibition of
(Knowledge or Information) such an attitude.
● Attitude refers to a person’s mental view, regarding the ● Behaviour implies the actions and conduct of
way he/she thinks or feels about someone or an individual or group towards other
something. persons.
● It is more personal. ● It is more social
● A person’s attitude is mainly based on the experiences ● The behaviour of a person is based on the
gained by him during the course of his life and situation and circumstances.
observations. ● Behaviour reflects one’s attitude as actions are
● Attitude reflects one’s emotions, opinions and thoughts. the reflection of our thoughts.
● Factors like environment, experiences, and moral values ● Attitudes, character traits, biological factors like
mainly influence attitudes. endocrine and nervous responses influence our
● Example-Someone can have an attitude of showing behaviour.
sympathy to poor people ● Example-This belief is an attitude and can be
shown in behaviour by practising compassion
by helping poor people.

CATEGORIES OF ATTITUDE
EXPLICIT ATTITUDE AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDE
● Explicit Attitude: Also referred to as the “Self Reported Attitude”. This Attitude is embedded in our conscious
cognition or in simple words, the person involved is aware of his/her Attitude.
● Implicit Attitude: Mostly governed by past memories, this Attitude is embedded in our unconscious cognition. It
arises unintentionally due to our experiences.
Explicit Attitude Implicit Attitude
● A person is aware of his attitudes. ● A person is unaware of implicit beliefs.
● It is formed consciously. ● It is a subconscious attitude.
● It is less spontaneous. ● It is more spontaneous.
● It reflects values, beliefs and desired responses. ● It reflects experiences based on social
conditioning.
● It is easy to self-report ● It is usually unknown to us.
● Example- positive attitude towards a product which ● Example- positive attitude towards products
was manufactured in an environment friendly manner. used by parents during childhood days.

OPINION AND ATTITUDE


● It is an individual’s thought or belief about something, whether good or bad. It can vary from person to person.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example- There are conflicting opinions on the possession of Nuclear Weapons, Historical Responsibility
of Climate Change in the Western and Eastern World.
Opinion Attitude
● It is the expression of judgement. ● It is a predisposition to act in a certain way.
● It is restricted to verbal expression -spoken or ● Attitude is inferred from both verbal & non-verbal
written. expressions.
● It may or may not be based on facts or ● It is generated from own belief system
knowledge
● Opinion is generally advisable in nature to ● It is related to more to self like or dislike towards
others person, place, environment, etc.
● Example- An author expressing positive ● Example- The author having positive attitude about
opinion on democracy through an article. democracy by studying various forms of government.

BELIEF AND ATTITUDE


● It is being certain about something that exists or is true.
o Example- Theists believe in the existence of God while Atheists deny it.
Belief Attitude
● It is an idea that a person holds as true. ● It is a mental disposition that result in a particular
behaviour.
● It can arise from past experience, cultural & ● It arises out of values and beliefs, we hold internally.
societal norms or education.
● Changing belief can change attitude. ● Changing attitude can also lead to change in belief.
● Example- A person may have belief in a ● Example- The person will regularly pay obeisance
particular God. to that God.

VALUE AND ATTITUDE


● Values are deeply held beliefs and principles that guide individuals' behaviours and decision-making, reflecting what
is considered important and desirable in life.
o Example- A person's value of honesty compels him to always speak the truth, even when it is difficult
or uncomfortable.
Value Attitude
● It helps to guide our behaviour. ● It is the response that is the result of our values.
● It helps in deciding what is right and wrong. ● It is our likes, dislikes for things, people and objects.
● These are more or less permanent in nature. ● Attitudes are changeable with favourable
experiences.
● They represent a single belief that guides actions ● They represent several beliefs focused on a specific
and judgement across objects and situations. object or situation.
● It refers to personal belief or principles that guide ● It refers to personal feeling (negative, positive, or
behaviours and decision-making. neutral feeling) about persons, object, situation, or
environment
● Showcase a particular person’s moral ethics and ● Highlight a person’s behaviour through the
his/her overall character personality
● It is derived from social and cultural conventions. ● It is more of a personal experience.
● Example- A civil servant possessing the value of ● Example- The civil servant will have a positive
openness. attitude towards the RTI act.

SIMILARITY BETWEEN VALUE AND ATTITUDES


● Values and attitudes are two important variables influencing the cognitive process and behaviour.
● They are learned and acquired essentially from the same sources.
● They endure and are resistant to change.
● They have a reciprocal influence and are used interchangeably.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

MORAL ATTITUDE
● It is based on the moral conviction of what is right and wrong. It is associated with strong emotions. They are the
foundation of a moral life. So, if an individual is devoid of these attitudes his/her life will be devoid of morality and
if at all they will be present it would be accidental and therefore superficial and inconsistent.
● Moral attitudes are inclusive of Moral judgements (right and wrong) and depict the Values of a person.
o Socrates and Plato had Moral Attitudes in which they believed that it is better to suffer Injustice than to
do injustice.
o Gandhiji’s fundamental belief in Non violence as a tool to combat injustice.
● Not all attitudes are concerned with morality.
o Example - My attitude towards snakes has nothing to do with morality. But my attitude towards
democracy will have moral undertones.
● Activities like altruism, volunteerism, social service etc. emanate from a moral attitude.
● On the negative side, moral attitudes can be used to justify violent acts of terrorism. It is shaped by family, society,
religion, education etc.
o Example - Positive attitude for honour killing is justified on the grounds of saving the pride of the
family. Positive attitude towards live-in relationships is justified on the grounds of individuality and
freedom.

QUALITIES OF MORAL ATTITUDE


Moral attitude is neither permanent nor universal. There are many factors which shape moral attitudes. They are:
● Reverence: It is the attitude of great respect towards others. It is important in realising justice towards others, in
consideration for the rights of another, in limiting one’s lust for power. The irreverent and impertinent man cannot
submit to authority or abnegate himself.
● Faithfulness: It is the virtue of remaining loyal to someone or something and putting this loyalty into consistent
practice. The more faithful and consistent a person is, the more substantial he is and the more capable he will be of
becoming a vessel of moral values.
● Veracity: It implies truthfulness, fidelity or constancy and the awareness of responsibility. A person who lacks
truthfulness is crippled in his personality.
● Goodness: It flows from the conscious response of love. It is the basic attitude which helps in practising benevolence
and generosity.
● Awareness of Responsibility- A person with awareness of responsibility is one who has assimilated values in
him/herself. So, there is recognition of the presence of higher power and that should underpin decision making. This
leads to inquiry making before decision making and holding forth in face of fear or temptations.
● Motivation for Altruism: It motivates a person towards altruism, volunteerism and social service.
● Attached with Strong Emotions: Moral attitude is tied up with strong emotions. Hence, it prevents deviant behaviour
among normal people due to fear of social exclusion. Example-Rapes, child molestation, etc.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

IMPLICATION OF MORAL ATTITUDES

Positive Implications Negative Implications

● Tied up with strong emotions. Hence prevents ● People can use it to justify violence behaviour and
deviant behaviours due to fear of social lunacy and still society will accept it because moral
ostracization eg. child molestation, incest. attitude is strong emotions.
● Example- Motivates a person towards riots, genocide
and terrorism to justify religious, regional issues.
● Motivates a person towards Altruism, ● Since moral attitude is tied with strong emotions,
volunteerism, social service people don’t get along with those who don’t share their
moral attitude. Ex. Intolerance.

SOCIAL ATTITUDE
● It is the outlook of a person towards social entities like society, culture, organisations, institutions, etc.
● It is a behaviour pattern, a conditioned response or anticipatory tendency towards a social stimulus.
● It is shaped by personal experiences and observations.
● It can be learned predispositions.
o Example - Attitude of mainstream society towards the LGBTQ community.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WEAKER SECTIONS


● A positive attitude towards poverty, deprivation, discrimination etc. implies empathy and caring nature of the
person. It signifies compassion towards the weaker and marginalised section.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR CIVIL SERVANT


● Compassionate Attitude: Civil servants must exhibit compassion towards weaker sections, using their power to uplift
them.
● Tolerance: Civil servants should be tolerant to cater to the needs of weaker sections.
● Familiarity with Fundamental Rights: Civil servants must be aware of marginalised citizens' fundamental rights.
● Sarvodaya and Antyodaya: Civil servants should work in the spirit of upliftment for all, especially the poorest.
● Proactive Empathy: Civil servants should develop an empathetic approach towards weaker sections.
● Avoiding Stereotypes and Prejudices: Civil servants must steer clear of biases and stereotypes in their treatment of
individuals.
o Example - IAS officer Amit Gupta’s initiative “Daliya Jalao” helped in the elimination of manual
scavenging in Badaun district of UP.

PREJUDICE
● It involves prejudgements that are usually negative about members of a group.
● It is a baseless and often negative attitude towards members of a group. It has a strong influence on how people behave.
● It is an assumption that is not supported by logic or personal experience. It is primarily dependent on the person's
membership in a social group.
● People holding prejudicial attitudes paint every member of the group as the same. It often translates into
discrimination.
o Examples - Prejudice that women can’t drive, Dalits don’t have merit, tribals are unhygienic etc.

HOW TO COUNTER PREJUDICE?


● Identify Cause and Source: Determine the origin of prejudice to address its root causes.
● Minimise Opportunities for Learning Prejudices: Reduce exposure to biased information or environments that
foster prejudice.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Emphasise broader social identity: Encourage considering a wider social identity, such as national or global, rather
than narrow group affiliations.
● Discourage Negative Behaviour: Discourage victims of prejudice from responding with negative behaviour.
● Increase Inter-Group Contact: Promote interactions between different groups to build trust and reduce mistrust.
● Education and Information Dissemination: Utilise education and dissemination of information to challenge
stereotypes and promote understanding.
● Holding Responsibility: Hold individuals accountable for their prejudice to generate internal reflection and conflict.

POLITICAL ATTITUDE
● It refers to the attitude of a person or group towards persons/institutions/events/issues related to political ideology.
● Political attitude is how a person feels about political parties, issues or its ideologies.
● It is important as people examine issues with particular angles because of their ideological predisposition.
TRAITS WHICH INFLUENCE OUR POLITICAL ORIENTATION
1. Extraversion: It is the energetic approach to the social and material world. It includes traits such as sociability,
activity, assertiveness & positive emotionality.
2. Agreeableness: It is a pro social trait. It includes traits such as altruism, tender-mindedness, trust and modesty.
3. Conscientiousness: It facilitates task and goal-oriented behaviour such as thinking before acting, following norms &
rules, planning, organising etc.
4. Emotional Stability: Emotional stability enables the person to develop an integrated and balanced way of perceiving
the problems of life. This organisational ability and structured perception helps one to develop reality-oriented
thinking, judgement and evaluation ability. It implies even temperedness
5. Openness to Experience: It describes breadth, depth, originality and complexity of an individual’s experiential life.

FACTORS WHICH AFFECT OUR POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES


● Religion: Religion shapes the moral attitude which in turn shapes our political attitude.
o Example - khilafat movement in pre-independence India.
● Age: In the general sense older people are conservative and young people are liberal and as such subscribe to particular
ideology.
o Example - Young people are more likely to back political parties who support individuality and freedom.
● Economic Status: Poor people align towards socialist ideology and rich people align towards capitalistic ideology.
o Example - Poor people are more likely to vote for parties who promise them subsidised food, healthcare,
education etc.
● Family: Children tend to emulate their parent’s ideology.
● Education: School’s ideology and syllabus plays an important role in shaping the ideology of students.
o Example - Chinese system of education supports communist ideology and hence they loathe democratic
countries.
● Caste: A person is likely to adopt the ideology which is supported by his caste.
o Example - Elections in India are still fought on caste lines. A politician is more likely to give a ticket to
a candidate belonging to a caste which has a majority in a given constituency.
● Ethnicity: People are often moved by the political ideology which supports their ethnicity.
o Example - Political Parties like DMK, Shiromani Akali Dal etc. base their political ideology on ethnicity.
● Social Media: In the age of IT, social media has become a prominent tool of propaganda influencing the political
ideologies of the people.
o Example - Political Parties use social media handles to attract Vote Bank.
● Psychological Factor: Some persons are more psychologically adapted to liberalism or conservatism than others. A
great tolerance for disorder is a requirement for being a liberal.

SIGNIFICANCE OF POLITICAL ATTITUDE


● It determines how people participate in the political process, whom they vote for and what political parties they
support.
● It represents a part of moral attitude.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

MAJOR TYPES OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY


● Anarchism: It is against all forms of authority and rejects forceful notions of hierarchy. It calls for abolition of the
state, which it holds to be unnecessary and harmful.
● Authoritarianism: It rejects political pluralism. It employs strong central power to preserve its political status.
● Communism: The main objective of communists is the formation of society where there is common ownership and
means of production are owned by the common masses without the presence of social classes. It is based on Marxist
theory.
● Conservatism: Conservatives feel that men are neither good nor rational. They think that traditional political and
cultural institutions are needed to curb men’s base and destructive instincts. They feel that social welfare policies are
making the recipients dependent upon the government.
● Liberalism: Liberals aim at protecting and increasing individual’s freedom. They fear government’s overreach and
hence seek to restrict government’s power. Based on the right of individual choice, liberals promote contraception,
divorce, abortion and homosexuality.
● Fascism and Nazism: It is characterised by authoritarianism, ultranationalism, forcible suppression of opposition,
rigidity of society and economy. Nazism is a form of fascism with disdain for liberal and parliamentary democracy.
● Environmentalism: It is concerned with environment protection and improvement of ecology so that both humans
and animals can live peacefully in their environment.
● Feminism: It aims to establish political, economic, personal and social equality of the genders.
● Identity Politics: It is an intellectual and political strategy in which members of a certain race, religion, gender, social
class, or other distinguishing characteristics create political agendas based on problems that may have an impact on
their lives.

DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDE
● It gives space to difference of opinion and appreciates participation of stakeholders. In case of public service, it
ensures participation of people at various stages of policy formulation and implementation.
● It refers to those attitudes possessed by civil servants who promote the participation of people in decision making.
They promote the delegation of power or authority. In place of rule and regulation, there is more focus on compassion,
tolerance and inclusiveness. It has following characteristics:
o Decisions are based on popular opinion.
o Views of the majority is right
o Maximisation of satisfaction of the largest number of people.
o Supported by elected representatives

Merits Demerits
● It promotes the active participation of people. ● Decision making process will become slow and time
So, it will promote and strengthen the consuming.
democratic institution at the grass root level. ● There is difficulty to satisfy every section of society.
● It will make the governance system more Sometimes, such an attitude becomes a hindrance to
accountable as there is active participation of the development process.
people. ● Example- Delay in clearance of Mining and industrial
● There will be more transparency and efficient development project in Scheduled area, because of
public service delivery. mandatory consultation under Forest Act 2006.

BUREAUCRATIC ATTITUDE
● Bureaucratic attitude refers to a mindset or approach characterised by excessive adherence to rules, procedures, and
formalities within an organisational or institutional setting.
● This is an attitude strictly adhering to guidelines, rules and regulations. It is based on Neutrality, Objectivity,
Impartiality.
● Characteristics of Bureaucratic Attitude: Decisions strictly based on law, adhering to all rules and procedures,
lack of importance to public opinion, antagonise the elected representatives.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Merits Demerit
● Strict compliance of standard operating ● Red tapism, as there is no urgency in achieving targets
procedure ● They are opposed to changes in the system, leading to
● Since consultation with the public is not stagnation
needed, decisions can be taken quickly. ● It is rigid; hence public service delivery may not be
● It is easier to fix responsibility for decisions effective
because of the hierarchical decision making ● Apathy towards common people as rule is supreme
process. and not citizens

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDE AND BUREAUCRATIC ATTITUDE

Democratic Attitude Bureaucratic attitude


● It is based on participatory, humanistic and ● It reflects hierarchical discipline, implicit obedience to
flexible approaches and on bottom-up orders, top-down instructions, and rule bound
decision-making. approaches.
● It focuses more on accountability, people ● It focuses on strengthening and adhering to rules-
participation, transparency, the flexibility of procedure, top-down, and centralized decision-making.
law and public interest. ● Apathy towards common people as rule is supreme and
● It promotes the active participation of people not citizens
● Based on the values of Transparency, ● Based on Objectivity and Neutrality
Inclusiveness ● Example- Areas needing quicker decision making and
● Example- Institutions for public service there is a question of national security and Sovereignty
delivery like banks and PDS shops require of the country there is Need of bureaucratic attitude
democratic attitude.

BEHAVIOUR IN INDIAN SOCIETY


It is said that behaviour in Indian society is difficult to change. It is due to the following reasons:
● Rigid Beliefs and Practices: These practices have been shaped over centuries and as such are difficult to change. For
example, toilets are not constructed in the house as it is considered clean.
● Culture: The Cultural Evil has perpetuated the hierarchical system.
● Stereotypes and Prejudices: such as subjugation of women in the family.
● Resistance: Lack of Emotional Connection with the Government creates a barrier between the government and the
citizens, as such citizens resist change.

FACTORS AFFECT THE FORMATION OF A PERSON'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIAL PROBLEMS


● One’s Upbringing and Family: Upbringing and Family the most powerful source for formation of attitudes. The
parents, siblings provide information about various things.
o Example - A child grown in a family having a patriarchal outlook, most probably used to have a
prejudiced attitude towards women.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Beliefs and Practices of their Family: Family having orthodox thought, helped members to have an attitude of
superstition, biasedness based on caste, religion, tradition etc. Also, an inculcated intolerance view towards other
groups of people.
● One's Circumstances in which a Person is raised and lives: People who grow up poor have a whole different
perspective of social problems than people who were raised in relative luxury and ease.
● Direct Experience: A person who has faced racism in his life develops a negative attitude towards it.
o Example- Mahatma Gandhi being evicted from a train by a white man made him stand against apartheid
policies.
● Education System: Education system cultivates habits of analytical and critical thinking on the prevalent social
issues. It has shaped the attitude of common people to treat everyone with equality and abjure untouchability.
However, too much information oriented education has little scope for creativity, innovation and self-learning. Modern
day education also fails to inculcate moral values and discipline in the young minds that could enable them to become
better and more responsible human beings.

CHANGING BEHAVIOUR TO MAKE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS SUCCESSFUL. WHAT NEEDS TO


BE DONE?
Following can be done to change the behaviour of Indian people.
● Cultural and Societal Conventions must be used in the Campaign: For example, for successful implementation
of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, reference to our scriptures can be taken where women are worshipped as embodiments
of shakti.
● Reflection Sessions: Where government agents can pre-commit people to certain goals. For example, it can be used
in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan where Swachagrahis will pre-commit people to sanitation goals.
● Making People Realise Tangible Outcomes: by showing examples of people who have benefited from the program.
● Creating Emotional Connect Between the Citizens and the Government: The government's transparent
communication and active engagement foster an emotional connect with citizens, building trust and a sense of shared
responsibility for societal progress.

CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN


Recently, the National Commission for Women (NCW) informed that there was a rise of 46% in complaints of crimes
against women in the first eight months of 2021 over the corresponding period of last year.

REASONS FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION/CRIME AGAINST WOMEN


● Patriarchal Society: Indian society has always been solidly patriarchal. Now, as women refuse to subscribe to
traditional gender roles, as they seek to educate themselves, take up jobs outside the home, choose their own marriage
partners and as a result women face a patriarchal backlash.
● Attitudes: Across cultures, attitudes toward gender are likely to affect how male-female relationships are viewed, and
subsequently how the sexual offenders and the victims are viewed.
● Challenge to Social and Political Dominance of Men: There is equality of all individuals before the law. The surge
in attacks on women is an angry attempt by men to sustain the overwhelming social and political dominance they have
long enjoyed but the same is now challenged by modern notions of gender justice
● Images Portrayed by Advertisements and in Films: Bollywood films, aimed increasingly at a rapidly Westernising
middle class, portray romance and desire as inevitable byproducts of contemporary life, creating a further sense of
frustration among the unemployed young men who watch them.
● Lack of Infrastructure of Cities: The crumbling infrastructure of our cities also militates against women’s safety.
Streets lit dimly or not at all, bad or non-existent means of public transport, an incompetent and corrupt police form
all contribute to the insecurity and vulnerability of women.

STEPS TO CORRECT CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN


Legal Steps:
● Police should report every complaint related to females
● Establishment of a special cell for women to make investigation process faster and more intense
● A special man hunt drive on those under the lens
● Make teams including women officers in each one of them and put them on patrolling in all sensitive areas. Run a
24/7 helpline and position teams such that they can reach anywhere in district instantly

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Training to be given to women for self defence


Social Action:
● Involvement of NGOs, Social activist, Women friendly associations and District mass campaign to be launched
towards gender sensitivity and equality
● Concept of community policing with women policing
● Public police relationship drive to rebuild the confidence of public
● Motivational and inspirational talks
● Advisory for hospitals for being of more sensitive towards rape victims

MORAL POLICING
Moral police is a term used to describe vigilante groups which act to enforce a code of morality in society. They take law
into their own hands and try to forcefully enforce discipline on people.
o Example- A youth in Kerala's Thrissur district was beaten to death by a mob after being found in the
house of a woman.

WHY IS IT HARMFUL?
● Leads to suppression of fundamental rights particularly of Vulnerable sections like women.
● As it is extrajudicial, it leads to anarchy
● It leads to disturbance of social harmony and peace.
● Faith on law get deteriorated and Intolerance index Increases in society
● Demand of instant justice rises
● It can result in Mob Lynching and may prove disastrous for the society.

WAYS TO STOP
● Improve policing and punish those who take law into their hands.
● Reforms in the criminal justice system are required in order to instill sensitivity and knowledge of constitutional
values in the administration.
● Mass awareness campaigns to educate and remove people of their rigid biases and to accept change.
● Increase policing near sensitive areas during Valentines day, near Pub areas, etc where moral policing mostly
happens.
● Community policing and volunteer groups to give support to people during sensitive times:
o This field helps us in understanding why a typical behaviour in humans like racism, war, ethnic cleansing,
terrorism, genocide, religious intolerance etc occur.
o According to social psychologists, human behaviour is function of both person and the situation

SOCIAL INFLUENCE
It refers to how individual thoughts, actions and feelings are influenced by social groups. It is a quality that can lead to
changes in a person's actions, attitudes, and feelings as a result of interactions with other people in society.
Ways in which Individuals Respond to Social Influences are:
1. Compliance: An individual is not fully convinced with the other person but shows agreement at the surface level.
o Example- In a conversation a person
makes a racist comment. The other
person is offended but says nothing.
Here, the other person merely shows
compliance.
2. Identify: In this case an individual idolises the other
influential person.
o Example- a college student drinks Pepsi
because his favourite celebrity endorses
it.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

3. Internalize: Here two individuals share the same belief system. In the example made for compliance if the other
individual too makes racist comments, it is the case for internalisation.

TYPES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE


1. Normative Influence: An individual follows the crowd in order to be liked and accepted. By agreeing on common
beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviour, an individual increases his chance of acceptance and survival possibilities.
2. Informational Influence: An individual goes along with the crowd because he thinks that crowd knows more than
him.
● Two types of situations produce informational influence:
(i) Ambiguous Situations- when individuals don’t know what to do.
(ii) Crisis Situation- when an individual doesn’t have time to think what to do. For eg., during stampede.
Public Spirit
Context: Odisha Train Accident - Citizens Rush to Hospitals to Donate Blood
• The recent Train Accident in Odisha’s Balasore District claimed almost 200 lives and caused many injuries to
the people.
• Apart from the doctors and other hospital staff who worked non-stop, the society also came to be as one of the
helpers in the best way possible.
• The train accident has shown the humane side of villagers who queued up outside medical centers in large
numbers to donate blood. Some civil society groups also chipped in for the noble cause.
• As a result of this action by the public - there was more blood than it was needed.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE


1. Reciprocity: People tend to give back what was received.
o Example - Reciprocating smiles between individuals.
2. Consistency: Generally, people try to be consistent with their previous actions, opinions and assertions.
3. Social Proof: People often decide what to do by looking at what similar others have done.
4. Liking: People are often influenced by those people whom they like.
5. Authority: People with power and authority tend to influence others.
6. Scarcity: Items and opportunities become more desirable when they are less accessible.
o Example - Use of slogans like limited edition or last week for sale have immediate effect.

NORMS
● These are group held beliefs about how members should behave in a given context.
● These are informal understandings that govern society’s behaviours.
o Example - Touching feet in Indian society is considered as a sign of respect.

PERSUASION
● It is an attempt to change a person’s attitude.
o Example - Swachha Bharat Mission focused on persuasion to change the behaviour of people regarding
cleanliness.
● Persuasion can also result in more submission and obedience.
● Persuasion refers to the process of changing the attitudes and behaviours of the target Group towards some event, idea,
object, or another person(s) in the intended direction, by using written or spoken words to convey information,
feelings, or reasoning, etc.
o Example -
▪ Disclosing income to avoid tax evasion.
▪ Beti Bachao Beti Padao – To change the attitude of people towards girl students
▪ Give it up Campaign to give up subsidy
▪ Celebration of Earth Day – To persuade global citizen against climate change
▪ Encourage extremists to leave path of violence in North Eastern and Naxal affected regions

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● It is a Receiver Centric Exercise. It is not what the source says, it is what the receiver understands.
● Four things are important in persuasion.
o The source (Persuader)
o The message
o The audience
o Channel/Medium
● Source Credibility: A source can be credible because he is
an expert and can be trusted. To access credibility, following
things are important i.e.
o Expertness (judged by the knowledge potential
of source)
o Trustworthiness (judged by finding out whether
the source has a vested interest).
o Example- Randip Guleria, AIIMS Director (a
credible source), was seen on TV persuading
people to take COVID-19 vaccine.
● Source Likeability: A source is likeable if he is similar and attractive. There is an implicit assumption that attractive
people are also intelligent. The primary factors that decide the attractiveness of the source include Physical Features:
o Communicative
o Versatility
o Attitudinal Similarity
o Example- advertisements rope in people with attractive personalities to make their products appealing.
● Power: It has the potential to change the behaviour of the target group in the intended direction despite their resistance.
● Power, Attractiveness and Credibility will cause behaviour change in different ways –
o Power – Compliance
o Attractiveness – Identification
o Credibility – Internalisation

TARES TEST
● TARES test acts as a guide for making and defending ethical
choices.
● test was developed by Baker and Martinson (2001) to focus on
five principles for ethical persuasion.
● This framework functions under the theory of utilitarianism,
which maintains that the results of an action are equally
important to the action itself when evaluating its ethicality.
● TARES is an acronym for truthfulness (of the message),
authenticity (of the persuader), respect (for the persuadee),
equity (of the persuasive appeal), and social responsibility (for
the common good).

MESSAGE IN PERSUASION
● Persuasion requires a message to be presented in vivid language and backed by data. The message should be such that
it establishes a common ground with target people. For example- Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Slogan.
● Best results are obtained when the Persuasive message has both emotional and factual elements in it.
o Example - Selfie with Daughters to promote Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao, Government’s message
regarding Lock down during Corona, and later for Corona Vaccine.
● Message Discrepancy: It means the degree of inconsistency in the message the source should present to the target
group. The message should be such that it should be within the zone of acceptance of the target group.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Emotional Factor: The message should have emotional content in that. For example, to motivate someone to stay fit
or to quit smoking, one should not only cite scientific evidence to prove the point but can also convince using the fear
of deadly diseases or the joy of a healthy life.
● Fear Appeal: Mild and moderate appeals to fear generally work better than strong fear appeals. Strong fear appeals
produce defensive avoidance wherein the target group insulates itself from the message.
● Social Proof Technique: People tend to follow others more (bandwagon effect). This technique will involve you
telling the target population that other people are getting benefits from the suggested change, with empirical evidence.
For example, in campaigning against female foeticide the Haryana government is invoking the examples of some
female sportspersons who have won laurels: Babita Phogat (Wrestler), Rani Rampal, Navneeet Kaur (Hockey
Player).
● Scarcity: This involves letting people know that they stand to lose on a chance to get the benefits out of the proposed
change. For example, we often see the end of the season or hoardings like Hurry!! Limited offer.
● Targeting Values: People can manage their self-images by yielding to requests for action that fits or enhances their
identities.

AUDIENCE
● Audience Characteristics: Individuals are presented with logical arguments supported by relevant facts, they are
likely to be persuaded.
● Intelligence: refers to the information processing ability of an individual. Intelligent people because of their superior
critical thinking abilities are less likely to be influenced by appeals that are illogical or not supported by relevant facts.
However, when presented with appeals that have factual backing, they are likely to be convinced.

CHANNEL FACTOR
● Use the appropriate channel of communication.
o Example- Use of Street play is more effective to convey messages on social issues in the Villages.

FUNCTIONS OF PERSUASION
● Weaken the Current Attitude: When the audience has a contrasting attitude, persuasion can help in making the
audience less comfortable with the current attitude.
● Moral Conditioning: Persuasion can bring change in the social attitude of people. For example, regular
announcements to keep the station clean persuade people to change their behaviour.
● Minimise Resistance: When the audience has moderately opposed ideas, persuasion can move the audience towards
neutrality.
● Change Attitude: When the audience has no committed attitude, persuasion can help in changing the attitude.
● Intensify Attitude: When the audience has the same attitude, persuasion can amplify the current attitude.
● Gain Behaviour: When the audience is strongly in sync with the persuader, the final objective is to make the audience
act.

WAYS TO RESIST PERSUASION


● Attitude Inoculation: Just like a person who has been exposed to a weak virus becomes resistant to a disease, similarly
a person who has been exposed to counter argument develops resistance to persuasion.
● Forewarned: When a person is being forewarned of persuasion attempts, he develops psychological reactance that
motivates them to resist such attempts. Forewarning gives an opportunity to come up with counter arguments.
● Boomerang Effect: When a person develops a psychological reactance towards an attitude object, an attempt of
persuasion is countered with equally strong response.
o Example - during the COVID-19 pandemic medical staff were assaulted by the people as they had
developed a negative attitude towards disease treatment.
● Stockpile: A healthy person who is well read and is equipped with cognitive and social resources is able to
resist persuasion better.

HOW TO MAKE PERSUASION EFFECTIVE?


● Establish a Positive Rapport: by establishing a common ground.
● Emphasise the Advantages: Instead of trying to push for change, the persuader should point out the advantages.
● Storytelling: For thousands of years, we have been influenced by powerful stories.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example-
o Triumphs of Truth in the Ramayana motivates us to speak truth only.
o Courage of Veer Kunwar Singh at the age of 80 years while fighting against the British during the 1857
revolt endorsed the view of self-confidence to deal with any hardship.
● Turn Objections into Opportunities: Persuader should agree with the audience’s objections and then illustrate them
how it can be overcome with proposed changes.
● Commitment: Prospect should be persuaded to commit to small action first. Once committed the prospect is most
likely to agree to a larger idea.
● Strong Feelings: Strong emotions can also be persuasive since they draw attention to themselves and stop listeners
from coming up with reasons not to obey.
● Reciprocity: When the prospect does something, it should be rewarded for changed behaviour/attitude.
o Example- political party in power releasing jobs vacancy just before the elections.
● Bandwagon Effect: It involves showing the target population, the benefits which people have got by adopting the
change.
● Scarcity: It involves letting people know what they are going to lose by not availing the opportunity.
● Low-Balling: It is a persuasion technique in which a product is offered at a lower price than it is intended to be
charged.
● Social Influence/Peer Pressure: It plays a very important role in Attitude formation and change, Removal of
Prejudice and Group Decision making.
● Praise: We are all made to feel special by praise. Do it more often.
o Example- With the Praise of Lord Hanuman, he got encouraged to bring Sanjeevani from the Hill.

ADMINISTRATION AND THE PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE MASSES


● Wide Cultural Gap between the administrators and the masses - as the administrators largely come from upper middle
class who deal with rural masses who are poor and illiterate
● Bureaucracy points that people are unaware of their rights.
● Administrators feel that people don’t have adequate knowledge of rules and regulations
● Civil servants complain that people try to pressurise them through politicians.
● They also complain that citizens don’t cooperate with them to bring change in the society.

WHY ARE PUBLIC OFFICIALS NOT ABLE TO PERSUADE THE TARGET GROUP?
● The reason for this is the presence of certain barriers: Semantics, Psychological and Physical Barriers. If the Public
Official can overcome those barriers, only then Persuasion will be successful.
● Power is the potential to change the behaviour of the target group in the intended direction despite their resistance.
● To overcome these barriers, District Magistrate can use various influence tactics such as involving Sarpanch to
overcome these barriers. Along with that, he/she must take feedback from the Target Audience to rectify any
shortcomings.

PUBLIC’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ADMINISTRATORS


● Public complaints against the administrators regarding corruption, delay in disposal of cases, exploitation, favouritism
etc.
● Public is suspicious about the integrity of public officials.
● They feel that public officials are devoid of any human considerations
● They create scope for middle men who in turn exploit them.
Way Forward

HOW TO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC AND ADMINISTRATION?


● Creating a public relations agency in the administration to serve as conduit between the public and the administration.
(C P Bhambri)

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Public should shed its negative role and adopt a positive role- citizen’s support and cooperation is essential for the
success of any government program.
● In these times of rapid change, one of the major challenges of public administration is to adapt to changing situations.
● One of the defining features today, for example, is a constant pursuit of efficiency and efficacy in public expenditure.
● Administration should maintain constant contact with the public, especially those from the rural areas. (Hota
Committee)
● Social audit, which involves auditing of the project from the beneficiaries.
● Increasing accessibility to civil servants by making public meetings compulsory.
● Government action only produces optimal results when it is based on trustworthy data and innovative capacity.
● Economic, social and security problems highlight the importance of policy as a tool for change and progress.
● E-governance which helps in making the government reach the doorstep of the citizens.
● Citizen’s Charter to make the citizens aware about the quality of service they receive and grievance redressal
mechanism.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

SUPREME COURT RECOGNISES SEX WORK AS A ‘PROFESSION’


● Context: The attitude of the police to sex workers is often brutal and violent.
● The Supreme Court’s Verdict:
1. Treat sex workers with dignity and prevent abuse, both verbal and physical.
2. Authorities have a duty to protect sex workers under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
3. Sensitize police and law enforcement agencies about the rights of sex workers.
4. Strictly enforce Section 354C, IPC, which criminalises voyeurism, particularly against electronic media
broadcasting photos of sex workers and their clients under the guise of rescue operations.
5. Conduct surveys of shelter homes by state governments to identify cases of adult women being unlawfully
detained and expedite their release.
6. Organise workshops through legal services authorities to educate sex workers about their rights.

THE 'LAP-TOP' PROTEST BY STUDENTS AGAINST MORAL POLICING


Miscreants had allegedly cut off parts of a steel bench at a bus stop near the college to prevent boys and girls from sitting
together. The next day, a group of students posted pictures of them sitting on each other's laps on social media, and the
story went viral. Thus, the students protested at the lewd comments by the locals for sitting together. The attitude of both
the students and the locals were reflected through their acts.

KEY TERMS

Terms Meaning
Attitude Psychological tendency of evaluating a particular object either in favour or disfavour
Behaviour Way a person conducts oneself. Our behaviour is largely shaped by our Attitude. A positive Attitude
manifests in good Behaviour.
Opinion An individual’s thoughts or beliefs about something, whether good or bad. It can vary from person to
person.
Belief Being certain about something that exists or is true.
Prejudice Unreasonable dislike towards a particular person or a group of persons and preferences
Stereotype Preconceived notions about a specific group based on sex, gender identity, race and ethnicity,
nationality, age, socioeconomic status, language, and so forth.
Persuasion an attempt to bring about a change in the Attitude of a person.

Key Terms

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning; Instrumental Conditioning; Observational Learning; Utilitarian/Instrumental


function; Volunteerism and Social Service; Positive Attitude; Compassionate Attitude; Tolerance; Proactive Empathy;
Stereotypes and Prejudices; Anarchism; Authoritarianism; Communism; Conservatism; Liberalism; Fascism; Nazism;
Environmentalism; Feminism; Identity Politics; Normative/ Informative Influence; Reciprocity; Consistency

PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS

Previous Year Questions Year

1. Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of humans. How to build a 2021
suitable need for a public servant?
2. What do the following quotations mean to you? 2021
“Every work has to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will
see the light, sooner or later.-Swami Vivekananda
3. A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required 2020
to function under extreme stress. What contributes to a positive attitude in a person.
4. “Hatred is destructive of a person’s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit.’ Do you 2020
agree with this view? Justify your answer.
5. What is meant by ‘crisis of conscience’? How does it manifest itself in the public domain? 2019

6. With regard to the morality of actions, one view is that means is of paramount importance and the other 2018
view is that the ends justify the means. Which view do you think is more appropriate? Justify your
answer.
7. Young people with ethical conduct are not willing to come forward to join active politics. Suggest steps 2017
to motivate them to come forward.
8. Without commonly shared and widely entrenched moral values and obligations, neither the law, nor 2017
democratic government, nor even the market economy will function properly. What do you understand
by this statement? Explain with illustration in contemporary times.
9. How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? 2016
10. Our attitudes towards life, work, other people and society are generally shaped unconsciously by the 2016
family and the social surroundings in which we grow up. Some of these unconsciously acquired
attitudes and values are often undesirable in the citizens of a modern democratic and egalitarian society.
(a) Discuss such undesirable values prevalent in Today’s educated Indians (b) How can such
undesirable attitudes be changed and socioethical values considered necessary in public services be
cultivated in the aspiring and serving civil servants?
11. Two different kinds of attitudes exhibited by public servants towards their work have been identified as 2015
bureaucratic attitudes and democratic attitudes.
(a) Distinguish between these two terms and write their merits and demerits.
(b) Is it possible to balance the two to create a better administration for the faster development of our
country?

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 3 APTITUDE
“Aptitude without attitude is blind; and attitude without aptitude is lame” — Richard Marcel I.

"Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience." —Benjamin Franklin.

INTRODUCTION
● Aptitude refers to the natural or acquired abilities that indicate an individual’s ability to develop proficiency in
certain areas. It indicates an individual’s potential for the future.
● It is a natural propensity for some particular skills to be learned successfully; these skills can then be improved upon
with the right information and instruction.
● It can be improved through training or formal intervention, but improvement may have limitations.
o Example- Sachin Tendulkar became a great cricketer because he has aptitude for cricket and was
provided necessary training. Other batsmen are not as good as him even after similar training because of
lesser aptitude than him.

CATEGORISATION OF APTITUDE
● Physical Aptitude: Physical characteristics for performing some tasks successfully. E.g. Armed forces require a
specific set of physical features, like physical stamina etc.
o Example- Usain Bolt has unusually long legs; Mr. Ian Thorpe, also known as Thorpedo, has unusually
large feet (Size 17).
● Mental Aptitude: Mental characteristics for performing some tasks successfully. It is regarded as important for all
types of services, more so for civil services.
o Example- A civil servant is required to have mental ability, magnanimity, rationality, compassion etc.

RELATIONSHIP OF APTITUDE WITH OTHER QUALITIES

APTITUDE AND SKILLS


● Aptitude is raw native talent that can be worked upon. On the other hand, Skill is acquired through training and
constantly upgraded. Aptitude is not skill but what is already there that can be nurtured. Skills are the abilities that can
be acquired by way of reading, observation, practice, and training, whereas aptitude is inborn and unique.
o Example- A person can acquire certain cricketing skills by training but will find it hard to become a
successful cricketer unless he has aptitude for the same.

APTITUDE AND INTEREST


● Interest is an individual’s preference for engaging in one or more specific activities relative to others while aptitude
is the potential to perform that activity. We are drawn to things out of interest, not because we are particularly skilled
at them.
o Example- Sushant Singh Rajput had interest in cosmology but aptitude for acting.

APTITUDE AND INTELLIGENCE


● Intelligence is generic and refers to a broad range of mental abilities, such as comprehension etc., whereas Aptitude
has narrow scope involving personal strengths & weaknesses and reflects specialised nature of that intelligence that
is directed towards something. Aptitude requires a degree of intelligence to do the job well.
o Example- Two people may have the same Intelligence Quotient (IQ) but may have different aptitude,
i.e. one to become doctor and another to become engineer.

APTITUDE AND ABILITY


● Aptitude indicates an individual’s potential, i.e. what an individual will be able to learn/do, whereas Ability presents
the evidence of what the individual is able to do now.
o Example- A person might have a good aptitude for acting, but presently able to find roles as supporting
artists only.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

APTITUDE AND VALUES


● In ethical perspective, aptitude represents
desired value in a person with respect to a Aptitude Achievement Ability
specific requirement. Example- Civil servants
should have some foundational values on which
they could evaluate things. These values are:
o Can be used to judge things.
o They can be goal oriented i.e social, political and economic justice and
o Means oriented i.e. empathy, integrity, discipline, impartiality etc.

APTITUDE, PROFICIENCY, AND ACHIEVEMENT:


● Proficiency is the ability to perform an activity with ease and precision. Achievement looks at the past - what has
been done, accomplished. Aptitude indicates an individual’s potential
o Ex- Michael Phelps has proficiency in swimming and because of this he has won 28 Olympic medals

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATTITUDE AND APTITUDE


Parameter Attitude Aptitude
Definition It is a positive or negative or indifferent It is competency to do a certain kind of work.
feeling towards a person, object, event or
idea.
Function It defines how you work or proceed towards It defines how much potential you have to learn
a goal. specific skills to achieve a goal.
Association Associated with character or virtues and can Associated with competence or talent, e.g.
be negative, positive or neutral. quantitative aptitude, mental aptitude etc.
Nature Largely mental Mental as well as physical
Abilities and It is related to existing abilities and skills It is the potential ability to acquire skills, abilities and
skills with certain perceptions. knowledge.
Change Relatively permanent Changed and developed
Components Components of attitude include cognitive, Components of aptitude include attitude, skills, and
affective and behavioural. knowledge.
Modifications If an attitude is undesirable in a modern This can be changed and developed through training
society, it should be changed accordingly. and capacity building.
● Example- An administrator may have a good aptitude in resolving the communal issues (aptitude part) but may have
a negative attitude towards a particular community (attitude part) which will naturally influence his/her overall
decisions.

APTITUDE FOR CIVIL SERVICES AND ITS ROLE


● Aptitude in civil services helps to understand the role, its associated responsibilities and institutional environment
easily. Broadly, following kind of aptitude is desired in a civil servant:
● Communication Skills: A civil servant needs to have good communication and interpersonal skills as he/she will
have to bring different stakeholders on one platform for decision making.
o Example- Vikas Kumar Ujjwal, a Divisional Forest Officer in Jharkhand, took along the local community
and transformed the Maoist hit area into a tourist destination.
● Decision Making: Civil servants need an abundance of impromptu decision-making skills and critical thinking ability
to exercise discretion with conviction.
o Example- While facing problems and challenges every day such as high unemployment, insufficient
government spending, fast changing socio-economic scenarios.
● Stewardship: Since India is a resource deficit country, a civil servant needs to be an effective manager and responsible
protector of state resources.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example- Purnea (Bihar) District Magistrate Rahul Kumar arranged for medical oxygen and
restarted a broken down oxygen plant in the city with his smart planning during the second wave of
COVID-19.
● Leadership Skills: Civil servants need to have leadership, organisational and collaboration skills as they are entrusted
with a diverse set of responsibilities such as decision making, policy implementation, etc.
o Example- J Meganatha Reddy, district collector in Tamil Nadu started Project Udhayam to build toilets
for differently-abled persons in their homes.
● Professionalism: High level of professionalism is required to maintain high standards of public administration as they
are the backbone of administration.
o Example- "Debo na Nebo na (won’t give won’t take) initiative" by District Administration Cachar
Silchar provides drop-boxes outside all government offices to stop corruption.
● Persuasive Skills: Skills of persuasion and negotiation with others are required as there might be resistance in the
society against changes or any new initiative.
o Example- Kiran Naik, a government college lecturer in Andhra Pradesh, visits remote villages and
persuades parents to get their children educated.
● Innovation: Since civil servants face diverse problems every day, they should be able to find innovative solutions to
these problems, challenges.
o Example- The authorities in East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh roped in religious leaders,
NGOs and local influencers to counter vaccine hesitancy.
● Adaptability: because of focus on e-governance and the ever-changing nature of the digital world.
o Example SVAMITVA scheme aims to use Drone Surveying technology and a civil servant must have
a basic understanding of this technology.
● Inclusivity: India is a diverse country in terms of social status, income etc. and civil servants should be able to work
for every section of the society.
o Example- Recently, Chhattisgarh police inducted transgender persons as Constables in the State Police
Force.
● Optimism: Civil servants need to be optimistic which brings positivity and self-confidence in them to function under
extreme stress.
o Example- ‘Lunch with Collector’ initiative by IAS Officer Saurabh Kumar in Dantewada counters the
problems by helping local students to make the right career choice.

CONCLUSION
● Civil servants are an important institution of the government tasked with policy implementation and ensuring effective
governance and social justice. In addition to this, they provide advice to the political executives.
● Since, aptitude is an innate potentiality, therefore, one cannot develop an aptitude if it is completely absent from
one’s psycho­physical system. To perform, these essential services above Aptitudes are essential for Civil servants.

FOUNDATIONAL VALUES FOR CIVIL SERVICES


● Values are individual principles or
qualities that guide judgement and
behaviour of a person or a group.
o Example- Mother Teresa
regarded empathy as the
highest value.
● Foundational Values are those values
that are basic and fundamental in
nature, determine the core identity of a
civil servant and are essential to achieve
the objectives or goals, such as
integrity, compassion etc.
● Additionally, they offer a normative
consensus regarding the privileges and
rights that citizens are entitled to.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example- The foundational value of compassion led IAS Officer Prashant Nair to start the Compassionate
Kozhikode project.

EVOLUTION OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES


● In India, Civil Service Values have evolved over years of tradition.
● Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and the All-India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968 mentions values
like integrity and devotion to duty.
● The Draft Public Service Bill, 2007 enumerated values like allegiance to the ideals of the Constitution, good
governance to be the primary goal, apolitical functioning, objectivity, impartiality, accountability and transparency in
decision-making, merit-based selection of civil servants, avoidance of wastage in expenditure, etc.
● The 10th Report of Second Administrative Reforms Commission in addition to upholding the constitutional spirit
recommended values such as the highest standards of integrity and conduct; impartiality and non-partisanship;
objectivity; dedication to public service; and empathy and compassion towards the weaker sections.
● The Committee on Standards in Public Life (The Nolan Committee) defined seven guiding principles of behaviour
for public life in 1995, which are: Accountability, Selflessness, Integrity, Openness, Leadership, Honesty, and
Objectivity.

NEED OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES


● Constitutional values: Civil servants are given discretionary and wide-ranging powers under the laws, rules and in
the absence of foundational values, there are chances of corruption and abuse of power defeating the objectives of the
Constitution.
● Public interest – A welfare state can only be established when civil servants keep public interest priority and function
upholding values such as objectivity, integrity, impartiality etc.
● Filling the gap– Actions of civil servants based on these values fill the gap left by the laws and make administration
more effective.
● Non-partisanship: Even if one fervently supports a political party's ideals, non-partisanship is defined by its refusal
to do so. Being nonpartisan means not adhering to the principles of any political party, group, or organisation.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

FREEDOM OF SPEECH OF PEOPLE HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICES

The Supreme Court said that there is an unwritten rule for people holding public office that they exercise self-
restriction and not blabber things which are very disparaging or insulting to other countrymen.
● There has been no legislation all this while on the issue because there has always been a self-imposed restriction by
people holding responsible positions.
● Irrespective of what Article 19(2) may say, there is a constitutional culture in the country where there is an inherent
limitation or a restriction on what people holding responsible positions say.
Article 19(2) relates to the powers of the state to make laws imposing reasonable restrictions on the exercise
of the right to freedom of speech and expression in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the country,
public order, decency, morality etc.

KEY TERMS

Aptitude, Skills, Interest, Intelligence, Ability, Values, Proficiency, Achievement, Competency, Stewardship,
Leadership, Professionalism, Persuasive Skills, Adaptability, Optimism, Inclusivity, Constitutional Values,
Non-Partisanship, Constitutional Culture.

PYQS

Previous Year Questions Year


1.(a) Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion 2021
in the matrix.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

(b) Identify ten essential values that are needed to be an effective public servant. Describe the ways and
means to prevent unethical behaviour in the public servants.
2. What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three of these with suitable examples. 2019
3. Examine the relevance of the following in the context of civil service: (a) Transparency (b) 2017
Accountability (c) Fairness and Justice (d) Courage of Conviction (e) Spirit of service
4.(a) Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. 2016
(b) Why should impartiality and non-partisanship be considered as foundational values in public services,
especially in the present day socio-political context? Illustrate your answer with examples.
5.(a) “A mere compliance with law is not enough, the public servant also has to have a well-developed 2015
sensibility to ethical issues for effective discharge of duties.” Do you agree? Explain with the help of
two examples, where (i) an act is ethically right, but not legally and (ii) an act is legally right, but not
ethically.
(b) How do the virtues of trustworthiness and fortitude get manifested in public service? Explain with
examples
6. Two different kinds of attitudes exhibited by public servants towards their work have been identified as 2015
the bureaucratic attitude and the democratic attitude.
(a) Distinguish between these two terms and write their merits and demerits,
(b) Is it possible to balance the two to create a better administration for the faster development of our
country?
7. The current society is plagued with widespread trust-deficit. What are the consequences of this situation 2014
for personal well-being and for societal well-being? What can you do at the personal level to make
yourself trustworthy?

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 4 INTEGRITY
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, but knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” -
Samuel Johnson

“Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain.” - Chris Karcher

INTRODUCTION
● Integrity means adopting similar standards or moral principles in similar situations across time. It is the quality of
being Honest, having strong Moral principles unwilling to change.
● It is a four-step Process:
Right course of
o Choosing a right course of conduct; Consistency
conduct
o Acting consistently with that choice, even if that is
inconvenient;
Integrity
o Openly declaring where one stands; and
o The results of one’s actions.
Results Open stand
■ Example- Senior IAS officer, Ashok Khemka has shown
professional integrity with consistency in his thought,
actions and has chosen a right course of conduct.
■ Example- Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi were exemplary leaders who were famous for their
integrity where both in times of crisis stuck to their values such as Abolition of slavery and Non- violence
respectively.
● Integrity includes:
o Soundness of moral principles
o Uprightness
o Honesty and sincerity
o Synchronisation between one’s thought, speech and actions
o Loyalty to rational principles

OTHER EXAMPLES ON INTEGRITY


● S.R. Sankaran (1934-2010) was Chief Secretary of Tripura and known for his contributions for the enforcement
of the Abolition of Bonded Labour Act of 1976, while facing severe pressure from different groups.
● Abraham Lincoln was a man of high Integrity and adhered to his principles even when he faced opposition. He said
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that
I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he
goes wrong.”
● Satyendra Dubey lost his life in fighting against corruption in National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
● Ashok Khemka (IAS) upheld his Integrity despite being transferred 50 times in 26 years.

TYPES OF INTEGRITY
● Moral Integrity: It refers to consistency and honesty in the application of standards of morality or right and wrong;
used for judging others as well as oneself.
o Example- Buddha emphasised on the purity of ‘thoughts, words and deeds’ and showed unconditional
commitment to this ethical principle.
● Intellectual Integrity: Intellectual integrity is defined as recognition of the need to be true to one's own thinking and
to hold oneself to the same standards one expects others to meet. It requires one to overcome self-deception and
temptation and act in accordance with one’s truthful conscience.
o Example- Gandhi revoked Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri-Chaura incident etc.
● Professional Integrity: It refers to acting in accordance with professional values, standards and norms with
consistency and willingness; even in the face of criticism or allurements.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example- Sanjiv Chaturvedi showed professional integrity during his tenure as the Chief Vigilance
Officer of AIIMS, Delhi and uncovered several large scams.

IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY IN CIVIL SERVICES


● Social Good: Civil Servants are provided with immense powers and responsibilities towards society. Their
impartiality and honesty is important for social good and development.
● Constitutional Obligation: To uphold and safeguard the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India is mentioned in
the Directive Principles of State Policy, thus it’s a constitutional as well as moral obligation.
● Fight Corruption: It is essential to counter the evil of corruption in public administration, which denies just rights to
many and also hinder our economic development.
● Community Needs: The actions of public servants have a direct bearing on the character of the community, thus they
should have integrity that prevents them from making wrong decisions which could harm the society.
● Managing Public Resources: They are responsible for managing public resources and money entrusted to them for
the benefit of the citizens. For instance, funds to be used for development have been raised through taxes and are used
for the provision of public goods.
● Good Governance: In order to provide good governance, enable personnel to perform their duties honestly, and
promote improved administration, integrity is crucial in the public sector. It is important for good governance and to
prevent failures which may occur due to resistance to accountability and transparency.
● Achievements of Goals: Civil servants have an important role to play in development and achievement of goals of
social, economic and political justice and equality of status and opportunity in society.
● Fair Treatment: To deal with the public and their affairs fairly, efficiently and sensitively to the best of his abilities
integrity in nature is important.
● No Misuse of Power: It ensures that civil servants do not misuse his/her official position to further his private interest,
for instance taking bribes by police to file an FIR.
● Performing Duties: A person of integrity does his/her duties with conscience. E.g. Policemen ordered the firing on
unarmed peaceful protesters. Honest policemen will obey the order. Policemen of integrity will refuse to fire.

SECOND ARC ON INTEGRITY


The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) prepared a detailed blueprint for revamping the public
administration system. It gave the following recommendations:
A Person must not: A Person must:
● Misuse official positions by using ● Fulfil his duties and obligations responsibly
information acquired in the course of his ● Act in a way that is professional and deserves and retains
duties. public confidence.
● Accept gifts or hospitality which might ● Make sure public money and resources are used efficiently.
compromise his judgements. ● Be transparent and open in his public dealings.
● Disclose information without authority. ● Comply with law and uphold the administrative justice

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

Honesty Integrity
Honesty is merely being truthful or standing by what Integrity is about consistency in conduct governed by an active
one says. adherence to one’s values and promises.
Honesty without integrity is possible. Integrity without honesty is not possible.
Example- Honesty means a person can lie and be Example- Integrity demands that a person should not lie in the
honest when he says he lied. first place and show a high standard of behaviour.

INTEGRITY PACT
● Integrity Pact is a vigilance tool that envisages an agreement between the prospective vendors/bidders and the buyer,
committing both the parties not to exercise any corrupt influence on any aspect of the contract.
● Its implementation is assured by Independent External Monitors (IEM) who are people of unimpeachable integrity.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

SIGNIFICANCE OF INTEGRITY PACT


● Faster processing of contracts.
● Improvement in the image and general perception of the company.
● Reduced lawsuits.
● Smoothens the procurement process, avoids litigation and arbitration.

RECENT CHANGES IN THE SOP BY CVC


Recently, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has amended the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on
adoption of “Integrity Pact” in government organisations for procurement activities.
● Restriction on IEM:
o IEM should be officials from government and PSUs who have retired from positions of the level of
Secretary to central government or equivalent pay scale.
o Retired armed forces officers from the rank equivalent of General may be considered.
● Appointment of IEM: The Ministry, department or organisation concerned has to forward a panel of suitable persons
to the CVC.
● Tenure: Tenure of IEM will be three years in an organisation.

CONCLUSION
● ‘Civil Service Conduct Rules’ recommends ‘absolute integrity’ for civil servants, irrespective of their department.
Integrity is critical in civil services to ensure good governance and allow a civil servant to perform his/her duties with
honesty.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

COMPROMISED INTEGRITY
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the 15th Civil Service Day held that bureaucrats should abandon
negativity and never compromise on the unity and integrity of the country. He urged officers to do everything,
even at local levels, for strengthening the unity and integrity of India.
● He also highlighted that traditionally the Hindus used to consider being cremated in the fire of sandalwood by the
banks of the Ganges to be pious. That same Hindu adapted to the electric crematorium without any hesitation. There
is no better example than this of the evolving mindset of society.

DOES A PRIME MINISTER HAVE A RIGHT TO PARTY?


● In a leaked video, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin was seen dancing and singing with friends at a private
party.
● It triggered a debate among Finns about what level of reveling is appropriate for a prime minister, especially
considering neighbouring Russia’s attack on Ukraine. This triggered controversy on the private lives of the Prime
Minister and the maintenance of public image by functionaries.

HONESTY SHOPS
● Recently, ‘honesty shops’ were opened in nearly 15 schools in Kerala as part of the Student Police Cadet (SPC)
project.
● It focussed on some valuable lessons on trust, truth and integrity for students.
● There is no salesman at these counters and students can drop the money for each item at the collection box kept on a
table. They can walk in, choose the item of their choice and pay for it based on the price list displayed.
● Launched in 2008, the SPC project was conceived to inculcate better civic sense among students and mould them
as responsible youth who will react positively to the demands of society.

USE AND ABUSE OF OATH-TAKING


● Taking oath is an ethical virtue and perhaps also a device that demands from the oath- taker an intense allegiance
and firm commitment to norms and textualised principles that make political practices and the resultant social
order decent.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Oath-taking thus plays an important function in offering affirmation of public pronouncements and decisions
backed by the moral force of the oath.

KEY TERMS

Strong Moral Principles, Uprightness, Rational Principles, Moral Integrity, Intellectual Integrity, Professional
Integrity, Managing Public Resources, Integrity Pact, Honesty Shops, Intense allegiance

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Previous Year Questions Year


1. “Integrity is a value that empowers the human being.” Justify with suitable illustration. 2021
2. “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if 2018
they do not have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffett
3. One of the tests of integrity is complete refusal to be compromised. Explain with reference to a real life 2017
example.
4. “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, but knowledge without integrity is dangerous and 2014
dreadful.” What do you understand by this statement? Explain your stand with illustrations from modern
day context.
5. What do you understand by the following terms in the context of public service? 2013
1. Integrity
2. Perseverance
3. Spirit of service
4. Commitment
5. Courage of conviction

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 5 IMPARTIALITY AND NON-PARTISANSHIP


IMPARTIALITY
● Impartiality is the quality of being fair, or
not being biased or partial towards
anything or anyone.
● It refers to the fact of not supporting one
person or a group more than the other. It
holds that decisions should be based on
objective standards, instead of on the basis
of bias, prejudice, or preferring the
advantage to one person or another for
unsuitable reasons.

Example:
● A judge cannot presume a person guilty
simply because he/she belongs to a
particular community or based on the
social media reports and has to follow due process of law.
● While allocating funds, an impartial civil servant would not favour his/her own village but allocate funds based on the
needs. This is to say that impartiality brings along objectivity.
● Universal Adult Franchise provided voting rights to all above the age of 18, without any partiality towards a group,
sex, caste, religion, or social status.
● Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (6th President of India and twice Lok Sabha Speaker), was the first ever Speaker to quit his
party on being Elected as a Speaker. He also conducted the proceedings so smoothly that not even once during his
tenure, opposition staged a walkout.

“It is wisest to be impartial. If you have health,


but are attached to it, you will always be afraid of losing it.
And if you fear that loss, but become ill, you will suffer.
Why not remain forever joyful in the Self?” - Paramhansa Yogananda

IMPARTIALITY FOR CIVIL SERVANTS


For civil servants, impartiality works at two different levels:
Political Executives: They derive their
● Political Impartiality: It implies serving governments of
authority from the people, by virtue of election.
different political persuasions equally well, irrespective of a
Their role is policy making.
civil servant’s own personal opinion.
Permanent Executives: They derive
● Public Impartiality: It implies that a civil servant carries out authority from technical and administrative
his responsibilities in fair, just, objective and equitable manner expertise. Their role is to implement policies
without discriminating against a particular individual or
and act as advisors to ministers.
interest.

SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPARTIALITY
● Right Action: In case of riots, communal violence or such a complex situation, a Civil Servant is able to take the right
action when he/she is free from any type of religious, political or social prejudices; upholds impartiality.
● Vested Interest: In a diverse country like India, minority voices can be suppressed if the civil servant becomes partial
towards the majority for vested interests. Civil servants have to safeguard the minorities.
● Welfare of the People: In the appraisal of subordinates, evaluation; review of schemes, programs; action taken report,
impartiality helps Civil Servants to present true picture which is ultimately helpful for the welfare of the public
● Upholding Values: Impartiality helps to uphold Equality, Liberty, Fraternity; thinking about the marginalised section
as much as about the rich ones.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Work Culture: Creation of positive & conducive work culture.


● Others: Keeping oneself free from nepotism, political-corporate nexus; corruption.

NON-PARTISANSHIP
● It refers to lack of affiliation towards any political party or ideology.
● Non-partisanship implies that the officer is to do his task without any fear of, or favour to any political party. The
values of the administrator will flow from the constitution not from the philosophy of any political party.
● Although the primary concern for the public service is “political partisanship”, other types of partisanships such as
support for an interest group etc. are also included in this.
Example:
● TN Seshan is remembered for his non-partisan role as Chief Election Commissioner.
● Former President of India, Mr. K. R. Narayanan underscored his non-partisanship by declining the United Front
Prime Minister’s recommendations to dismiss the BJP government of UP.
“Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on
one or the other.” - James Harvey Robinson

NEED OF NON-PARTISANSHIP
● It brings credibility and trust among the public in the functioning of the public service.
● It ensures a neutral approach in politics and a solid commitment to the government.
● It aids in the development of a professional bureaucracy and preserves the public's perception of the civil service.
● It makes the civil servants gutsy, rather than merely capable, so that they can ask relevant questions with respect to
the policy, law etc.
● It ensures equality, justice among different sections of the society.
● It ensures the morale, effectiveness and efficiency of civil services, as the transfer, posting etc. are expected to be
based on merit alone rather than any extraneous factors.

METHOD TO ENSURE
● The Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1964 and All India Services Conduct Rules 1968 - which stipulate
certain guidelines for the Civil servant to perform the duty with full devotion; and shall not adopt dilatory tactics in
their dealings with the public.
● Code of Ethics, 1997- It was the first initiative to introduce the code of ethics for public servants in India, which was
considered a step towards better governance

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMPARTIALITY AND NON -PARTISANSHIP

Non-Partisanship Impartiality
● It is a kind of attitude. ● It is a kind of behaviour in a particular situation.
● It deals with the relationship of civil servants with ● It deals with the relationship of civil servants not
political executives and thus a narrower concept. only with political executives, but people as well
It is political neutrality. and thus a broader concept.

SIGNIFICANCE
● Ensures objective and evidence-based advice to ministers.
● Ensuring legal and constitutional transition when
democratic process results in new administration
● Upholds credibility and trust in public with respect to the
functioning of the public service.
● Brings courage along with capability in the civil servant
● Ensures equality and justice among different sections of
the society and thus effective service delivery
Conclusion

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● To maintain compatibility and avoid conflicts between the bureaucracy and political leadership, non-partisanship is
indispensable. This has been proved time and again by civil servants of exemplary statute such as T.N. Seshan, Vinod
Rai etc who have brought various changes in election, auditing systems in India respectively.

NEUTRALITY
● It is the state of not taking sides on any issue, conflict, or situation.
● Neutrality is with specific reference to political neutrality, i.e. relationship between the civil servants and the political
executives.
● Neutrality refers to not being biassed in providing facts, feedback, opinions etc. to the political executives and
diligently carrying out tasks ordered by the political executives, irrespective of which political party is in power. In
the context of public administration, neutrality refers to political neutrality or non-partisanship. It indicates that you
are not owned or linked with any one group, party, or cause.

“There is no neutrality. There is only greater or lesser awareness of one’s bias.” - Phyllis Rose

TYPES OF NEUTRALITY
● Passive Neutrality: The civil servants will do anything that the political executive orders, but then he may end up
violating some legal/constitutional provisions. Hence it is undesirable as it leads to the idea of committed bureaucracy.
● Active Neutrality: Officers will do what the Constitution, laws, rules and office manuals say, without following any
particular party. Excess of this, sometimes might lead to civil services activism.
Committed Bureaucracy
● Negative Perspective: It implied politicised bureaucracy, where administrative system functions serve only
the narrow interest of the political party in power, e.g. administrative system of Nazi Germany.
● Positive Perspective: It implies that civil servants are committed to the objectives of the State, the
Constitution, the laws etc. and have faith in the programmes of the political executives, if they are aligned
with the objectives of the State, Constitution etc. Here they give technical advice to the political philosophy
of the ruling party.

NEUTRALITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES


Recent Context: In recent times, neutrality of various constitutional offices such as Governor (e.g. Maharashtra, West
Bengal), Speaker in the State Legislative Assemblies have come under the scanner of the Supreme Court on the grounds
of ‘Doctrine of Political Neutrality’.
Significance of Doctrine of Neutrality in the case of Constitutional Offices:
● Upholding constitutional trust that require neutrality in actions.
● The tilt of power vested in Constitutional offices in favour of any political party can disturb the political fairness in
the democracy.
● Presently, cooperative federalism is needed and absence of neutrality of constitutional offices creates conflict between
States and Centre, e.g., West Bengal and Central government.

CHALLENGES TO NEUTRALITY
● Lack of Independent Institutions: There is a lack of independent institutions for transferring, posting, and other
service conditions. As a result, the civil servants align with one or the other political party to get their favourite postings
and other perks.
● Secrecy: Secrecy in official functioning, as a result there develops a nexus between the political executive and civil
servants to fulfil their illegitimate gratifications.
● In-service and Intra-service Rivalry: In each government-service, there are various factions based on language,
religion, caste and region. To gain promotion and perks for their faction, they’d bend to the wills of politicians.
● Illegitimate Political Agendas: Wrong notion of committed bureaucracy, where the civil servants try to fulfil the
political agenda of a particular political party.
● Election and Corruption: Ministers need a lot of money to finance election campaigns, so they prefer a convenient
subordinate. Many don’t like an officer who gives free and frank advice.

WAY FORWARD

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● The political neutrality casts responsibility on the Constitutional offices to uphold the democratic principles of
fairness, toleration and independence of opinion and the conduct of persons holding these offices be such that there is
no political interference.

KEY TERMS
Key Terms
Impartiality, Non-partisanship, Bias, Active Neutrality, Passive Neutrality, Committed Bureaucracy

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Previous Year Question Year


1. Should being impartial and non-partisan be considered as indispensable qualities to make a successful 2021
civil servant? Discuss with illustrations
2. Why should impartiality and non-partisanship be considered as foundational values in public services, 2016
especially in the present-day socio-political context? Illustrate your answer with examples.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 6 OBJECTIVITY
“Objectivity does not mean detachment, it means respect, that is, the ability not to distort and to falsify.” - Erich
Fromm

● Objectivity is a mean value to achieve the end value of equality.


● It refers to adhering to facts rather than one’s own personal beliefs and feelings.
● The principle of objectivity implies that the decisions and actions should be based on observable phenomena and
should not be influenced by emotions, biases or personal prejudices. The idea of Objectivity is having a reason that is
free from personal preferences, feelings, and opinions.
Example:
● Drugs Controller General of India ensured sufficient data for approval of COVID-19 vaccine against public pressure.
● Awarding contracts, Making appointments and Giving Rewards based on Merit and not on the basis of Favouritism.

IMPORTANCE OF OBJECTIVITY: (NOLAN COMMITTEE AND 2 N D ARC)


● Used for building consensus among stakeholders on various issues.
o Example: Convincing slum dwellers near coastal areas during cyclones to relocate to safer places.
● Helps in maintaining situational awareness while discharging duties.
o Example: The objective during communal riots is to stop the riots first.
● To avoid interference of emotions into the judgement.
o Example: To avoid nepotism and favouritism in decisions.
● Helps in taking right decisions when confronted with ethical issues.
o Example: Rescuing vulnerable people during a disaster would be a priority.
● Scientific objectivity, also referred to as neutrality, is the capacity to assess something using a methodical and factual
methodology.
● Helps in inculcating honesty and impartiality among personnel.
o Example: In delivering ration under PDS decision would be based on the eligibility.
Objectivity Must Objectivity Must Not
● Provide information and advice based on evidence, ● Ignoring inconvenient facts or relevant
presenting facts and options. considerations when providing advice or making
● Decision based on the merit. decisions.
● Taking due account of expert and professional ● Avoiding actions that flow from the decisions
advice. taken.
● Both objectivity and fairness have the same goal to achieve equality but in unequal circumstances fairness will always
prevail over objectivity.
● Objectivity and empathy are at times in contradiction. Empathy is targeted towards individuals, while objectivity looks
at masses. So if a judge gives more weightage to empathy over “objectivity”, he may give lenient punishment to a
criminal. In the long run it’ll hurt the masses.
● Syrian refugees have been flooding Turkey and the EU for many months, but only after a child (Aylan Kurdi) is
drowned and images appear in main-stream media, all EU nations have become attentive. This is because of the
empathy of people towards an “individual child.”

HOW TO DEVELOP OBJECTIVITY?


● Transparency: Transparency with better implementation of RTI Act, which will ensure that the decisions are based
on facts rather than whims and fancies. Transparency and openness allow for the assurance of objectivity.
● Information Management System: It will ensure that any organisation keeps proper records and documents of
incidents, decisions, information etc. It will act as a check as well as provide vital input for decision-making.
● Training: Training imparts right guidance to the people who are delivering the services. This also ensures that public
servants know what all needs to be done.
● Critical Thinking: ASI began gold hunting in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, on order of a union minister who
believed in a ‘baba’. They showed lack of critical thinking by blindly following dictates of higher authority.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Right to Review Decisions: Within judicial / administrative procedure, there should be a mechanism for appellate
boards e.g. in taxation, land acquisition etc.
● Right to be Heard: Often officers don’t hear the complaint or opinion of people properly and just do the things that
are in their mind. Hence new schemes should have ‘social audit / public hearing’ components.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OBJECTIVITY AND NEUTRALITY

Parameter Objectivity Neutrality (Passive Neutrality)


Basis of Decision Based on strong evidence May or may not be based on evidence (but
based on political executive’s order)
Functions Helps maintain equity and inclusivity Sometimes, they may have to implement
appeasement policies of the government,
despite knowing it.
Impact Will instil confidence in public and ensure Particular sections of the society might not
public cooperation approach civil servants (facing issues due to
policies of the govt.)
Policies of Past Policies beneficial for larger sections of the Policies might find a backseat
Governments society will be implemented irrespective of the
government of the day.
Implementation of Might lead to poor implementation of policies Ensures effective implementation of policies.
Policies in case of civil servant’s disagreement with the
govt of the day.
Significance of Objectivity for a Public Servant:
● Civil servants take decisions on the merit of the case and take account of expert and Professional advice. Provide
information and advice including the advice to ministers on the basis of evidence and accurately present opinions and
facts.
● Decisions based on merits and facts lead to an impartial decision making.
● This would ensure efficient use of resources and enhance the transparency in the public domain.
● Although objectivity is important, one must approach with caution and keep both the text and the context in mind in
order to come up with the best decision. Because of this, it is argued that pragmatism and objectivism should be
combined rather than using a pure form of objectivity.
Significance of Neutrality for a Public Servant:
● Offers professionalism and stability instead of resistance to change.
● Provides reassurance to the public that their present goals will be dutifully addressed by the government.
● Elected officials can rely on the commitment of civil servants.
● The officers themselves have strong morale as they anticipate recognition based on their abilities rather than political
affiliations.
● Enables the provision of unbiased and honest policy recommendations, utilising delegated legislative powers to
maximise resource utilisation.

CONCLUSION
The values of objectivity and neutrality are complementary to each other. They ensure effective implementation of
public policies in line with the government’s mandate “Sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas”.

ANONYMITY
Anonymity is strength of civil servants Civil servants are like fourth lion of the Ashoka emblem, which remains
invisible “yet makes its presence felt at all times.” - Narender Modi
● In terms of Public Service, it refers to staying behind the curtain. It is related to the concepts of Permanence and
Neutrality in civil services.
● It is necessary that civil servants (Permanent Executives) give advice freely and without fear (Neutrality) to the
Governments of different political parties.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● It means that the civil servants work from behind the screen and avoid media limelight and public gaze. Civil servants
neither get credit for the success nor are blamed for the failure. It is the responsibility of the political executive.
Example:
● In the Mundhra deal scam (1957), Chagla commission held that “Minister T.T. Krishnamachari is
constitutionally responsible for the actions of his secretary (H.M.Patel) and he can’t take shelter behind them or
disown reasonability.” Consequently, the Minister resigned.
● Several Doctors, Paramedics and Medical Staff have Anonymously contributed to the fight against COVID-19
pandemic.
● It is said that Bureaucracy represents the Anonymous Fourth Lion in our National Emblem.

SHOULD CIVIL SERVANTS BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE?


Arguments in Favour
● Public image keeps them motivated to keep working for larger good.
● They are idealised by youth and should become moral leaders.
● Good public image ensures acceptance and appreciation from public in service delivery.
● Good public image creates a favourable working environment among colleagues to serve for betterment.
● Public image brings courage and ensures whistleblowing against corruption.
● Public image is sometimes useful for perception management and information dissemination, e.g. during COVID-19
Arguments Against
● Concern for public image may divert them for some other short-term goals and gains.
● Too much concern for public acceptance may lead to decisions in favour of public sentiments, ignoring rationality,
objectivity.
● Might lead to ignorance of hierarchies and disturbing the work culture.
● Undue heroism might dilute their neutrality and expose them to vulnerabilities.
● Against the features of anonymity and views expressed might be political in nature

WAY FORWARD
Civil servants of modern India cannot remain in the “ivory towers” but they have to make their presence felt. A good
public image might help them in removing negative apprehensions towards them, such as corruption, red tapism; but at
the same time too much concern for public image might lead to misplaced priorities.

DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE


“We should perform our duties diligently and piously, but without expectation of what the results will be.” -
Bhagavad Gita

● Dedication is the quality of being able to give or


apply one’s time, attention, energy or self, entirely
to a particular activity, person or cause. Willing to go
beyond duty.
● It is different from commitment, which is formally
obligated/bound, whereas dedication is commitment
with passion and is guided by a sense of duty,
inspired by some ideals.
● ‘Dedication to Public Service’ refers to keeping the Qualities of
public good above all which will ensure that a civil an Officer
Dedicated to
servant’s sense of duty is integrated with his official Public
responsibility. Services
Seeks neither
Example - 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan. rewards nor Public welfare
above personal
Why is it needed? recognition for
interest
● It keeps them motivated to keep doing their job even efforts
if it is boring, unwanting, tedious.
● It is highly required as civil servants face difficult and different situations regularly.
● It brings empathy in civil servants towards their job and people.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Public service is highly important to realise the ideals of the Constitution, such as justice, equality etc.

TOLERANCE
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”-Voltaire
“Civilization will reach only when it learns to value, diversity of character and idea”- Arthur C Clarke
“In the Practice Of Tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.” – Dalai Lama
● Tolerance refers to a fair, objective and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion,
nationality etc. differ from one's own.
● It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief.
● Tolerance is the ability to appreciate, tolerate others who have different beliefs than oneself, regardless of their race,
religion, ethnicity, or other characteristics.
o Example - The programme ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ has been initiated to celebrate the spirit of
national integration and to teach tolerance.
o Example - Bhasha Sangam, an initiative where students would be learning 22 Indian languages in their
schools.
Other Examples:
● S. R. Sankaran, IAS, was known as the People’s Man as he led to the Abolition of Bonded Labour and did a lot
for the welfare of marginalised communities.
● Kiran Bedi (1st woman IPS) transformed the Tihar jail from a ‘Human Zoo’ to a ‘Human Dwelling’ through her
Dedication towards Work.
Role of Tolerance at Different Levels:
Level Role

Individual Level Teaches one to respect others and not to impose our will on others.
Example- Beef may be prescribed for one community in the society but if it is part of someone’s
culture then it helps in broadening our perspective and thinking.
Societal Level Promotes peace.
Example- Imposition of Urdu in former East Pakistan led to division of Pakistan, whereas
linguistic tolerance has strengthened unity in India.
Government Level Increases legitimacy and provides a holistic view of various issues.
Example- Tribal Panchsheel has been largely beneficial in promotion of democracy in the
North-eastern region.
International Level Promotes peace and security.
Example- The lack of tolerance between Israel and Arab countries has led to frequent
conflicts in the region.

SIGNIFICANCE OF TOLERANCE
● Civil servants must provide equal service to all segments of our varied community, which is unattainable if they lack
tolerance.
● Upholds human rights, pluralism, democracy and rule of law, thus enables human development.
● Enables new inventions and removes the status quo in the society as it enables freedom of expression.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Upholds the moral worth of every individual as all individuals have equal moral worth according to John Stuart
Mill.
● Enables civil servants in public service as diverse societies like ours need service of all equally.
● The virtue of tolerance, which makes peace possible, helps to replace the culture of violence with a culture of peace.
● It accommodates people in society irrespective of their sexual orientation. Example - Acceptance of LGBTQ
community.
● Broadens the perspective of civil servants and upholds values like justice, impartiality and objectivity.
● A civil servant posted in a state other than his own, his tolerant aptitude, may face problem in adapting and dedicating
himself to the service of people
● Tolerance as virtue is important to pursue the high ideal of secularism enshrined in the constitution. Intolerance
would breed injustice and violence which are antidotes to a balanced development in a culturally diverse nation.
● Courage to Fight for Others' Rights –
Tolerance gives respect for others and hence
courage to fight for their rights like fight
against racial discrimination, LGBTQ
community, minority etc.
● Better Decision – Tolerance avoids impulsive
decisions. It buys time and helps in minimising
loss and damage. Allows healthy debate and
discussion to take place between different
sections and hence outcomes are democratic. In
times of peace, people have a chance to thrive
socially, economically and emotionally.
● Tolerance creates a society in which people can
feel valued and respected, and in which there is room for every person, each with their own ideas, thoughts and dreams.
● Tolerance allows individuality and diversity. It is more about mutual respect and the common good, and not about
who is right and who is wrong.
CONCLUSION
● Historically tolerance has been the central virtue of some of the greatest empires. Be it Asoka’s Dhamma or Akbar’s
Sul-i-kul, tolerance was a key principle.
● Being tolerant of each other and caring for each other is what makes us human. This is why we have believed tolerance
is important and an essential aspect of a healthy, livable society.
● In fact, it is the only way in which a country as diverse as India (Politically, religiously, economically) can function
and use each and every difference to make its people thrive rather than suffer.

ACCEPTANCE
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't
need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”- Lao Tzu
● Acceptance refers to the assent of an individual or group to the reality of a situation or any condition (usually negative
and unpleasant) and recognising it without protest or trying to change it. Tolerance is not enough, it is the idea of
acceptance that accommodates diversities and makes a society inclusive.
Examples:
● Goddess Sita had shown acceptance in every crossroads of her life- princess of Mithila and wife of Lord Rama (joy),
and also 14 years exile (misery).
● Sports Players accept defeats and learn from those defeats.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOLERANCE AND ACCEPTANCE


Parameter Tolerance Acceptance
Definition It is a permissive attitude towards differing It goes beyond tolerance and there is assent
opinion, attitude etc. and willingness to and recognition of differing opinions,
tolerate them. attitude etc.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Attitude towards Dislike There is passive resignation and dislike may With acceptance, there is active effort to
continue to exist get rid of dislike
Example Akbar’s Ibadat Khana discussions The philosophy of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam

EMPATHY AND COMPASSION


“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.
“ – Alfred Alder
“A devotee should feel universal empathy. A person is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true
equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress.” – Lord Krishna in the holy Bhagavad Gita
“I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.” Mahatma Gandhi
" Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another , listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of
another" Alfred Adler.

EMPATHY
● Empathy refers to the ability to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the others' feelings, desires, ideas
and actions or It is an act of perceiving, understanding, experiencing and responding to the emotional state and ideas
of another person.
● An empathetic point of view is achieved by setting aside our own interests, current disposition, and relation to the
agent and sympathizing with the effects of a person’s actions on those around him.
Three ways of looking at Empathy:
● Affective Empathy: The ability to share emotions of others.
● Cognitive Empathy: The ability to understand the emotions of others.
● Emotional Empathy: The ability to regulate one’s emotions.

NEED OF EMPATHY IN CIVIL SERVICES


● Lack of empathy leads to narrow understanding of others’ perspectives.
o Example - Gender related issues, discrimination faced by transgenders etc. which might lead to social
unrest.
● Empathy helps to understand the ground realities which will reflect in policy formulations and implementation.
o Example - Tribes have certain customary values which are contradictory to the rules of government. Here
empathy in public servants would act as saviour for the tribal population.
● Increasing the effectiveness of bureaucracy as they will not follow the rule rather follow the spirit behind the rules,
i.e. welfare of people.
● Empathy helps us understand others’ emotions and thus improves our emotional intelligence.

HOW TO INCULCATE EMPATHY?


● Sensitivity training through fieldwork, role playing games, perspective taking etc.
● Value system needs to be improved from early life by the family members and then in school.
● Emphasising the spirit of Sarvadharma Sambhav through interactions among different socio-cultural groups.
● Using art, culture and cinema. Example - Satyajit Ray’s “Pather Panchali” realistically portrays poverty and
rural India.

COMPASSION
“Compassion is at the root of a tree called Dharma.” Bhagavad Gita

● If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
● Compassion is the understanding or empathy for the suffering of others. More involved than simple empathy,
compassion commonly gives rise to 'an active desire to alleviate others' suffering'.

Empathy + Action = Compassion

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Importance of Compassion for Civil Servants:


● Civil Servants are agents of change and compassion motivates them to
help people and ensure welfare of people.
● Compassion improves the attitude of a civil servant with other positive
traits like generosity, kindness and understanding.
● It contributes to efficient service delivery through people-centric,
humane, accommodative administration.
● It makes civil servants responsive to the needs of citizens, especially those
in distress.
● Compassion also inculcates selflessness and spirit of service for country,
society and its people without any self-motive, which keeps civil servants
motivated.
● Compassion refers to a step further, where a person not only feels empathy but also a desire to help alleviate the
suffering of the other person. Thus, the emphasis here is on action and wanting to help.

COMPARATIVE ACCOUNT OF ANTIPATHY, APATHY, SYMPATHY, EMPATHY AND COMPASSION


Antipathy ● Negative emotions for the target group Example-If a hungry person approaches you for food,
(but not hate). you scold him rather than helping.
● Attempt to cause suffering and
discomfort to target group
Apathy ● Absence of attachment Example- If a hungry person approaches you for food,
● General behaviour of indifference, you remain indifferent to him/her.
disinterest with regards to the needs of
others.
Sympathy ● Acknowledgement of distress of others. Example-If a hungry person approaches you for food,
● Help provided is not based on what is you provide him/her cold drink, frooti etc, whereas that
required by others but on what the one person needs daal-roti.
thinks others require.
Empathy ● Detached attachment with person Example-If a hungry person approaches you for food,
● Help offered is as per the needs and the you provide him/her what he/she needs, i.e. daal-roti.
requirements of the distressed group
but orientation to help is somewhat less
active
Compassion ● Detached attachment with person Example- If a hungry person approaches you for food,
● Empathy + Active desire to alleviate you provide him/her daal-roti but also ensure that he/she
suffering of those in distress gets regular food and does not have to beg like this.

OTHER IMPORTANT VALUES

DISCIPLINE AND SINCERITY


“Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem
to all.” – George Washington.
“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” ― Confucius
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live
by them.” - John F. Kennedy
● Discipline in the organisation is adhering to the framework of standard operating procedure and following the
certain chain of command which is essential for the functioning of the organisation in a just manner.
● Sincerity is the quality of being Honest, Genuine, and Truthful in one's thoughts, actions, and communication with
others. It is a virtue that involves being Authentic, Transparent, and Straightforward in expressing oneself and in
dealing with others
● Discipline and sincerity are the characteristics features of the Civil Servants. Both values help to inculcate practices
essential for the implementation of government policy, schemes.
● A Disciplined and sincere civil servant shows courage and conviction in dealing with injustice in the society.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct
disobedience.
● Discipline and sincerity motivate civil servants to adhere to principles of the Code of Conducts.
Examples:
● Randhir Prasad, a 1974-batch Indian Police Service officer eliminated many criminal gangs during his tenure.
On the morning of 3 January 1991, robbers had conducted a heist in the Hirapur branch of the Bank of India. They
had taken control of the bank, tying up the bank staff present there. He rushed to the bank all alone to resolve the
situation. Taking on five armed robbers on his own, he battled gallantly until he was shot and killed, but not before he
saved the bank and the lives of the staff tied up there.
● Coming to office on time, avoiding corruption, taking decisions based on Objectivity, Compassion, Neutrality, etc.
● Ex. IAS Mahantesh – Mahantesh blew the whistle on several Co-operative housing scams in the city.
● It is sincere on part of the Government to not only highlight the contributions of the small Artists, Tribals and less
significant groups but also to recognise and Award them.
Discipline Sincerity
● Discipline refers to behaviour that portrays ● Sincerity is the absence of pretence, deceit, or hypocrisy
the ability to control self or others even in and the quality of acting on honest and genuine feelings
difficult situations, through obedience to or beliefs.
particular rules and standards. ● Sincerity prepares the mind for other virtues also. It
● It gives order to the organisation and a enables other values to grow strong and grow fast. It
predictable outcome, avoiding chaos and wins the hearts of others and enables a person to be
mismanagement. nearer to God.
● Discipline may or may not be internally ● Sincerity is action that is always premised on one’s own
driven and may even have externally set beliefs and values and thereby more likely to be
benchmarks internalised and positively reinforced.

PERSEVERANCE
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” -Nelson Mandela
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”-Walter Elliot
“Every work has to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. Those that persevere will see the light,
sooner or later.” -Swami Vivekananda
● Perseverance is the quality of continuing to pursue a goal or task despite challenges, obstacles, and setbacks. It
involves a combination of determination, persistence, and resilience in the face of difficulties or failures. It is an
important trait for achieving success in various fields. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of
doing the hard work you already did.
Examples:
● Thomas Edison continued, despites failing over 1000 times, in the invention of the light bulb.
● Efforts that attempt to bring behavioural transformation (removal of open defecation, vaccine hesitancy) in the
society takes time and requires perseverance.

PERSEVERANCE AND CIVIL SERVANTS:


This quality gives the character a stability and conviction, which ensures that the ends are achieved despite the difficulties
that come in the path.

COURAGE
“Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success.” - Essay, 2019
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practise any other virtue
consistently.” - Maya Angelou
● Mind is human’s greatest weapon because it tells us between danger and opportunities.
● Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation with poise and the
moral conviction that underpins necessary and ethically correct action. Courage is not just physical bravery.
● Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practise any other virtue
consistently

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Example:
● Courage of Mansi Bariha from Odisha helped to rescue 6000 migrant workers from 30 kilns in TN during covid-
19 induced lockdown last year.
● Courage of Captain Vikram Batra during Kargil War.
● Mahatma Gandhi withdrew Non- Cooperation movement because of the Chauri Chaura incident
● Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidhyasagar stood against the odds and ill practices prevalent in
society
● Civil Services: Whistleblowing, withstanding pressure and adversities, raising voice against injustice.
o Narendra Kumar, the IPS officer of 2009 batch, fought with exemplary courage against the Mining Mafias in
Morena, Madhya Pradesh.

RELEVANCE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS


● The very essence of courage is being able to withstand and survive adversities.
● A civil servant’s duty is not restricted to complying with rules, regulations and orders but he has to meet uncertain
circumstances which requires him to move beyond established rules and take a call without fear of being punished or
prosecuted.
● For civil servants it is the urge of ‘public service’ which gives them enough courage to start and as they move on they
realise that it was really worth it.
● A civil servant is required to implement the orders of government without bias, with honesty and without fear or
favour.
● Courage is the virtue which helps in remaining ethical and rightful irrespective of the situations. This is really
essential for a civil servant to attain success.
● It is precisely in this area that a degree of a difference of opinion begins to emerge between the political executive and
the civil servants. But if that civil servant stands up in courage for what he/she believes is right then it will ensure
integrity not just for him/her but in the system too.
● For instance, Retired IAS officer Mahesh Zagade once met with such a situation while signing the tenders for new
road construction. After analysing all facts he came to the conclusion that it will be an unnecessary expenditure of
public money on the well built roads. It led to conflict between him and some regional political leaders, but he stood
firm courageously on the value of avoiding unnecessary expenditure of public money and rose victorious.
● Courage develops following attributes in the Civil Servants:
o Creates credibility: It helps a civil servant to be trustworthy and get lots of respect in the career because
honest and courageous people who stand up with integrity are really trusted by others.
o Leadership: This principle is articulation of the same idea as I referred to in the context of Mahatma
Gandhi’s Experiments with Truth.
o It improves work culture and motivates subordinate officers to be courageous and stand up for what they
believe.
o It helps in taking bold decisions. For instance, Whistleblowers need courage of conviction to disclose
information.
Conclusion
● Courage to stand up for what one believes is of great importance for civil servants in governance as it would have a
major impact on the everyday lives of the people and it ensures integrity by continuation of the policy of honesty in
the governance.

CASE STUDY
● Prakash Singh committee’s report has pointed to the fact that many civil servants abdicated their duty during the Jat
reservation stir in Haryana. When inquired of what made them run away from their call of duty, they replied being
afraid of taking a tough call for the want of courage.
● For civil servants it is the urge of ‘public service’ which gives them enough courage to start and as they move on they
realise that it was really worth it.

RESPONSIVENESS
“It seems to me that responsiveness is a better source for understanding what moral claims are and how they work
upon us.“ - Judith Butler

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Responsiveness refers to the ability to respond quickly and appropriately to a situation, request, or stimulus.
● It refers to the quality of being attentive and responding to whatever new opportunities and challenges arises every
day and also to the emerging needs of the public.
Example:
● Shivdeep Waman Lande, the IPS officer of 2006 batch arrested many Criminals, worked towards women safety
and took on the Pharmaceutical Mafia, took strong action against eve teasers and has been very easily accessible to
the people. Received hundreds of messages everyday and he made sure that each message is attended to.

PRUDENCE
“It is a truth but too well known, that rashness attends youth, as prudence does old age.” – Cicero

“No other protection is wanting, provided you are under the guidance of prudence.” – Juvenal

● It refers to the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. Wisdom, insight and knowledge are often
associated with prudence.
● Although prudence itself does not perform any actions, and is concerned solely with knowledge, all virtues are to be
regulated by it.
● Being prudent means making wise decisions based on principle and managing your practical affairs in a shrewd and
discreet manner.
● A prudent person tries to verify viral social media posts before reacting to them.
● Public Finance Management and Prudence – Government taking steps in fiscal consolidation, RBI Monetary policy
rates have prudent fiscal management as their objective.
● Lack of Prudent: We purchase something spontaneously and later realise we didn't really need it and should have
saved the money for something else.
Example:
● A professional shows prudence when she prioritises the quality of her work, upskills herself beforehand.

RELEVANCE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS


● Prudence is considered as the mother of all virtues. It plays a vital role in terms of guiding and regulating all the other
virtues. For example, courage in the pursuit of a foolish policy can lead to a catastrophe. For these reasons, prudence
is the charioteer of the virtues.
● Example- To tackle the issue of acute water shortage in Vadodara, Shalini Agarwal, IAS came up with an innovative
solution of setting up rainwater harvesting in schools in the state, which in turn helped 1.8 lakh students by saving 10
crore litres of water every year. Through the Varsha Kal Nidhi scheme, rainwater is collected from the terrace and
channelised through pipes towards a chamber in the ground. The chamber then filters and percolates the water in the
bore wells, ensuring direct groundwater recharge.
● Prudence provides practical knowledge and experience, while virtues provide the moral foundation for ethical
decision-making.

TEMPERANCE:
“Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.” -
Frances E. Willard

● Temperance is a personality trait that refers to the ability to exercise Self-Control and Moderation in one's behaviour
and avoiding Impulsive Behaviour especially when it comes to indulging. Temperance allows individuals to
maintain balance and avoid extremes.
● Temperance is the virtue that helps us control our physical desire for pleasure.
● Temperance or moderation is especially important for public servants. It signifies the ability to control one’s anger,
emotions and desires.
● Temperance is nothing but controlling behaviour. It is needed for effective behaviour, especially dealing with Political
pressure, adverse working condition, Ethical dilemma and Conflict of Interest.

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● Self-restraint Moderation: It is generally characterised as the control over excess, and expressed through
characteristics such as chastity, modesty, humility, self-regulation, forgiveness and mercy; each of these involves
restraining an excess of some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or anger.
Example:
● An individual not indulging in harmful/useless activities either due to peer pressure or even otherwise.

CONFIDENTIALITY
“Confidentiality is an ancient and well-warranted social value.” - Kay Redfield Jamison

“Confidentiality is a virtue of the loyal, as loyalty is the virtue of faithfulness.” - Edwin Louis Cole

“In intelligence work, there are limits to the amount of information one can share.
Confidentiality is essential.” - Gijs de Vries

“Confidentiality is the essence of being trusted.” - Billy Graham


● Confidentiality refers to the practice/assurance of keeping sensitive or classified information, data, or knowledge
private and preventing its disclosure to unauthorised individuals or unintended audience.
● It refers to maintaining or keeping secrecy of certain information, matters from the public view for larger public
interest.
Example:
● Section 8 of Right to Information Act, 2005 and Official Secrets Act provide for confidentiality in larger public
interest.
● Non-disclosure of the identity of the victims of sexual crimes: the identity is protected so that they are not subjected
to unnecessary ridicule, social ostracization and harassment.

Privacy and Confidentiality


Privacy Confidentiality
● Privacy is the state when an individual is free from ● Confidentiality refers to a state when it is intended
public interruption and intrusion. It is the right of or expected from someone to keep the information
every individual to be left alone in his personal secret.
matters because everybody has his personal life. ● It is a situation when information is kept secret
● It is a situation when a person is free from public from the reach of any other person.
interference. ● Confidentiality is about information.
● Privacy talks about a person. ● It protects the information from the range of
● Privacy restricts the public from accessing the unauthorised persons.
personal details about a person. ● In confidentiality some specified and trustworthy
● In privacy, everyone is disallowed from interfering people are allowed to have access to the
in the personal matters of a person. information.
● If the relationship between parties is a fiduciary. ● If the relationship between parties is a fiduciary.
Privacy is a right Confidentiality is an agreement.
Examples: Examples:
● Medical Examination ● Doctor-patient relationship
● Activities within home ● Financial institutions – customers
● Using a public bathroom ● Data gathered by the Government to be used with
Confidentiality

OPENNESS
“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” -Louis D. Brandeis

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● Openness refers to the state of being Transparent, Inclusive, and Accessible. Openness promotes a Culture of
Trust, Accountability, and leads to social and economic development by increasing access to knowledge and
opportunities, enhancing innovation, and creating more inclusive societies.
● Nolan Report on Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions
that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest
clearly demands.
Examples:
● Development of Cowin Platform during Vaccination drive for Covid-19.
● RTI Act 2005 enacted to bring Openness in Administration.
● Jan Soochna Portal of Rajasthan Government promotes Openness

SELFLESSNESS
“We are formed and moulded by our thoughts.
Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act.” - Gautama Buddha

● Selflessness refers to the quality or state of being concerned more with the needs and well-being of others than
with one's own.
● Selflessness can manifest itself in many different ways, including acts of kindness, generosity, patriotism and
altruism.
● It is often associated with empathy, compassion, and a sense of social responsibility. Selflessness signifies serving
public interest and keeping it above self-interest.
● Selflessness literally means placing less importance on yourself than on others.
● Selfless service keeps the civil servant away from any kind of corruption. A selfless civil servant can maintain absolute
integrity because it is difficult to lure him/her by offering monetary or non-monetary gains to get some undue favour.
● Nolan Report on Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of public interest. They should not
do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
Example:
● Brave Soldiers of India laying off their lives for protecting their Motherland.
● Mother Teresa dedicated herself to the selfless service of the suffering and tortured humanity.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Context:
● Recently, the central government has informed the Supreme Court that the act of cohabitation and engaging in a sexual
relationship by same-sex individuals, which is now decriminalised, cannot be equated with the traditional Indian
family unit consisting of a husband, wife, and children born out of their union.
● This statement was made in response to pleas seeking recognition of same-sex marriage.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BY THE GOVERNMENT


Not in sync with Societal Morality and Indian Ethos:
● They assert that the definition of marriage inherently involves a union between two opposite-sex individuals,
which is deeply ingrained in social, cultural, and legal concepts of marriage.
● They emphasise the importance of preserving this definition without dilution through judicial interpretation.
Role of Legislature
● The government asserts that it is the legislature's responsibility to determine and enforce societal morality and public
acceptance based on Indian ethos. Any substantial changes to the legislative policy regarding marriage should be
addressed through the proper legislative process.
Impact on Children's Well-being
● The government contends that marriage and the family institution play vital roles in providing security, support, and
companionship within Indian society.

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● They argue that children raised in same-sex marriages would not have the same opportunities as those raised by
heterosexual couples. The affidavit suggests that the welfare and upbringing of children may be adversely affected in
such cases.
Legal Definition of Marriage
● The government highlights that the current legal framework in India recognizes marriage exclusively between a
biological man and a biological woman.
● Government pointed out various personal and codified laws that govern marriage in India and argued that the
legislative understanding of marriage is specific to opposite-sex unions.
Religious Aspect
● The government states that marriage holds religious significance for various communities in India. They emphasise
that marriage is considered a sacrament within different religious beliefs, but it is still envisioned as a union between
a biological man and a biological woman.
● They argue that altering the legislative policy to recognize same-sex marriage would go against religious and societal
norms deeply embedded in the country.

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE


Definition:
● Advocates for same-sex marriage argue that the concept of marriage lacks a precise definition. They believe that
marriage should be seen as a voluntary union of equals, where both parties maintain their autonomy and provide
emotional, financial, and sexual support to each other.
● They assert that the definition of marriage should not be limited by gender or sexuality.
Respecting:
● Supporters argue that the state has no legitimate interest in mandating whom individuals choose to marry. They claim
that the decision to enter into a marriage is deeply personal and intimate, and the law should not dictate choices of
partners or the nature of relationships. They believe that the state should respect and fulfil the rights of same-sex
couples, similar to heterosexual couples.
Promotes Equality:
● Legalizing same-sex marriage is seen as essential for promoting equality and combating discrimination. Advocates
argue that all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should have the right to marry and
have their relationships recognized under the law.
● Granting this right helps reduce discrimination and fosters social acceptance of the LGBTQIA community.
Harmless for Society:
● Supporters contend that legalizing same-sex marriage has no adverse effects on society or the institution of marriage.
They argue that allowing same-sex couples to marry does not harm heterosexual marriages or undermine the stability
of society.
Role of Judiciary:
● Advocates believe that courts play a crucial role in leading social change. They argue that the Supreme Court has a
duty to protect and promote fundamental rights, including the right to marriage.
● If the government fails to uphold these rights, it becomes the responsibility of the courts to ensure equality and justice
for all citizens.
Key Terms
Objectivity, Neutrality, Anonymity, Dedication to Public Service, Tolerance , Acceptance, Empathy, Compassion,
Antipathy, Apathy, Sympathy, Empathy, Sincerity, Perseverance, Courage

Previous Year Questions Year


1. Discipline generally implies following the order and subordination. However, it may be counter- 2017
productive for the organisation. Discuss.
2. Examine the relevance of the following in the context of civil service: 2017
(a) Transparency (b) Accountability
(c) Fairness and Justice (d) Courage of Conviction
(e) Spirit of service

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CHAPTER 7 EMOTIONS AND INTELLIGENCE


“When awareness is brought to emotions, power is brought to our life.”-Tara Meyer Robson

“Anyone can become angry- that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time and for the right
purpose – that is not within everyone’s power and that is not easy”.--- Aristotle

"What really matters for success, character, happiness and lifelong achievements is a definite set of emotional skills –
your EQ — not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests." —Daniel Goleman.

INTRODUCTION
● Emotions are generally understood as intense feelings, favourable or unfavourable that are directed at someone or
something. Example- Happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise etc.

3 KEY ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONS


● Subjective Experience: These are the personal experiences of emotions that can vary. For Example - Anger, which
can range from mild annoyance to blinding rage.
● Physiological Response: It refers to the result of the autonomic nervous system’s reaction to the emotion we’re
experiencing. For Example - shifts in heartbeat, blood pressure etc.
● Behavioural Response: It can be referred to as the actual expression of the emotion. It is the outward signs of internal
reactions. For Example - Smile, laugh, frowned brows, etc.
Difference between Emotions and Feelings
● Even though both the terms are used similarly, feeling is used to refer to a person’s private emotional experience
or self-perception of a specific emotion.
● When an event occurs, one first responds automatically at a physical level even without awareness (emotion)
and then registers or evaluates this (feeling). Feelings are created by emotions.
● Example - When one sees a snake nearby, their heartbeat, breathing, perspiration (physiological arousal) might
increase immediately, causing the action of running away. Only later might one realise that the feeling they
experienced was fear.

CLASSIFICATION OF EMOTIONS
● Primary and Secondary Emotions: Primary emotions are the direct emotional reactions to a situation and come
first. A secondary emotion is an emotional response to a primary emotion.
o Example - If a person becomes sad because someone has said something hurtful, then sadness is primary emotion
and if that person is getting angry due to sadness, then anger is secondary emotion.
● Positive and Negative Emotions: Emotions like joy, interest, love etc. that are pleasurable to experience are called
positive emotions. They open up new possibilities and build up our personal resources. While negative emotions are
those that we do not find pleasurable to experience. Example - anger, distress etc.
o However, negative emotions can also be valuable and constructive sometimes. For Example - if anger is
channelised in the proper direction then it can bring good results.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EMOTIONS
● Response to an Event: Emotions are experienced in response to a particular internal or external, tangible or intangible
actions/events. This response involves physical arousal in the body - heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration, release
of hormones etc.
o Example - A speedy car coming towards us would increase our heartbeat and will cause fear.
● Motivation to Take Action: A motivation to take action is activated, i.e. seeking things and activities that provide
pleasure and avoiding those that give rise to pain or unpleasantness.
o Example - A person who has positive emotions (liking) towards ice-cream will purchase it.
● Role of Sensations and Thoughts: Emotions arise out of our sensations, perceptions and thoughts related to objects,
persons and situations.
o Example- The perception about Taliban rule in Afghanistan (based on the previous rule) is causing Afghan
people to leave the country.

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● Variation in Intensity: Emotions vary in their intensity.


o Example - Happiness can be experienced as pleasure and contentment at the lower end of the continuum whereas
excited and thrilled at the higher end of the continuum. Similarly, being irritated and upset are the milder forms
of anger whereas furious and enraged are high intensity anger feelings.
● Desirable or Undesirable: Emotions can be desirable or undesirable to an individual, depending on whether the said
event is perceived as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ or performs an adaptive function for an individual.
o Example - Joy, love, interest etc. are positive and desired emotions and anger, distress, etc. are negative
emotions.

FUNCTIONS OF EMOTIONS
● Intrapersonal Functions: They help us guide our behaviour and make decisions, so that we can survive as well as
function as human beings.
o Example - Happiness promotes creative thinking and expands our focus to allow new ideas.
● Interpersonal Functions: Expression of emotions serves as an indication or signal to others about how one is feeling.
o Example - Showing sadness may stimulate others to show empathy or sympathy.
● Social and Cultural Functions: Emotions help in construction and maintenance of societies and cultures.
o Example- Emotions such as trust often act as a social glue that keeps groups together.
● Decision Making: Emotions make decision making swifter as options associated with strong negative emotions are
eliminated outrightly.
o Example- When buying clothes, a person can reject particular colours that he/she does not like.
Thus, to regulate our emotional response, action and intensity of our emotions and to ensure that emotions function in the
positive direction, we need a combination of emotions and intelligence, i.e. emotional intelligence.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
● Definition: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability of the individual to identify one’s own emotions and those of
others, apply them in thought and action, regulate and manage them.
● In a nutshell, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions and;
recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. It is critical to manage our behaviour and decision
making. The term was coined by two researchers – Peter Salovey and John Mayer in 1990 but got popular in 1996
from Dan Goleman’s book ‘Emotional Intelligence'.

What is Intelligence?
● Intelligence is a set of cognitive abilities which allow us to acquire knowledge, to learn and to solve problems.

SALOVEY AND MAYER’S FOUR BRANCHES OF EI

Perceiving Emotions Reasoning with Emotions Understanding Emotions Managing Emotions


The first step in It involves the use of The emotions that we It is a key part of emotional
understanding emotions emotions to promote perceive can carry a wide intelligence. Regulating
is to accurately perceive thinking and cognitive variety of meanings. If emotions, responding
them. In many cases, this activity. It helps to prioritise someone is expressing angry appropriately and
might involve our attention and reaction; emotions, the observer must responding to the emotions
understanding nonverbal we respond emotionally to interpret the cause of their of others are all important
signals such as body things that garner our anger and what it might aspects of emotional
language and facial attention. mean. management.
expressions.

COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE


According to Daniel Goleman, five components of Emotional Intelligence are:

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● Self-awareness: It is the ability to form an accurate model of oneself, knowledge of one's strength and weaknesses
and understanding how to utilise one's strength and weaknesses to encash the opportunities that come in one's way. It
includes self-confidence, realistic self-assessment and self-deprecating sense of humour.
o Example - Sachin Tendulkar knew about his strength, i.e. cricket rather than any other occupation.
● Self-regulation: It is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviours effectively in different
situations. It includes trustworthiness and integrity; self-control; ability to adapt; openness to change etc.
o Example - If a person working in a company wants to take leave but the boss is angry at the moment,
then he/she has to regulate his/her emotions for some time to ask for leave.
o Example - Due to self-regulation, Gandhiji was able to handle the situation after the Chauri-Chaura
incident even after facing criticism.
● Internal Motivation: It refers to finding internal reasons to work beyond external rewards like money and status.
It includes strong passion for work, ability to counteract
disappointment that results from occasional failure and thrive
under adversity.
o Example - The COVID-19 pandemic has put
enormous stress on the doctors and they had to
find internal motivation to keep working for
patients.
o Example - The scarcity of sports infrastructure in
our country requires strong internal motivation
for Olympians, Paralympians etc.
● Empathy: Empathy refers to the ability to imagine oneself in
another's place and understand the others' feelings, desires,
ideas and actions. It is an act of perceiving, understanding,
experiencing and responding to the emotional state and ideas
of another person.
o Example- Tribes have certain customary values which are contradictory to the rules of government. Here,
empathy in public servants would act as saviour for the tribal population.
o Example- Because of Empathy, Nelson Mandela was able to recognise the common humanity in all
people, even in his enemies.
● Social Skills: It includes proficiency in handling relationships and building social networks, and the ability to find
common ground and to build rapport. It includes persuasiveness, tolerance, tactfulness, social memory etc.
o Example - When an angry mob is protesting for justice for a rape victim, a Civil Servant should be able
to get hold of public emotions and should be able to pacify them with his/her words.
o Example - Aligarh SSP Akash Kulhari walked unarmed into the crowd of protestors and appealed to
students to remain peaceful while recognising their right to protest.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQ AND IQ


● Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a measure of one’s emotional intelligence, i.e. a measurement of one’s ability to
monitor his/her emotions, to cope with pressures and demands, and to control his or her thoughts and actions.
Emotional Quotient (EQ) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
● Measure of a person's emotional intelligence. ● Score derived from one of several standardised tests
designed to assess an individual’s intelligence.
● Refers to a person’s ability to perceive, control, ● Refers to an individual’s abilities such as visual and
evaluate and express emotions. spatial processing, knowledge of the world, working
memory etc.
● A high EQ means someone is self-confident, self- ● A person with high IQ may be able to learn certain
aware and able to handle difficult emotional subjects very quickly and make connections between
experiences. ideas that others miss.
● Example - It will help in developing consensus ● Example - It will help to understand the policy and
around any government policy. requirements.

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● Thus, IQ can be imagined as an engine that can power a vehicle but EQ will act as the steering of that vehicle which
will give direction to IQ.
● Therefore, IQ alone is not enough for success. It can only get a person into a job but to be successful in the job, that
person needs to cooperate and collaborate with others where EQ plays an important role.

IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE


IMPORTANCE OF EI IN PERSONAL LIFE
● Conflict Resolution: Emotionally intelligent people can
handle difficult individuals, groups of people, or tense
situations with diplomacy. EI helps us to handle ‘fight’ or
‘flight’ situations and find collaborative solutions.
● Mental Health: It helps us to manage our emotions, which
means that we can manage our stress. This keeps us protected
against depression and anxiety. Also, emotionally
intelligent people can handle pressure with ease.
● Decision Making: Researchers agree that the key to good
decision is the combination of both thinking and feeling in
one’s decisions. Positive mood and emotions help in better
decision making.
● Optimism: It helps to control our negative emotions and
provide a proper perspective of hope and possibility.
● Personal Growth: It has been found through research that
emotionally intelligent people achieve better results in
personal and professional life. They are flexible enough to
accept positive changes in their life.
● Motivation: Individuals with high emotional intelligence are highly motivated and they can easily adapt to the work
environment and navigate through occasional failures.
● Differentiate Between Needs and Wants: An emotionally intelligent mind is able to differentiate between things
that they need and things they want.

IMPORTANCE OF EI IN CIVIL SERVICES/ADMINISTRATION


● Role Clarity: Self-awareness about oneself reduces role ambiguity and intra-personal conflicts by enabling
individuals to have clarity regarding their personal and professional goals.
o Example - An emotionally intelligent civil servant would keep public interest above his/her personal
interest and is less likely to be involved in corruption.
● For Change: An Emotionally Intelligent person is more likely to try new things, take risks and face new challenges
without fear. This will help in finding innovative solutions to different problems.
● For Decision Making: EI helps in recognizing such emotions that are unrelated to any specific problem and not
allowing them to impact the final result.
● For Better Communication: An Emotionally Intelligent civil servant will be able to communicate policies better.
Also, the person will be able to foster a healthy relationship with subordinates.
● For Maintaining Balance in Life: EI helps a civil servant in managing his/her personal life as well as professional
life.
● Stress Management: EI enables one to manage emotions in anxiety-provoking situations and thus helps one in
maintaining one’s physical and mental wellbeing.
● Self-regulation: Civil Servants that are emotionally intelligent would regulate themselves and rarely verbally attack
others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values.
o Example - Because of self-regulation a Civil Servant would have low greed and therefore low corruption,
such as Ashok Khemka.
● Objectivity and Impartiality: These are foundational values of Civil Services and emotional intelligence would
inculcate these values in a Civil Servant along with making him/her apolitical in the time of politicisation of
bureaucracy.

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o Example - An emotionally intelligent civil servant would ensure that his/her religion, caste, race,
political affiliation etc. does not influence his/her decision making.
● Motivation: EI helps a person in comprehending emotions of others, thus an emotionally intelligent civil servant can
motivate himself/herself and also his/her subordinates towards a particular goal.
o Example - Prashant Nair, District collector of Kozhikode started Compassionate Kozhikode, a
volunteer-driven project to provide various public services.
● Better Targeting of Policies: Empathy is essential to know emotions, moods and drives lifestyle, culture, problems,
inabilities of people at whom public policy is being targeted.
o Example - Armstrong Pame, understood the need of the people and enabled construction of 100 km
Peoples’ road in a historically unconnected region using social donations and resources collected.
o Example - Policies for differently-abled persons, women, transgender persons etc.
● Social Skills: Social skills of an emotionally intelligent civil servant enables him/her to improve interpersonal and
intergroup relationships by facilitating better communication within the organisation and between the individuals,
improves level of cooperation, trustworthiness and commitment.
o Example - A civil servant high on emotional intelligence will be able to solve difficult issues such as
IAS Officer OP Choudhary solved the problem of lack of availability of skilled labour with the
education initiative ‘Choo Lo Aasman’.
o Thus, EI plays an important role in effective handling of diverse challenges that Civil Servants face.
Daniel Goleman has even said, “80% of success at work depends on EI, while only 20% depends on IQ”.

QUALITIES OF AN EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT PERSON


A person with high EI has:
● Higher Integrity: A highly emotionally intelligent person would be aware of his/her inner self and the surrounding
environment. Therefore, there would be lesser mismatch and higher consistency in behaviour.
● Reduced Stress Level: Emotionally intelligent persons are able to better manage their emotions and therefore, hold
themselves in distress and emotionally challenged situations.
● Improved Communication: Emotionally intelligent people are more confident and positive because of self-
awareness and self-regulation and are able to better communicate and connect with others because of their social skills.
● Respect From and For Others: Emotionally intelligent people are able to make a favourable rapport among others
because of tactfulness, sensitivity, cooperativeness and good listening qualities.
● Empathetic: Emotionally intelligent people are also empathetic, because understanding others’ emotions and their
perspective is also essential for emotional intelligence.
● Responsibility: Emotionally intelligent people act in a responsible manner because of empathy and social skills.
● Dedication: Emotionally intelligent people are able to find motivation towards their task and therefore are dedicated
towards their task.
● Creativity: Emotionally intelligent people are able to move their feelings to a space where they can help to come up
with new ideas.

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IMPORTANCE OF EI IN CIVIL SERVICES/ADMINISTRATION

QUALITIES OF AN EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT ADMINISTRATOR


An emotionally intelligent administrator possesses following qualities:
● High Self-regard: Good leaders know about their strengths and capitalise on those strengths, as well as know
their weaknesses and try to fill those gaps.
o Example - Post-independence, Sardar Patel capitalised on his strengths for integration of Princely
states into India.
● Set an Example: Emotionally intelligent administrators set their targets and get them done. By doing this, they set
examples for others.
o Example - Pankaj Jain, the district collector of Katni in Madhya Pradesh could have sent his daughter to
a high-profile play school but sent her to Aanganwadi for play-schooling.
● Inspire a Shared Vision: Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to establish a connection with the masses with
their communication and social skills.
o Example - Former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi gave the slogan “Garibi Hatao, Desh Bachao”
and recently the current Prime Minister Mr Modi has given the slogan “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas”.
● Stay Composed Under Pressure: Good leaders do not flare up and lose control in difficult situations.
o Example - President George W. Bush continued sitting with Florida school children even after being
alerted about the 9/11 attack. By not outwardly reacting, he bought himself space to think and time to
react.
● Maintain Balance in Life: An emotionally intelligent administrator is able to manage his/her own life well—
including stress, home life, fitness and diet. Then he/she can manage his/her professional life better.
o Example - Former US President Barack Obama maintained a work-life balance—spent time with
family, attended his daughter’s parent-teacher conferences in school, etc.
● Encourage Others: Emotionally intelligent administrators recognise the contributions of others. Rewarding people
for their contribution goes a long way in motivating them to be part of the team.
o Example - Recently a CISF personnel, who stopped a Bollywood star, was rewarded for doing his
duty.
● Leadership: Emotionally Intelligent administrators know how to work with others, use resources wisely, support and
credit their people and are able to lead from the front.
o Example- IAS officer Bhupesh Chaudhary (Mizoram) utilised MGNREGA, Mission for Integrated
Development of Horticulture and formed SHGs and cooperatives of farmers to increase the income of
chilli growing farmers by 14 times.
● Selflessness: Because of empathy and social skills, emotionally intelligent administrators are able to understand the
problems of others and show selflessness.
o Example - IAS officer, Nikunja Dhal serving as Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department,
Odisha resumed work merely 24hrs after his father’s death amid COVID-19 pandemic.
● Adaptability: Emotionally Intelligent administrators, because of their calmness, control over emotions etc. are able
to adapt to different and even challenging situations.
o Example- IAS officer Smita Sabharwal adapted to the financial crunch and launched a campaign—Fund
Your City—appealing to residents to help her build the infrastructure of Naxal-affected areas.
● Psychological Well-being: Emotional intelligence is positively correlated with higher life satisfaction, self-esteem
and lower levels of insecurity or depression.

CHALLENGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EI IN ADMINISTRATION


● Although Emotional intelligence is an important aspect of administration but there have been instances which show
that there is lack of emotional intelligence in the administrators
● For Example - Surajpur (Chhattisgarh) District Collector Ranbir Sharma had slapped a boy who was outdoor
during lockdown, instances of corruption, nepotism etc.
Following are the Hindrance to the Development of EI in the Administration:
● Work Pressure: There is excessive work pressure on the bureaucracy which leads to development of “do whatever
it takes” approach.

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o Example- An army jawan was recently thrashed for not wearing a mask by Jharkhand police.
● Cultural Gap: There is also a cultural gap between the bureaucracy and public, which reduces the empathy,
understanding of the public among the bureaucracy and increases the communication gap between them.
o Example - Issue of migrant workers during COVID-19 lockdown where police officers were mainly
focused on implementation of lockdown.
● Use of Technology: Technology is being increasingly used in the administration now. However, technology lacks
emotions and becomes a hindrance in emotional intelligence.
o Example- A girl, Santoshi Kumari from Jharkhand died due to starvation because of denial of ration as
the family’s ration card was not linked with Aadhar card.
● Excessive Anonymity and Hierarchy: Anonymity is considered the strength of the bureaucracy. However, excessive
anonymity and hierarchy might sometimes lead to lack of motivation for taking up responsibility.
o Example - A government official can refuse to grant PDS benefits to a destitute (eligible but lacking
required documents) by making an excuse over want of order from higher officials.
● Lack of Training: Indian bureaucracy is largely trained on the technical part of the task but not on the emotional
intelligence. Also, there is reluctance/red tapism in changing the curriculum of training.

DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN PERSONAL LIFE


Emotional Intelligence (EI) involves emotional skills such as empathy, self-control, accurate self-assessment,
sensitivity to the need of the situations etc., which can be learnt and are result of evolution throughout our life based on
how we face, observe and learn from our everyday experience.
● Practising Emotional Self-control: By practising emotional self-control one can avoid decisions based on
impulsive feelings and emotions and can control and restrain from negative actions.
o Example - While being angry, acting in a mature way by looking at the larger picture.
● Emotional Expression: Emotional expression provides incentive for desired behaviour from the recipient.
o Example - Child-friendly procedures are incorporated in the POCSO Act for making a child
comfortable with the investigation process.
● Self-evaluation: It helps one to know one’s emotions and reactions to different situations.
o Example - Analysing an act of anger would increase the understanding of the emotion and reaction.
● Observation: By observing others, one can comprehend the feelings of others.
o Example - It can be comprehended that someone is troubled by something if he/she is sad.
● Improving Communication: By improving expression through verbal and non-verbal cues communication can be
improved.
o Example - A mother holding a toy in hand and showing joyful expression would make the kid approach
the toy.
● Analysing the Impact: By analysing the impacts of one’s actions over others, one can fine tune the actions of self.
o Example - During COVID-19 first lockdown people were encouraged to provide relief material to
migrants travelling to their home.
● Openness: Being open to criticism increases patience, tolerance towards others, which increases social skills and helps
in keeping calm under adverse situations.
o Example - Gandhiji was open to criticism and therefore remained calm even in difficult situations.
● Entertaining New Ideas: Entertaining new ideas through literature and other sources increases the knowledge about
the public or any other object, which adds to empathy, social skills etc.
o Example - IAS probationers are taken to ‘Bharat Darshan’ to increase their understanding about the
culture and various other aspects of the country.

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DEVELOPMENT OF EI IN CIVIL SERVANTS/ADMINISTRATORS


● Improving Social Skills: Social skills can be improved by working on communication aspects and also by increasing
the knowledge about the society in which the civil servant is working.
o Example - Along with words, non-verbal expressions such as smile etc. would bring better response
from the recipient.
● Sensitivity Training: Sensitivity training through fieldwork, role playing games, perspective taking etc. increases the
empathy in the civil servant.
o Example - Rohini Bhajibhakare (District Collector of Salem District), who is a daughter of a marginal
farmer is known for people-centric governance.
● Channelisation of Emotions: It prevents the influence of the physical and mental environment of the civil servant on
the decision-making.
o Example - A Civil Servant showing too much enthusiasm (even with good intention) while awarding a
contract might put himself/herself on the radar of suspicion.

CRITICISM OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE


● Manipulating Others: A person who is very good at judging and manipulating others emotions without integrity can
hide real emotions and disguise others with expression of other sets of emotions.
o Example - People on social media platforms manipulate other people by exploiting their emotions such
as distress, etc.
● Lack of Communication: Excessive regulation of emotions along with lower social skills might lead to lack of
communication with the recipient.
o Example - If a person (A) is not good in communication skills and does not show any emotion (such as
smile) while meeting someone (B), then that person (B) will have lesser interest in talking to person (A).
● EI has Little Predictive Value: The studies conducted on EI have shown that it adds little or nothing to the prediction
of some common outcomes.
● Confusing Skills with Moral Qualities: EI is a desirable moral quality rather than a skill. A well-developed EI is not
only an instrumental tool for accomplishing goals but as a dark side is a weapon for manipulating others.
● Tolerance Towards Injustice: If a person has excessive control over emotions then he/she can suppress his/her
emotions that might be inclined towards justice.
o Example - A person can control his/her emotion of pity when he/she scolds a poor person asking for
food.
● Lead to Irrational Decisions: Emotions are irrational. Emotions are unproductive. Emotions are subjective. Emotions
should never guide administrative actions.

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High EQ Low EQ
● Understand and Sense others' motivations and ● Easily stressed and impact others with the
inspire good work in them. effect of one’s own overwhelm.
● Create Safety for people to speak their mind, which ● Do not speak up or assert themselves, even in
avoids groupthink. situations where it is required.
● Can sense potential and new opportunities effectively ● Get defensive and argue for points without
better than others. listening to others.
● Resolve conflicts well and do not add to or escalate ● Hold a grudge that is hard to shake and feel
drama. misunderstood by others.

ROLE OF EI IN PUBLIC SERVICES


● “Emotional Intelligence” is the very marker that distinguishes routine management from outstanding leadership
and the marker that distinguishes dead organisations from living organisations. It has significant role in Public
services, which are as:
o Effective Communication: Emotionally intelligent people listen to other people and know how to
communicate effectively. An emotionally intelligent Civil Servant manages to execute policies
effectively through better communication with the public at large. Empathy and integrity takes
precedence over personal biases when one is emotionally sorted out.
o Better Coordination with Subordinates: The quality of EI makes a public servant more aware and
compassionate. Ego, pride or other negative emotions fail to creep in such personalities.
o Better Work-culture: An emotionally intelligent civil servant brings more energy to the system, thus
influencing the working attitude of each employee.
o Fosters Leadership: Self-awareness is at the core of everything. It describes the ability to not only
understand one’s strengths and weaknesses, but to recognize emotions and the effect they have on
oneself (public servant) and one’s team performance.
o Management of Disruptive Emotions: A civil servant while working in a high pressure environment
often becomes subject to political pressure, life threats etc. Only a public servant who is Emotionally
Intelligent would be able to handle such pressures without succumbing to anger, depression or
compromise.
o Help in Negotiations: Emotionally intelligent people can negotiate and resolve disagreements. This
characteristic is the heart of public service.
o Build Trust with People: Emotionally intelligent people listen to other people’s emotions and can
empathise with them. They act ethically and build trust through integrity and reliability.
o 360 Degree Leadership: Public administrators with high levels of emotional intelligence:
■ Lead Up -- build social capital with political superiors and elected officials;
■ Lead Down -- build social capital with lower-level staff;
■ Lead Across -- build social capital with peers;
■ Lead Out -- build social capital with stakeholders outside ministry like NGOs, academics, media, citizens
etc
CONCLUSION
● Emotionally intelligent people know how to deploy their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.
● Thus, emotionally intelligent behaviour is a prerequisite for building bridges of mutual understanding and trust in
the Public Services.

THREAT TO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN PRESENT TIMES


● Artificial Intelligence: There is increasing reliance on Artificial intelligence in the present time, which cannot
understand the cultural difference, emotional expressions etc. and also magnify biases in the algorithm.
o Example - Facial recognition technology used in the USA has been biased against people of colour and
has wrongfully matched people of different colour.

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● Excessive Politicisation: Because of excessive politicisation there is increasing public and political pressure on honest
officials and at the same time ‘yesmanship’ among politically aligned officials.
o Example - Archaeological Survey of India began gold hunting in Uttar Pradesh on the order of a Union
Minister who believed in a Baba.
● Social Media and Fake News: Because of social media and fake news there is less emphasis on rationality and people
tend to jump to the conclusion, increasing pressure on the officials to deliver quick results.
o Example - In the Ryan international school case, Gurugram, the police charged the bus driver to show
quick results, but he was later released after CBI took over the case.
● Online Games and Apps: Children and youth are wasting their precious time by engaging in Online games. Their
thinking processes are getting shaped in line with the characters of the Game.
o Example - ‘Blue Whale challenge’ has motivated many kids to take extreme steps in their life. Tik Tok
app which prompted people to make videos for the publicity only.
● Virtual Classes and Activities in School: During the Corona Period, engagement of students with the internet for
attending classes, has kept them away from the real world. This has been hindering the natural growth of EI among
children.
o Example - Group events, games are not being organised which could lead to suppression of values such
as teamwork, leadership, compassion etc.
● Rigid Laws: Strict code of conduct, rules that abide the bureaucrats to the decisions of ministers and they cannot
outrightly reject illegitimate demand.
o Example - Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, an accused in the palmolein graft case had to
abide by the decision of the government to import about 15,000 tonnes of palmolein.

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
● Social Intelligence (SI) is the ability of a person to tune into other people’s emotions and read the subtle behavioural
cues to choose the most effective response in a given situation. It aids people to successfully build relationships and
navigate social environments.

KEY ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE


● Verbal Fluency and Conversational Skills: A socially intelligent person can carry conversation with a wide variety
of people and is tactful and appropriate in what is said.
o Example - Swami Vivekananda was tactful in using “Sisters and brothers of America” in his speech in
Chicago.
● Knowledge of Social Roles, Rules and Scripts: Socially intelligent people can play various social roles, and are well
versed with informal rules or norms in the society.
o Example - Gandhiji was well aware about the social roles prescribed for women in pre-independence
India and therefore devised appropriate strategies for them to play a role in the freedom struggle.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Effective Listening Skills: Socially intelligent people are good listeners and show a positive attitude; therefore,
another person having interaction with them feels a good ‘connection’.
o Example - Former President K.R. Narayanan became the first public figure (as Vice-President) to shake
hands with an HIV-infected person and showed a positive attitude.
● Impression Management Skills: Socially intelligent people are good at making a balance between managing and
controlling their image and being reasonably authentic.
o Example - Chetan Singh Rathore, the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru spoke to protesters and sung
the national anthem to pacify them.

HOW TO DEVELOP EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG CIVIL SERVANTS


● Cognitive Intelligence (IQ) does not change with age or experience. However, with EQ, this is not the case.
Emotional competencies are learned and can be taught. The mastery of EQ skills evolve over a lifelong growth.
● Yoga Practice: Person can take help from exercise such as control over breathing to increase self-awareness and self-
management.
● Able to Work with Others: Every civil servant should be trained to develop his or her emotional intelligence, the
fact is that most of them aren’t being developed and it affects the organisations where they work negatively because
if you can’t handle your emotions well, you won’t be able to work well with others.
● Emotional Literacy: Person should improve his emotional literacy because if a person can’t label his emotional state
correctly, he can’t manage his emotions.
● Non-verbal Communication: Person should learn to interpret non-verbal communication such as facial and body
gestures.
● Training: Training through practice and feedback, civil servants can learn from their mistakes using real life examples
and reflection opportunities.
● Support: Coaching, encouragement and peer support can assist with lasting change and positive development of EI
competencies
● Experiential Learning: Emotional and behavioural changes require life activities which are primarily outside of the
traditional classroom and is commonly referred to as experiential learning.
● Learning Transfer: It refers to how people use what they learn in training for performance improvement. Learning
transfer seeks to reinforce and apply the information learned on the job immediately.

CONCLUSION
● Emotional intelligence is the single best predictor of performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of
leadership and personal excellence.
● These are instrumental tools for goal accomplishment.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

LUCIUS QUINCTIUS CINCINNATUS


● Outgoing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Jonson likened his exit to that of 5th Century BC Roman
emperor Cincinnatus, drawing reactions from commentators and historians given Cincinnatus’s rule as a dictator.
● Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519 BC to 438 BC) was a Roman emperor whose name is invoked to refer to an
honourable and principled figure.
● The story of Cincinnatus is about the Aequians, powerful enemies of Rome that were threatening to invade the city.
Unable to deal with the crisis, the Roman Senate decided to bring in Cincinnatus to fight off the attack. He had been
living a life away from power, and the senate was prepared to give him powers to exercise a dictatorship for securing
a victory.
● It is said when he learned of the call, Cincinnatus “left his plough standing in the field” and left to lead the Romans
to victory against the Aequians. However, 15 days later when his goal was accomplished, he went back to his farm
and let go of extraordinary power. Some accounts further say that he was again called for 21 days for warding off
another threat to Rome, and this time too, he went back to the farm after the job was done. Hence, Cincinnatus was
admired by the Romans for only holding on to his dictatorial powers for as long as was strictly necessary. Hence,
known for his Emotional Intelligence.

KEY TERMS

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Subjective Experience, Physiological Response, Behavioural Response, Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence,


Reasoning with Emotions, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Empathy, Social Skills, Conflict Resolution, Role Clarity,
High Self Regard, Adaptability, Psychological well-being, Cultural Gap, Self-Evaluation, Management of Disruptive
Emotions, Experiential Learning, Learning Transfer

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Previous Year Questions Year

1. In the case of a crisis of conscience, does emotional intelligence help to overcome the same without 2021
compromising the ethical or moral stand that you are likely to follow? Critically examine.

2. What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI)? Can they be learned? Discuss. 2020

3. A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required 2020
to function under extreme stress. What contributes to a positive attitude in person?

4. "Emotional Intelligence is the ability to make your emotions work for you instead of against you". Do 2019
you agree with this view? Discuss.

5. How will you apply emotional intelligence in administrative practices? 2017

6. Anger is a harmful negative emotion. It is injurious to both personal life and work life. 2016
(a) Discuss how it leads to negative emotions and undesirable behaviours.
(b) How can it be managed and controlled?

7. What is ‘emotional intelligence’ and how can it be developed in people? How does it help an individual 2013
in taking ethical decisions?

Student’s Note:

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 8 MORAL THINKERS AND PHILOSOPHERS OF


THE WORLD
INTRODUCTION
● Philosophy is derived from the Greek word “Philosophia” which means love of wisdom. A human is a social being
who seeks to understand cause and effect relationships in nature and the society he lives. The person who is a
knowledge seeker through his curiosity is termed a philosopher.

WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES AND WESTERN THINKERS

Classification of Western Philosophies and thinkers from the Context of Ethics

NORMATIVE ETHICS
● Normative Theory: It involves arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. In a sense, it is
a search for an ideal litmus test of proper behaviour.
● Normative Standards: It sets normative standards for judging human acts as being ethical. They are championed by
Greek philosophers and the most important branches among them are as following:

VIRTUE ETHICS
● These are the theories that focus on the virtue of character, mind, and sense of honesty. They were championed
mainly by Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato.
● Virtue ethics shifts the analytical emphasis away from rule-based decision-making (of deontological ethics) or of
the consequences of an action (eg. in utilitarianism) towards the ethics of individuals and the ethics of human
character.
o Example - A Teleologist would argue that giving to a charity maximises well-being in society, and a
deontologist would argue that we have a duty to help others, a virtue ethicist would point to the fact
that helping others displays desirable virtues such as being charitable or benevolent.

VIRTUE ETHICS OFFERS A BETTER MOTIVE FOR THE ACTION THAN THAT OF DUTY BASED
ETHICS

● Saving a life of someone only out of the sense of duty seems to lack a better motivation like compassion and
kindness, which can be expected only from a person who has developed these virtues in him/her.
● It is also important to note that duty-based ethics somehow neglects some of the essential aspects of moral life,
namely the emphasis of being a good person leading a virtuous life.

ISSUES

● Lack of Moral Principles and Ethics: It lacks moral principles and ethics without specific principles cannot guide
us in deciding the moral choice of an action.
o Example - When someone steals money, what would be a morally right act in dealing with that person?

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Difficulty in Determining the Morally Right Action: There is a lack of moral judgement in virtue ethics. A person
may be virtuous but he/she may still not be able to distinguish right action from wrong action especially if he/she is
not knowledgeable in a particular field.
o Example - Despite being a virtuous person, Sarah's lack of expertise in finance led her to make poor
investment decisions, highlighting the importance of knowledge and moral judgement in virtue ethics.
● Lack of Moral Judgment in Virtue Ethics: There can be situations in which virtues enter into conflict with one
another.
o Example - If a person comes across a dilemma of his/her friend being brought to trial and he/she is a
witness.

SOCRATES
● He was born in Athens in 470 BC and is popular for his dialogues and debates with public figures and authorities of
the time. This technique is termed Maieutics.
Socrates Philosophy:
● Scrutiny and Exploration: In the words of Socrates, “An unexamined life is not worth living, one should
question, accept and reject the facts.” By this philosophy, he builds a scientific temper which further paves for a
scientific revolution in Europe.
o Example - The recent trends of fake messages via social messaging sites often tend to create conflict
between communities in India. This is because of not examining the facts.
● Courage: It depicts freedom to speak of one’s mind, the ability to speak the truth, and objectivity.
o Example - A major chunk of the world believes in Chinese aggression but they fail to speak up due to
financial dependency on China.
● Ethics of Happiness: According to him the only virtue is knowledge and the only sin is ignorance. He valued
knowledge that can lead to an ethical life.
o Example - The death of V G Siddhartha (Owner of Cafe Coffee Day) shows money is not the source
of happiness but it's true knowledge.
● Conflicting Promise: In the case of conflicting promises one should follow a promise that has higher moral worth.
o Example - India had promised double digit growth in the 2018-20 budget and its constitution also
promises social nature. Thus during the pandemic the government prioritised the welfare of people over
its economic aims.
● Ideal Life: An ideal life should focus on self-development, especially the pursuit of goodness, virtue, justice,
integrity, and friendship. Valuing virtues like love, friendship, courage, truth takes an individual far more than
others due to his ideal values.
o Example - Sarah's commitment to cultivating virtues such as kindness, honesty, and integrity leads her
to lead a fulfilling life filled with meaningful relationships and personal growth.
● Individual-level: True knowledge is the basis of ethical life thus one should stay away from superstation, feudal
mindset, fake news, and misinformation.
o Example- Practices like mutilation, fake news like the corona virus spread by religious groups hamper
our journey towards an ethical life.
● Societal Level: Socrates' philosophy encourages critical thinking and questioning societal norms, promoting
intellectual discourse for the betterment of society.
o Example- Mahatma Gandhi's principles, such as nonviolent resistance and questioning unjust
authority, became a guiding force in India's struggle for independence.
● Governance Level: Socrates' philosophy emphasises the importance of wisdom, self-examination, and moral
integrity in governance for the benefit of the entire society.
o Example - When our government favours PM-Garib Kalyan Yojana of free food over Fiscal
responsibility highlights valuing morally high promise.

PLATO
He was a Greek philosopher and disciple of Socrates and a teacher to Aristotle.
Plato’s Philosophy:

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Justice of Self: Every human being has three components mentioned below and they must prioritise knowledge over
others.
o Appetite: Act based on instinctive needs.These instinctive needs are food, sleep, attire, etc.
o Spirit: Act according to one’s honour.
o Knowledge: Act based on the power of critical thinking
● Justice of Society: For every society to function efficiently, each component should perform its duty. Such as:
o Artisan: Provide goods and service
o Soldiers: Defending the society
o Guardians: The rulers of the society
● Plato’s Republic: It was a utopia ruled by philosophers and their progeny who enjoy hereditary kingship. The
republic neither had private wealth nor private family. The children were raised by community and culture and
athletics were taught. Strict censorship over literature, drama, and music.
● Harmonious Functioning: Part should work for the whole and whole must benefit the parts.

ARISTOTLE
He was also a Greek philosopher and disciple of Plato.
Philosophies of Aristotle:

● Eudemonia: It signifies happiness. Eudemonia means


achieving the best conditions possible for oneself, in every
sense–not only happiness, but also virtue, morality, and a
meaningful life.
o Example- If you’re a parent, you should excel at
raising your children; if you’re a doctor, you should
excel at healing people and if you are a civil servant
you should work towards the welfare of the society.
● Ethical Being: He considered humans as social, political, and
also as ethical beings against the views of Sigmund Fred and
even Kautilya.
o Example- One has to focus on building character as PM recently on civil services day quotes “Sheelam
Param Bhushanam” (Character is the highest virtue).
● The Doctrine of GOLDEN Mean: He emphasised avoiding extreme actions like choosing courage against cowardice
and sloth.
o Example- One should not go against the constitution in highlighting their views with extreme protests
and on the other hand they should also not stay silent in case of exploitation. A legal constitutional battle
is a favourable middle path.
● Emphasis on Virtue: It is the character that determines ethicality and not actions, motives, and consequences. In
Bonafide errors people are generally forgiven due to their true intent and thus the act becomes ethical.

DENTOLOGY
● The basic premise of deontology states that we are obligated to act in accordance with a set of rules, principles,
and values regardless of outcomes. Its emphasis is on means rather than ends. Kant is the philosopher who
championed deontology.

EMMANUEL KANT
Kant’s Philosophy:
● Moral Rationalism: It dismissed the view of considering ends as a barometer to measure the ethicality of conduct.
According to him, it is the actions driven by motives that make any conduct ethical. I.e. Goodwill is the only
qualification for ethical conduct.
o Example- The Supreme Court in case of Sec 144 of IPC upheld its importance despite being detained
against universal values but it helps in maintaining public order in contingency situations.
● Selfless Action (NishkamaKarma): According to this action should be the end in itself.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example- Charity is a Noble task, but when people do it to gain recognition the act cannot be called as
ethical as a means and end relation is created.
● Categorical Imperative: Some actions are of personal desires like working hard to buy a house or a car. But
categorical imperative asks one to work for a cause or do something irrespective of personal desire like taking care of
parents. There are four categorical imperatives:
o Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you.
o Act according to maxima that can be established as a universal law.
o Don't use man as a means to an end.
o Human actions should benefit society.

TELEOLOGICAL APPROACH
“Telos” is the ancient Greek term for an end, fulfilment, completion, goal etc. Teleology is a philosophy that states that
consequences of one’s action are the ultimate judge to rightness or wrongfulness of the conduct.
Difference between Deontological and Teleological Theories:
Deontological Ethics (Duty-Based) Teleological Ethics (Result-Oriented)
● Focus on moral duties, not consequences ● Focus on the consequences of actions
● Prioritises intentions over outcomes ● Prioritises outcomes over intentions
● Moral duties are more important than moral value ● Moral value is more important than duties
● Individual's intentions play a crucial role ● Individual's intentions have no relevance
● Rightness of actions is prior to their goodness ● Goodness of actions determines their rightness
● Emphasises individual's moral status ● Emphasises the moral status of the action
● Moral duties have a negative formulation ● Moral duties have a positive formulation
● Personal interests have no relevance ● Equal consideration of personal and others' interests
● Actions are inherently moral or immoral ● Actions are evaluated based on consequences
Example Based on Deontological and Teleological Theories:
● Let us suppose a man kick’s a dog sleeping roadside. The dog cries and runs away. Moments later, a car comes
speeding along the road so fast that it would certainly have killed the dog if it had still been lying there.
● Deontological perspective says, the man's action was bad, since it is cruel to kick dogs but according to the
teleological perspective, his action was good, since it saved the dog's life.
Conclusion:
● Deontological approach is applied in the criminal justice system, which ensures that the punishment was
proportionate and appropriate to the crime committed. Whereas, the teleological approach is used by the courts
for the interpretation of any legislation, its purpose, direction or design.

UTILITARIANISM
● Utilitarianism promotes the action that brings maximum happiness to a maximum number of people. Two major
philosophers have contributed in this line.

JEREMY BENTHAM
He was Born in London. He is the earliest and chief expounder of Utilitarianism and is also called the founding Father of
Utilitarianism.
Bentham’s Philosophies:
● Pleasure and Pain Principle: The main aim of human life is to maximise pleasure and minimise pain.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o Example - Utilitarianism promotes values like liberty, freedom of choice, and democracy. Thus we
observe migration and brain drain in India where maximum individuals are attracted towards
Bentham’s pleasure and pain principle.
● Ethical Egoism: It is always moral to promote one’s own good. What is good for an individual is good for society.
o Example - There are certain sects like Protestants in the West, Sindhis, and Agarwals in India who
believe in ethical egoism thus the communities opt for entrepreneurship.

J S MILL

John Stuart Mill was born in London and also worked as a civil servant in the East India Company.
Mill’s Philosophy:
● Social Utilitarianism: It supported utilitarianism but in such a way that an individual’s action should not bring harm
to society at large. i.e.- The pleasure of an individual should not bring displeasure to society.
o Example - There is a prevalence of “I-culture” in the west but in the East, there is “We-culture”. Based
on this difference China in the UN asked for a different definition for “Human rights” for the east and
the west endorsing the ethical altruism.
● Ethical Altruism: Here one’s ego is satisfied but it is subjected to the conditionality of not affecting others.
o Example- Donating a portion of one's wealth to a charitable cause, without seeking personal recognition,
exemplifies ethical altruism."
● Higher and Lower Pleasure: Mill distinguished between higher and lower pleasure. The pleasures that are
intellectual based were termed as higher pleasure and the ones associated with sensual pleasures are lower
pleasures.
o Example - Choosing hard work over sleep or entertainment can be considered as higher pleasure.
● An Upgrade from Bentham’s Utilitarianism: As per Bentham, an action is ethical if it produces the greatest good
to the greatest number of people. He termed this as quantitative utilitarianism. However Mill moved from this idea
and provided Qualitative utilitarianism which focuses on intellectual pleasure and considers such action to be ethical.
This distinction is also referred to as Rule Utilitarianism.
o Example - In governance, rule utilitarianism guides decision-making as policies are designed to
prioritise the qualitative well-being and intellectual fulfilment of citizens, aiming to maximise overall
happiness and societal progress.
● Ideas of Liberty: He was vocal about free speech and believed that people should be free to act however they wish
unless their actions cause harm to somebody else.
o Example - The dissemination of hate speech aimed at inciting violence posed a threat to national unity.

CONTRACTARIANISM
● According to the theory of Contractarianism, conduct is considered to be ethical if one adheres to the contract or
agreement made by two or more at some point in time. When such a contract exists between people and state it is
termed a social contract where the State governs the people with some duties and people also share some obligations
towards the State. This theory is championed by three philosophers.

THOMAS HOBBES

Thomas Hobbes's Philosophy:


● Human Nature: Human by nature is selfish, brutish, murderous, and self-preserving. Thus he cannot maintain peace
and stability; therefore people come together via contract to form a state or a government.
o Example - India currently has NPA (Non-Performing Assets) worth 11 crores. As per
Contractarianism, this act can be considered as unethical as a contract is broken by the people.
● State of Nature is a State of War: He also believed that human beings will engage in a fierce struggle for scarce
resources to fulfil their self-interest.
o Example - The government of India uses an online surveillance mechanism called NETRA. These
monitors all over activities for internal security. This shows the absence of absolute rights.
● Leviathan State: He calls for a leviathan state with the following provisions,
o Absolute power to govern.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

o People have no right to revolt against the state


o People do not have absolute rights
o State should lay emphasis on civic education and induce obedience among the citizens.
■ Example - The rule by Kim Jong-Un in North Korea can be considered as a nearest example of the modern
leviathan state.

JOHN LOCKE

John Locke's Philosophy:


● Liberty: Locke was a huge advocate of freedom and governance by consent. He distinguished between self regarding
and other-regarding actions, which should be a criterion for deciding whether to intervene or not. He considered
LIFE-LIBERTY-PROPERTY as the “Three Natural Rights” of every man.
o Example - Our founding fathers of the constitution initially believed in the philosophy of John Locke as
they had imbibed Right to property in constitution under Art 19 and Art 21 uphold Right to Life and
Liberty.
● On Patriarchy and Women: He also champions women’s rights and demands equal opportunities for them.
o Example - Labor reforms in India that aim to eliminate gender-based discrimination, ensuring equal
pay and opportunities for women in the workforce.
● On Property: Locke says that man has a natural right over property, and also says that nature is entirely at the
disposal of man for his comfort.
o Example - As per Locke if the Right to Property was a natural right why the percentage of average land
holding of farmers is below 2 hectares.
● Tolerance: Locke was an advocate of minority rights, and a heterogeneous society where people of different cultures
coexist.
o Example - Supporting equal opportunities for all regardless of their background.

ROUSSEAU

Rousseau's Philosophy
● Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains: One man
thinks he is master of others but remains more of a slave than they
are.
o Example- A child is born free but it is responsible to
its family (contribute to its sustenance and continuity),
school (adhere to prescribed curriculum), government
(abide by law of land), international law (immigration,
visas and citizenship) and order depicting chains.
● General Will: People are the ultimate in any democracy and
sovereignty lies within the people.
o Example- The recent defeat of Mr. Trump due to his
authoritarian governance shows people being ultimate in any democracy.
● Property: He rejected the idea of private wealth and supported that wealth should only fulfil a basic need. This shows
his inclination towards socialism.
o Example - Implementation of chakbandi under land reforms in India was to ensure that private wealth
accumulation should be limited, and land should be redistributed to ensure that everyone has access to
sufficient land for their basic needs.

● Education: He said education must be gained through nature rather than formal education i.e. through books.
o Example- Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan which is on the idea, to create a free and fearless
atmosphere for children to grow up in, in close contact with nature

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CONTEMPORARY CONTRACTARIANISM
● John Rawls is called the father of Contemporary Contractarianism and he is the most influential American
philosopher post Second World War.

JOHN RAWLS
John Rawls Philosophy:
● Equality: Every rich and poor should have equal rights that are basic like liberty, right to vote, and right to hold public
offices. These are called political rights in most nations.
o Example- One should respect others' political rights as per the equality principle. But we observe in the
media, Journalists questioning one’s right to protest during several protests.
● Differential Equality: Since some are rich (in advantage) and some are poor (disadvantage), hence due to difference
in position people enjoy different rights,
o Example- some societies term them as reservation while others term them as positive discrimination.
● Justice: It is the standard used in decision-making by considering facts and without any prejudices also called “Veil
of Ignorance”.
o Also called the Original Position.
o It is a hypothetical situation prior to the starting of society when people decide the principles on which
the society builds up.
o The principles are mainly set by the people who are unaware of the social position they occupy or
will occupy i.e.- people are unaware of being rich, poor, strong, weak, majority, minority, etc.
o This ensures Just and Fair principles to be developed as each individual contributes to the value by
considering even the worst case scenario.
■ Example - The concepts like Zero Budgeting; we use rudimentary form of Veil of Ignorance. We consider
the results of programs and policies to approve them for the next year without any prejudice.

DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS
● Descriptive ethics examines the actual beliefs and behaviours of people regarding what is right or wrong, which
can vary across societies and over time, making it also known as comparative ethics.
● Lawrence Kohlberg conducted the Heinz Dilemma experiment, focusing on the moral reasoning behind
individuals' decisions rather than the choices made, revealing the influence of social norms on their reasoning.
o For example, In India, Lord Hanuman worship is considered a spiritual experience but in the west
they call it monkey worship. This is because they are unable to reason about the importance of the animal
in texts like Ramayana.

APPLIED ETHICS
● Applied ethics is a branch of ethics which deals with application of ethical theories in real life situations and guides
people to achieve ethical conduct. This is generally used when an individual is in an ethical dilemma or with
respect to specific issues of public and private life.
● Some of the well-known branches of the applied ethics are:
o Environment Ethics: Quality of life vs. Economic development by exploiting the nature
o Media Ethics: Character assassination vs. making citizens informed on the crime.
o Medical Ethics: Patency on medicines vs. Right to live for human kind.
o Technological Ethics: Use of Darknet, Deep fakes, Mass trolling, etc.

INDIAN PHILOSOPHIES

IMPORTANT SCHOOLS OF HINDU PHILOSOPHY


Samkhya
● It is also called Sankhya enumerating number.

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● It preaches the philosophy of “Dvaita Vada” or dualism. It believes in the existence of matter (Prakriti) and soul
(Purusha) as two separate entities. The soul passes on to temporal bodies and at the end merges with subtle matter or
cosmic energy.
● Application: The theory highlights the inner conscience or soul that guides one's ethical conduct.
Yoga
● Yoga means union of yoking.
● It deals with values that help one with mental and physical abilities.
● It suggests Ashtanga-Yoga considering following steps:
o Yama = Restraint from ahimsa and falsehood.
o Niyama = Discipline
o Asana = Set of exercises for physical wellbeing
o Pranayama = Breath control
o Pratyahara = Control of senses
o Dharana = Awareness
o Dhyana = Concentrated meditation
o Samadhi = Soul releasing from Sansar
● Application: Yoga helps in the development of self and virtues. As it provides insight into self-awareness and
promotes discipline. The theme of the International Yoga Day 2021 is Yoga for Wellbeing indicating both physical
and mental wellbeing during Covid-19 and lockdown times.
Nyaya
● Nyaya signifies Rule.
● This philosophy emphasises “logic and epistemology”. It promotes the gain of knowledge through inference, and
true knowledge leading to the liberation of the soul.
● Application: It upholds true knowledge or wisdom that was also propounded by philosophers of virtue ethics. For
example, Buddha is considered to be the “Enlightened one” this is because he is said to understand the reason for
suffering i.e.- Desire. Thus he conquered his desire to establish logic and upholding Nyaya principles.
Mimamsa
● Mimamsa means critical reflection.
● It is the earliest Hindu school of philosophy that interprets Vedas and also provides philosophical justification.
According to the theory, one can attain salvation through Karma-Kanda (Ritualism).
● Application: Modern-day ritualism derives its justification from this school. We can also attribute this to
consumerism and materialism.
Vedanta
● The term Vedanta means conclusion, specifically the end of Vedas.
● As per the school of thought, Vedas are the true source of knowledge and one can attain salvation by seeking true
knowledge.
● It emphasised the path of Jnana (knowledge) for Moksha rather than ritualism and sacrifice to achieve moksha.
● Vivekananda’s interpretation of Vedanta philosophy
o Ethics: It is a code of conduct for a man to be good as his soul is pure. So emphasis was laid on intrinsic
purity of atman (soul).
o Religion: Religion offered a pathway to the eternal supreme i.e.- Atman merging with Paramatman.
o Education: He advocated education for character building of an individual and was in complete
agreement with methods and results of modern science.
● Application: The modern education system is inclined towards monetary benefits but the Vedas in a true sense had
holistic knowledge of life, health, recreation, and also economic principles.

ESSENCE OF RAMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA

Character Ethical Lessons

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

Ram ● Governance: Prioritising the public over family


● Friendship: Treating Hanuman as a friend
● Marriage: Demonstrating loyalty towards his wife
● Social Contractarianism: Valuing the relationship with the public/subjects

Dasharatha and Kaikeyi ● Emotional Intelligence: Making decisions without being influenced by extreme
emotions
● Social Influence: Highlighting the importance of both positive and negative
social influences

Ravana ● Greed: Illustrating the consequences of excessive desire for power and lack of
ethical judgement
● Knowledge and Wisdom: Emphasising the importance of ethical
intellectualism

Bhishma ● Dharma: Upholding one's duty and righteousness

Arjun and Krishna ● Positive Thinking: Finding solutions and positivity in every situation
● Contractarianism: Understanding the importance of keeping one's word and
fulfilling obligations
● Teleological Ethics: Considering the consequences of actions to determine their
ethical nature

Shabari ● Dedication and Patience: Demonstrating unwavering dedication and patience


● Love, Satisfaction, and Happiness: Finding eternal happiness and satisfaction
in serving Lord Rama
● Equality and Respect: Lord Rama's equal treatment and respect towards
Shabari

Jatayu ● Responsibility: Fulfilling one's responsibilities despite knowing the limitations

LESSONS FROM THE RAMAYANA


● Truth Triumphs: The basic teaching of Ramayana is that no matter how powerful evil is, it will always be defeated
by Good. Truth always wins. A person should always have a noble heart and good values.
● Unity can Overcome any Difficulty in Life: The fruits of togetherness give the power to sail the ship when the tide
seems higher than the sky.
● Be Deeply Committed to your Duty: Besides being Sita’s husband, Ram was also the King of Ayodhya. And the
duty of the king is to keep his subjects happy. Hence, he had to abandon his wife for the sake of the masses after
they questioned her chastity. As a husband, he was duty bound towards his wife. But as a King, he had to think of
his subjects’ wishes ahead of his personal ones.
● Choose the Path of Righteousness: Vibhishana, younger brother of Ravana chose to not support his sibling in the
war against Ram. He knew his brother had committed a sin by abducting a woman.
● Remain humble no matter how powerful you become: Lord Hanuman had the power to single handedly fight
against Ravana’s army. But he chose to surrender to lord Rama’s divinity and let him do the needful.
● Treat everyone equally: Lord Rama treated everyone equally and that’s how he earned the love and respect among
everyone. When Shabari (the sage’s daughter) offered him the already tasted berry fruits he ate them without
giving a second thought. He was always kind and humble to people. We should toe in here to this quality. We should
always treat everyone with equality and should not discriminate on the basis of status, sex, age, or cast.
● Always keep good company: It is said that your company shapes you into the person you are. Ramayana too
emphasises the relevance of good company. Queen Kaikeyi, the third wife of Dashratha loved Rama more than her
own son but her handmaiden, Manthara poisoned her thoughts with negative feed, in result Kaikeyi asked for

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Rama’s fourteen years of exile. A negative person can brainwash all the good inside you that is why we should
always keep a healthy circle so that we become better with time.

ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAD-GITA
● Pleasure and Work: Do not let the fruit be the purpose of your actions, and therefore, you won’t be attached to not
doing your duty. It lays more weight on duty with commitment than with destination.
o Example-Some civil servants after getting into service get involved in a rat race of rewards, promotion,
and salary rather than focusing on public commitment.
● Emotional Intelligence: The awakened sages call a person wise when all his undertakings are free from anxiety about
results.
o Example- The recent death of Sushant Singh Rajput showed the importance of managing emotions
for society.
● Focus: We are kept away from our goals, not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal. The modern-day
distractions in the form of social media and materialism provide temporary pleasure but derail us from our
permanent goal completely.
● Selflessness: A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time without expecting
anything in return.
o Example- The modern culture of huge donations and NGO establishment in the presence of the media
by influential people is not a selfless act.
● Truth alone Triumphs: There always will be bigger power watches and truth can never be hidden.
o Example- Skin colour is a biological phenomenon while Race is a social phenomenon. But western
rulers tried to mask this truth but Gandhi’s movement in South Africa against Apartheid at the end
proved race just being a social construct.

INDIAN PHILOSOPHERS

BUDDHA
● Gautama Buddha was an ascetic, a religious leader, and a teacher who lived in ancient India during the 6-5th
century BCE. His teachings laid the basis of Buddhist philosophy and traditions as well as Buddhism as a religion.
● Buddhist ethics are neither arbitrary standards invented by man for his own utilitarian purpose nor are they
arbitrarily imposed.
● Man-made laws and social customs do not form the basis of Buddhist ethics. It finds its foundation not on the
changing social customs but rather on the unchanging laws of nature.
● Morality in Buddhism: Buddhist morality judges an action good or bad based on the intention or motivation
from which it originates. Actions that have their roots in greed, hatred or selfishness are considered to be bad - called
Akusala Kamma. Actions which are rooted in the virtues of generosity, love and wisdom are meritorious and good -
called Kusala Kamma.
Three Essentials for Life That Buddhism Eight Fold Paths
Considers
● Wisdom (Prajna): It comes from the right ● Right Knowledge (or Views)
view, it leads to the right intention. ● Right Resolve
● Ethical conduct (Sila): The right view and ● Right Speech
intentions are guides to ethical conduct – ● Right Conduct (or Action)
right speech, right action, right livelihood
● Right Livelihood
and right effort.
● Right Effort
● Concentration (Samadi): Its focus is ‘self
– activity’ to have right mindfulness and ● Right Mindfulness, and
right concentration. When wisdom, ethics ● Right Meditation (or Concentration)
and concentration become a way of life; one
gains enlightenment.

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Four Noble Truths:


o The Truth of Suffering: No matter how much we struggle, we are unable to find the ultimate happiness
or satisfaction. Suffering is the common bond we share. Therefore suffering is the real truth of our
existence.
o Excess Desire: Cravings, Excess desires and ignorance about reality are the cause of suffering.
o The Truth about the end of Suffering: If desire is eliminated, then only the suffering would stop. This
stage when all desires are burned is called “nirvana” in Buddhism.
o The path for Ending Suffering: This path is called the eightfold path. It emphasises a middle path
between worldly pleasure and painful asceticism.
o Pancasila (Five Refrains): Buddhism invites Buddhists to adopt five precepts voluntarily in order to live
together in civilised communities with mutual trust and respect. These are – No killing, No stealing, No
lying, No sexual misconduct, and No intoxicants.

KAUTILYA
● Science of Wealth: Kautilya explained the science of wealth in his book Arthashastra ,where he explained the
political economy of the nation.
● Governance:
o King's happiness lies in the happiness of his subjects. His focus lies on the welfare state.
o “Yatha Raja Tatha Praja” highlighting the importance of honesty, efficiency, and accountability of the
King.
o Rajrishi Concept: An ideal leader is a combination of Raja and Rishi. Like a Raja, he is dynamic,
active, and has decision-making capacity. At the same time, like a sage, he should be able to connect
with the spiritual and higher level of the world by being wise, and should focus on philosophy. He
should possess the quality of inviting nature, self-restraint and spirit, intellect and intuition, enthusiasm.
o He advocated that science is a great source of power. He further believed that ‘power is strength and
it is the strength which changes the mind.
o In a war-like situation, both Kautilya and Machiavelli share the same reasoning. Both propagate that a
king should be closely involved in the science of war. Kautilya has proposed three types of war:
■ Open War: War fought between states
■ Concealed War: It is fought on the lines of guerrilla warfare
■ Silent War: It is fought continuously inside the kingdom itself so that the king’s power does not get diluted.
o He said corruption is natural in government as being selfish is human nature. One has to control
corruption.

THIRUVALLUVAR
● Truthfulness: Even a lie could be considered as truth if that lie is harmless and brings unquestionable benefits.
● God and Religion: Even if god and fate doesn’t want it, your true efforts will bear efforts.
● Forgiveness: Retaliation will be a momentary joy but patience and forgiveness will bring joy for life.
● Right Speech: Even fire burns will heal easily but burns from loose words will never be.
● Nation-State: A nation should work on five key elements: health, economy, defence, harvest and happiness.
● Application: Tiruvalluvar’s philosophy becomes the guiding light to the modern quest of revenge and vengeance
between the people, communities, and nation-states.Examples like atheist getting more success, Gandhi’s ability to
forgive people of their ignorance and eight fold path of Buddha stand on Tiruvalluvar’s policy.

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
● Rationalism: He was a pioneer of the rationalist movement in India and a follower of Vedanta philosophy. He
desired the amalgamation of western and Indian philosophy for a happy life.
● Education: To awaken the people he established Ram-Krishna Mission and later Ram-Krishna Math. He
condemned blind spiritual beliefs and searched for rationality in religion.
● Brotherhood: Through his iconic speech at the World Parliament of Religions Conference he developed
brotherhood among the people of India and people of the globe.

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● Application: His ideas on brotherhood are more relevant today as the world has become a global village and people
of different backgrounds have come closer leading to racial and communal conflicts as recently seen in the Charlie
Hebdo case in France and George Floyd case in the USA.

M K GANDHI

IMPORTANT TEACHINGS OF MAHATMA GANDHI


● Power is of two kinds: Power based on love is more effective and lasting than power based on fear of punishment.
Love and tolerance have the potential to resolve conflicts and bring about peace, even in the midst of unrest and
turmoil. Constructive conversations with enemies can lead to peaceful resolutions, as every war eventually
concludes with a peace agreement.
● For Civil Servants: There should be a high Tolerance index while serving the society. It brings inclusiveness and
objectivity, Neutrality in decision making.
o Example- Acceptance for LGBTQ Community leads to bring them in the mainstream of development
by extending government’s welfare scheme
● An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind: Stubbornness has often fueled human conflicts throughout
history, but a better future lies in our ability to understand our opponents, practice diplomacy, and show compassion
to resolve disputes.
● We must become the change we want to see in the world: Mahatma Gandhi exemplified his ideals by sacrificing
his successful law practice, adopting a simple life, and leading the Salt March, inspiring millions to fight for freedom
without causing harm to the British.

TRUSTEESHIP
● Wealthy people should act as Trustees of trust that look after the welfare of the people.
● The idea of trusteeship makes it clear that wealth and resources, irrespective of who “owns'' these, must help
with the betterment of society and its entire people.
● It puts the onus of making this happen on those who have wealth. This is a direct manifestation of his philosophy
of non-violence i.e the wealthy must do it of their own accord, unforced by external pressure.
● The idea puts faith in human nature, that eventually people will do the right thing if you trust them.
● There is a lot of scepticism on the effectiveness of this approach to build an egalitarian society. But over the long
term, in the reality of the world we live in, this approach will be more sustainably effective.

RELEVANCE OF IDEA OF TRUSTEESHIP


● Prevailing Inequality: Recently, the Oxfam report titled “Inequality Kills’’ was released, the report pointed out a
stark income divide worsened by the Covid pandemic, globally and in India. Inequality contributes to the death of at
least one person every four seconds.
● Degrading Environment: the emission of greenhouse gases is affecting the global climate, and causing various
catastrophic disasters and diseases.
● Overexploitation of Natural Resources: Minerals, oil, gas and coal are non-renewable resources. Their use as
materials and energy sources leads to depletion of the Earth's reserves.

TRUSTEESHIP PROVIDES SOLUTIONS FOR VARIOUS CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY


● Sustainable consumption: Consume what is enough for the need without harming others.
● Dignity of labour: Ensuring decent minimum living wage and humane working conditions.
● Equitable distribution of wealth: Moral responsibility of the rich to take care of social welfare of the
underprivileged.
● Enrichment of human life: The core of Gandhian idea of trusteeship is the development, upliftment, and enrichment
of human life rather than a higher standard of living with scant respect for human and social values.

SARVODAYA
“The good of the individual is contained in the welfare of all. This is the core idea behind inclusive development.”

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● The concept of Sarvodaya revolved around universal upliftment of all and progress for all. It is a comprehensive,
social, economic, political, moral and spiritual philosophy. It lays great emphasis on moral and spiritual values. It
seeks to create new social and economic values. His philosophy can be witnessed from the following:
o Development of self-supported village networks where production’s main purpose is the consumption
of self.
o Promoting family relationships beyond blood relationships.
o Everyone should be equally represented and promote the value of liberty
o All people will be imbued with the spirit of love, fraternity, truth, non-violence and self-sacrifices.
Society will function on the basis of non-violence.
o There will be no party system and majority rule and society will be free from the evil of the tyranny
of the majority.
o Politics will not be the instrument of power but an agency of service.
o The gain to the individual would be small. The development of each quality depends upon every other.
If all the qualities are improved a little, then the individual would gain more.
● Gandhi advances the concept of Sarvodaya, which were the based on three basic principles:
o The good of the individual is contained in the good of all.
o A lawyer's work has the same value as the barber's in as much as all have the same right of earning their
livelihood from their work.
o A life of labour, i.e., the life of the tiller of the soil and the handicraftsman is the life worth living

SATYAGRAHA

Satyagraha: The origin of Satyagraha can be found in the Upanishads, and in the teachings of Buddha, Mahavira and
a number of other greats including Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin.

● Gandhi emphasised the importance of pure means and ends, rejecting improper means for achieving proper ends.
● His method of nonviolent action, Satyagraha, involved exercising soul-force against injustice without inflicting
harm on others. It required continuous pursuit of truth, self-sacrifice, peace, and non-violence.
● Satyagraha goes beyond conflict resolution, emphasising the quality of relationships between individuals and requiring
strong will and determination.

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PILLARS OF SATYAGRAHA (ETHICAL ASPECTS) - THREE PILLARS OF SATYAGRAHA


● The Gandhian quest for peace rests on the foundation of non-violence.
● For conflict resolution Mahatma Gandhi used method of Satyagraha [insistence on truth or zeal for Truth] that has
three pillars:
● Sat-which implies openness, honesty, and fairness:
o Each person's opinions and beliefs represent part of the truth;
o In order to see more of the truth we must share our truths cooperatively; This implies a desire to
communicate and a determination to do so.
● Ahimsa-refusal to inflict injury on others:
o Ahimsa is dictated by our commitment to communication and to sharing our pieces of the truth.
o Violence shuts off channels of communication; The concept of Ahimsa appears in most major religions,
which suggests that while most people may not practise it, it is respected as an ideal;
o Ahimsa is an expression of our concern that our own and other's humanity be manifested and respected;
and We must learn to genuinely love our opponents in order to practise Ahimsa.
● Tapasya-willingness for self-sacrifice:
o A Satyagrahi must be willing to shoulder any sacrifice which is occasioned by the struggle which they
have initiated, rather than pushing such sacrifice or suffering onto their opponent
o The Satyagrahi must always provide a face-saving way out for the opponents.
o The goal is to discover a wider vista of truth and justice, not to achieve victory over the opponent.

USE OF SATYAGRAHA BY GANDHIJI


● Satyagraha has also been considered as a weapon of soul force to resist any kind of oppression. While Gandhi regarded
Satyagraha as a way of life, during the freedom struggle of India, Satyagraha was used as a weapon to resist the
authority of the state and to achieve various things for the general welfare of the people.
● The Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930, which was started with the breaking of the Salt Law at Dandi, and the
Quit India Movements were classic examples when Gandhi and his colleagues used Satyagraha as a weapon of the
soul force.

RELEVANCE OF SATYAGRAHA AT PRESENT


● For Dispute in the Industrial establishment: Satyagraha would be a viable alternative to other methods for the
peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts.
● To resolve war-like situations such as Russia – Ukraine war: The practice of the principles of truth and non-
violence in the smallest way possible, would definitely make a great contribution in bringing about peace and harmony.
● To mitigate corruption and race of materialism: In the present socio-economic political system, there is a dire
necessity to wean the individual away from the influence of wealth, luxuries and power
● The usefulness of truth and non-violence will always be relevant wherever the goal is prosperity, welfare and
development, because without truth and non-violence, there cannot be peace and without peace there cannot be
development.

GANDHI ON POLITICS
● He was against “Dharmic Politics” which brews on corruption, sectarianism, and communalism. He also said,
“Politics should not be instrumental in power but an agency of service.”
● Gandhi’s principal aim was to civilise modern politics from within, by eliminating resentment, hatred and coercion.
● His politics of non-violence was a method to mobilise collective power in a manner that attends to its own moral
education in an exemplary and innovative way.
● Gandhiji always derived politics from ethics or religion and considered politics as a work of the heart and not merely
of reason.
● He argued for a dedicated and committed political ethos, which did not accept the necessity of “dirty hands” in politics.

GANDHI’S ELEVEN VOWS


● Swadeshi ● Bread labour
● Remove untouchability ● Non-violence

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● Truth ● Non-possession
● No stealing ● Control on the palate
● Self-discipline ● Fearlessness
● Equality of all religion

GANDHI’S SEVEN SINS


● Gandhi mentioned these seven sins in his weekly “Young India”.
Type of Sins Recent Examples
Politics without principles ● The recent cases of defection in Karnataka.
● 233 of 539 MP’s of Lok Sabha have criminal cases against them.
Wealth without work ● The inflating prices of cryptocurrency have changed many fortunes.
● Current Rs 11 Lakh crore NPA in banks also shows the corrupt and
manipulative mindset of the people.
Pleasure without conscience ● The burning issue of marital rape on adolescents.
● Environmental plundering under the ambit of development
Knowledge without character ● Use of cyberspace to disrupt national infrastructure as observed in the 2021
Mumbai blackout.
● Recent cases of “Missing women” due to female feticide using ultrasound
tests.
Science without humanity ● Recent bombardment of missiles between Israel and Gaza Strip.
● Governments are not banning toxic drinks and cigars despite evidence of
cancer.
● The use of nuclear weapons over Japan in 1945 is an assault of science on
humanity.
Commerce without morality ● Google and Facebook recently tussled with the US Senate on privacy issues.
● Sexism in Bollywood songs and movies over the female body just to market
their content.
Religion without sacrifice ● Religious fundamentalism in all religions leading to communal tensions as
(Manavaseva= Madhava Seva) seen recently in France.
● Development of ritualism over bhakti.
● Application: Gandhi’s seven sins are very relevant in today’s context in the sphere of life from family, society, and
even at the government level.

AMARTYA SEN
● The Capability Approach: The government and oneself should focus on achieving the development of skills, values,
and morals for wellbeing rather than measuring on narrow grounds of monetary terms.
● Social Welfare: Government should address the problem of individual rights, minority aspirations for collective
growth and development.
● Human Development: He argued against Mahalanobis model that, instead of focusing on economic factors,
governments should focus on education, public health, food distribution system, and other social reforms.
● Application: His ideas have been compiled and the Human Development Index has been devised by the United
Nations to supplement economic growth parameters like GDP and GNP.

RABINDRANATH TAGORE
● Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861.Bengali poet, novelist, and painter, who was highly
influential in introducing Indian culture to the west.
● Tagore on Education:
o Tagore envisioned a novel blending the ideas of the East and West. The spiritualism of Indian
philosophy and progressive outlook of the western people were blended together.

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o Tagore was a naturalist; nature is the best teacher to students. Nature will provide the student with
necessary situations to gain knowledge. No external pressure should be exerted upon the student to
learn anything. It is nature that will shape his behaviour and character.
o For the first time in the arena of Indian education, Tagore established a new mile-stone by rejecting the
book-centred education for students.
o According to Tagore, teaching should be practical and real but not artificial and theoretical.
Education should definitely increase the creative skill within a learner.
o Tagore laid great importance to the fine arts in his educational curriculum. Activities like, games,
dance, music, drama, painting etc and considered them as a part of the educational process.
o Tagore was aware about the rural poverty of our country. So, he wanted to eradicate it through
education. The practical training imparted in different crafts to the students will make them skilled
artisans in their field.

KABIR
● Sant Kabir Das was born in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He was a 15th CEC mystic poet, saint and social
reformer and a great proponent of the Bhakti Movement.
● Kabir on Tolerance: Sant Kabir tried to unite communities of India mainly the Hindus and Muslim who constituted
the major chunk. He gave metaphors like “Both Hindus and Muslims are made of the same clay”. His teachings
become important in contemporary periods when religious tensions are brewing across the globe.
● Kabir on Wisdom: Kabir laid emphasis on development of wisdom. He elaborates them with his dohas as follows,
“If I tell the truth people rush to beat me, but if I lie they trust me”. This symbolises the need for oneself to attain
true knowledge. This is true even in modern times as people get offended by bitter truth but are ready to accept lies
and mediocracy to suit their views.
● Antagonist of Caste System and Evil Practices: Kabir was a great opponent of the caste system. He stressed that in
God’s creation all were equal. He advised his followers to give up such inhuman practices as untouchability, feelings
of high and low etc. He further opposed the worship of stone images, or even the worship of different gods and
goddesses and was against rituals and ceremonies in religion.

KABIR’S RELEVANCE TO CONTEMPORARY TIMES


● Kabir was strictly against the practice of hypocrisy and didn’t like people maintaining double standards. He always
preached people to be compassionate towards other living beings and practise true love. Which is somewhat missing
in present days.
● He urged the need to have company of good people that adhere to values and principles and emphasised that love was
the only medium which could bind the entire human kind in an unbreakable bond of fraternity. He advised all to
give up hatred and perpetuate love for one and all. Today’s world is bogged down by the excessive materialism of the
world.
● The deep seated economic inequalities of the world are leading to a simmering discontent across the world. Kabir’s
principles of compassionate ethics are relevant.
● Corruption is the deep seated problem in India which is eating away the vitals of the nation. The emphasis on honest
livelihood by Kabir if understood in the right spirit will provide a way of changing the individual perspective.
● Communalism is a lurking evil in the Indian societal context, the essential syncretism and universalism which are part
of Kabir can help in solving this issue to a certain extent.

ADMINISTRATORS

E SREEDHARAN

Also called Metro Man of India who worked towards redefining public transport in India.
● Perseverance: He was successful in developing Konkan Railways at the highest quality despite his disagreement
with the Railway Minister over the choice of gauges. He persuaded the minister with his diligence and perseverance.
● Equity: Delhi Metro is one of his successful ventures where he ensured affordable tickets for all and free travel for
women.
● Ethics of work culture: He says “Ethics in work is a compulsion, not an option”. He upheld punctuality,
professionalism, and competence as the cardinal principle of the work environment.

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T N SHESHAN
He was an IAS officer from Tamil Nadu Cadre who stamped his authority on the electoral system in India.
● Leadership: He identified several electoral malpractices ranging from inaccurate election rolls, booth capturing,
electioneering, etc. He then acted on all aspects strictly and set milestones for officers to come.
● Discipline: He was known for his strict adherence to the law. He ensured his support staff and politicians abide by the
rules. For instance, in 1994 he advised the PM to remove two sitting cabinet ministers for electoral malpractices. His
approach was often termed Zero delay and Zero deficiency approach.
● Innovative: He successfully started the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct during elections which today
has evolved as an important part of elections in India.

DR. T ARUN, IAS


● Innovative, Technocrat: He created an app which has been used to revive 198 water bodies in Puducherry
including ponds, lakes and a 206 km stretch of canals. The app ‘Neer Padhivu’, helps digitalise water bodies with
geotagging, unique ID numbers, GIS on ponds, with latitudes and longitudes coordinates.
● Environmentalist: The app updates the status of groundwater levels, moisture content of soil and size via remote
sensing satellites. The application has not only helped streamline the rejuvenation process but is also ensuring that
people don’t dirty or encroach the water bodies.

T BHOOBALAN, IAS
● Compassion: His multi-pronged approach to tackle the sharp rise in child marriages amid the pandemic and rescued
176 kids from being married off underage in one year from Bagalkot district
● Leadership: Working on understanding the severity of the issue, Bhoobalan created a task force comprising
government officials and school teachers.

S SEERAM SAMBASIVA
● Compassion: He set up the Udayam Charitable Society to establish and run shelter homes. One of his goals was to
provide shelter homes to the street dwellers under the state’s ‘Nammude Kozhikode’ project for development.
Through this initiative, close to 1,500 homeless were taken off the streets and transferred to various shelter homes in
the last 18 months.
● Dutifulness, Dedication to Service, Compassion: Additionally, the district administration also took the responsibility
of reuniting the homeless with their families, giving them skill training and employment opportunities.
● Humanity: Close to 1,000 inmates were provided meals and were groomed for their well-being through haircuts,
surgeries, counselling, medical check-ups, etc.
● Innovative, Compassion: The ones who did not have ID cards were given new ones and a literacy programme,
‘Jnanodayam’ and certification exams were also conducted to help them earn a steady income.

SHALINI AGARWAL
● Innovative Ideas: To tackle the issue of acute water shortage in Vadodara, she came up with an ingenious solution of
setting up rainwater harvesting in schools, which in turn helped lakh of students by saving 10 crore litres of water
every year.
● Varsha Kal Nidhi was launched in 2020 and through this initiative, rainwater is collected from the terrace and
channelised through pipes towards a chamber in the ground. The chamber then filters and percolates the water in the
bore wells, ensuring direct groundwater recharge.
● Leadership: “Various workshops, competitions and events were held across Vadodara where children became the
brand ambassadors and people were sensitised about the importance of conservation.

DR. ADARSH SINGH


● Organiser, Innovative Ideas: He used the lockdown to revive a dying river in the district by giving employment
who had lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Prudence: At a time when people were losing their jobs and getting impacted by severe pay cuts, Dr Adarsh used
the time to generate employment and also tackle an environmental crisis.

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● Leadership: They adopted measures such as sensitising villagers, eliminating encroachments, reducing garbage
dumping, and open defecation on the river bank. The district authorities also sensitised people about open defecation
and dumping garbage in the river.

ANUPAM SHARMA
● Innovative Approach: The forest department had planted about five lakh saplings, and each of them came
wrapped with a plastic bag.
● Environment Friendly: Working towards the cause of the environment, while on the other hand, about 5,000 kilos
of plastic waste had accumulated. This was led to utilising the 5000 kg of plastic waste to generate sustainable
employment opportunities for three villages in Maihar.
● Prudence: The biogas plant helps serve some needs of the Maa Sharda Devi Temple Management Committee’s
Old-Age Home where the biogas plant helps generate enough gas supply to prepare morning and evening tea for the
residents and also helps mitigate wet waste generated on the premises.
● Leadership: The aim was to help create employment opportunities for the villagers while also managing the plastic
waste generated efficiently.

DHARAM SINGH MEENA


● Environment Concern: The disappearance of natural springs in the Uttarakhand and Himalayan subcontinent is a
cause for concern. Divisional forest officer Dharam Singh Meena noticed this and decided to rectify the issue.
● Leadership: He and his team managed to revive 66 Himalayan springs in Tehri Garhwal to provide a sustainable
water supply that now helps over one lakh people across 23 villages.

DAMODAR GAUTAM SAWANG


● Technocrat, Innovative: Chosen as the India’s best DGP, he has introduced several technological reforms in Andhra
Police that makes filing FIRs, complaints and SOS requests easier and faster.
● Transparency, Accountability: The technological changes that were introduced helped in bringing about
transparency and also accountability amongst the departments. A new file management system that was introduced
by the officer helped in speedy investigations and also to the completion of 85 percent of cases.
● People Centric, User Friendly: A mobile application called AP Police Seva was launched and within five months,
2,64,000 FIR downloads were seen.
● Inclusive: Additionally, the Disha Mobile app for women was also launched which saw 12.57 lakh downloads within
five months.

DR. SANGRAM SINGH PATIL


● Compassion: The initiative launched by Superintendent of Police Dr Sangram Sigh Patil that has helped over 5000
members of the Gotti Koya tribal community gain better access to healthcare.
● Effective Resource Management: Since 2019, Dr Sangram has helped over 5,000 tribals from 100-odd hamlets in
the district, address various complaints including those of nutrition deficiency, haemoglobin, skin, and other related
ailments. With the help of this officer, medical help worth Rs 7 lakh has reached the tribal community members.

SANTHA SHEELA NAIR


● Santha Sheela Nair: An IAS officer of the 1973 batch, Nair is known as an administrator par excellence. She is
credited with saving Chennai city from a water crisis in the early 2000s when she made rainwater harvesting
compulsory with special tanks and pipes for the same in each household.

ARUNA SUNDARARAJAN
● Aruna Sundararajan: This Kerala cadre IAS officer was described by Forbes magazine as ‘an IAS officer who
thinks like a businesswoman’. As IT secretary she played a significant role in the development of e-governance in
Kerala. She also headed the Kudumbashree project, today which is a shining example of women’s empowerment,
creating sustainable employment prospects for working-class women.

SMITA SABHARWAL
● She is also known as the ‘People’s Officer’. She is India’s first lady IAS officer to be appointed to a Chief Minister’s
Office.

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● While serving as the Municipal Commissioner at Warangal, she introduced the “Fund your City” scheme where a
large number of public utilities like Foot over bridges, Traffic Junctions, Parks, Bus-stops, were constructed with
Public-Private Partnership.

RAJNI SEKHRI SIBAL


● Courage: As Director, Primary Education in the state, she withstood pressure from the government and exposed the
JBT recruitment scam.
● Integrity: In this scam, the teachers’ selection lists were changed to give jobs to those candidates who had paid bribes.
When asked to be a party to this fraud, Sibal locked and sealed the almirah containing the original list with thick cotton
bandages in the presence of her junior officers. She also asked them to sign the bandages in different places and take
photographs for proof.

D SUBBA RAO
A 1972 IAS officer, Subbarao was the 22nd Governor of the RBI.
● As RBI Governor, he brought about reforms for financial inclusion, financial literacy and organised village
outreach programmes.
● He even expounded a theory on the New Trilemma of Central Bankers, called the ‘Holy Trinity’ as against the
‘Impossible Trinity’ of Robert Mundell and Marcus Fleming.
● He was the first person to review Stephen Hawking’s celebrated book, ‘A Brief History of Time’.
Conclusion
● The actual transformation of ethical theories to one's value system takes place when one internalises the theories and
ideas of philosophers. One should strive to make ethics their way of life and aim for Summum Bonum or Chief
Good.

ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP


● Administration is defined as a process of working with and through others to accomplish the agreed goals efficiently.
It is largely concerned with the implementation of objective procedures, guidelines, policies etc. using existing tools
and structures.
● Leadership is concerned with direction and control of human and material resources to create value and to evolve
structures as per contemporary time and technology and thus outperform the defined goals and objectives.
o Example- While an administrator would have waited for the government to clear funds for road
construction, Armstrong Pame (leader) constructed a 100 km road through crowdfunding.

ADMINISTRATOR, MANAGER AND LEADER


● Administrator is a person who is responsible for forming the strategic vision of the organisation. An administrator
formulates organisational structure and focuses on long-term plans.
● Manager is a person who is responsible for translating the administrator’s vision into operating plans and directs,
supervises, personnel working in the formulated organisational structure.
● Leader is a person who guides and motivates others which might include managers at times. They are vision oriented
and provide a positive outlook to the team.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGER AND LEADERSHIP


Parameter Manager Leadership
Outlook ● Passive outlook which is limited to stated ● Ambitious outlook; they initiate new
objective structure or procedures
Appointment ● They are generally appointed ● They can be appointed or can emerge
from within a group
Approach towards ● Impersonal, unidirectional approach ● Personal involvement, holistic vision
Goals towards goals towards goals

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People Management ● Low emotional involvement with people, ● Higher emotional involvement with
interaction is limited to specific roles people; at times, many invoke
assigned to people competitive and inspirational spirits to
yield best results

CONCLUSION
● Thinkers and philosophers through their theories and philosophies, provided a strong ethical and intellectual base to
extract rational values from it and their contribution is leading towards bringing more ethical perspective to the arena
of governance specifically and to the society in general

KEY WORDS

Normative Ethics; Virtue Ethics; Maieutics; Eudemonia; Sheelam Param Bhushanam; Selfless Action
(NishkamaKarma); Categorical Imperative; Deontology/ Teleology; Ethical egoism; Qualitative/ Quantitative
Utilitarianism; I-Culture- V-Culture; Contractarianism; Leviathan State; Three Natural Rights; Veil of Ignorance;
Capability Approach;

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Previous Year Questions Year

1. What does the quotation mean to you? “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If 2020
not, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand

2. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi 2020

3. “A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar 2020
conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates

4. What does the quotation mean to you? “An unexamined life is not worth living”. – Socrates 2019

5. What does the quotation mean to you? A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he 2019
becomes.” – M.K. Gandhi

6. What does the quotation mean to you?“Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the 2019
character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony
in the home, there is an order in the nation. When there is an order in the nation, there is peace in the
world” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

7. “In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they 2018
do not have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffett. What do you understand by this
statement in the present-day scenario? Explain.

8. What does each of the following quotations mean to you in the present context? 2018
1. “The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject anything, is not whether it has any evil in it; but
whether it has more evil than good. There are few things wholly evil or wholly good. Almost everything,
especially governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgement of
the preponderance between them is continually demanded. ”Abraham Lincoln ( 150 words)
2. “Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding. “ _ Mahatma Gandhi
3. “Falsehood takes the place of truth when it results in the unblemished common good.” _ Tirukkural

9. “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or 2017
very bad acts. It all depends on the principles which direct them.” – Napoleon Bonaparte. Stating
examples mention the rulers (i) who have harmed society and country, (ii) who worked for the

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development of society and country

10. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are 2017
three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother, and teacher.” – A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam. Analyse.

11. Given are two quotations of moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these bring out what it means to 2015
you in the present context.
(a) “The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of strong.”
(b) “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are
afraid of the light”

12. Given below are three quotations of great moral thinkers/philosophers. For each of these quotations, 2014
bring out what it means to you in the present context:
(a) “There is enough on this earth for everyone’s need but for no one’s greed.” Mahatma Gandhi.
(b) “Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him
power.”—Abraham Lincoln.
(c) “I count him as a braver who overcomes his desires than he who overcomes his enemies.”—
Aristotle.

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CHAPTER 9 ETHICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION


● Public Administration encompasses all activities that aim to achieve or implement public policy.
● This encompasses both military and civil matters, such as the operations of courts and various specialised
government sectors including law enforcement, education, healthcare, public infrastructure development,
environmental conservation, social security, and more.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION


● Neutral System: It refers to a politically neutral public administrative system functioning within a political
framework.
● Collective Will: Its primary focus is on the objectives of the state, the collective will of the people, public interests,
and adherence to laws.
● Policies Implementation: It is involved in both the formulation and implementation of policies.
● Executive Branch: While it exists across all branches of government, it is typically more concentrated within the
executive branch.
● Improving Life of the People: Its main purpose is to provide regulatory oversight and deliver services to the public,
aiming to improve quality of life.
● Emphasis on Public Sphere: It differs significantly from private administration, particularly in its emphasis on the
public in terms of goals and methods.

PRINCIPLES DIFFERENTIATING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FROM PRIVATE


ADMINISTRATION
● Administration occurs in both public and private institutional settings. While public administration is concerned
with government administration, private administration is concerned with administration of private business
organisations.
● Following are the four principles that differentiate public from private administration:
1. Principle of Uniformity Common and uniform laws and regulation

2. Principle of External Legislative body control government revenues and expenditure


Financial Control

3. Principle of Ministerial Accountable to its political masters and through them to people
Responsibility

4. Principle of Marginal Main objective of a business venture is profit; however, the objectives of public
Return administration cannot be measured in money terms.

NEED OF ETHICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION


Public administration in India has been largely focused on political, legal and financial domains only, but the ethical
dimension is equally important, which can be understood from the following points:
● Public Resource Utilisation: Efficient and effective resource utilisation without corruption in India is important
because of resource deficit and ethics make a public administrator accountable to his/her actions.
● Social Justice: Ethical public administration is important to achieve the goal of social justice as envisaged under
Article 38 and other Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) of our Constitution. It ensures equality and equity
for vulnerable sections of the society.
● Resolve Dilemma: Public administration is becoming complex day-by-day and this creates frequent dilemmas for
public administrators. Ethics ensures public good is given priority and resolves ethical and value conflicts and
dilemmas.
● Decision Making: Public administrators take key decisions and when those decisions are based on objectivity,
fairness, justice and above the personal interest, they yield required results for the society.

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● Public Trust: Ethical public administration creates confidence and trust in the people towards the competence,
fairness, honesty, impartiality and sincerity of the public services.
● Social Capital: Ethical public administration ensures credibility in the eyes of the people and ensures civil society
cooperation and thus building social capital of the country.
● Sarvodaya/Antyodaya: Ethical public administration brings empathy, compassion for poor and vulnerable sections
of the society leading to better understanding of societal problems and thus finding their solutions.
o Example - Implementation of Bonded Labour Abolition Act by IAS officer S. Shankaran.

STATUS AND PROBLEMS OF ETHICS IN INDIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION


Provisions for Inculcating Ethics in Indian Administration
● Central Services Conduct Rules, 1964: The rules provide for do’s and don’ts for civil servants and require them to
maintain absolute integrity, devotion to duty and political neutrality while discharging their duties.
● All India Service Conduct Rules, 1968: These rules provide that the officials of IAS, IPS and IFoS should maintain
high ethical standards, integrity and honesty, political neutrality, promote principle of merit, fairness and
impartiality in the discharge of duties along with accountability and transparency.
● Code of Ethics, 1997: It was the first initiative to introduce code of ethics for public servants in India aiming for
better governance in India. However, it was not issued for public servants.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN INDIAN ADMINISTRATION


● Misuse of Discretionary Powers: Discretionary
powers are misused for personal gains and extend Observations of Second Administrative Reforms
favouritism in the administration and public welfare is Commission (ARC) with respect to Ethical Issues in
largely disregarded. Indian Administration:
● Undue Importance to Rules And Regulations: ● Corruption is a matter of concern particularly at the
Indian administration gives undue importance to cutting-edge levels of bureaucracy.
compliance of rules and regulations, which leads to ● Perceptible lack of commitment in public servants
excessive red-tapism and disregard of the justice, towards redressal of citizens' grievance.
fairness etc. and more focus on accountability rather
than responsibility in the administration. ● Red-tapism and unnecessary complex procedures
add to hardship of citizens.
● Poor Reward and Punishment Mechanism: Reward
and punishment is determined by favouritism and ● Government servants are rarely held to account and
political nexus disregarding merit in the complaints to higher authorities usually go unheeded.
administration. ● Attitude of many public functionaries is one of
● Lack of Communication: Indian administration is arrogance and indifference.
characterised by closed communication and limited ● Frequent transfer of officers reduces their
public contact. Rigid hierarchy within the effectiveness and also dilutes their accountability.
organisations further hinder communication. ● Nexus between politicians and bureaucrats.
● Negligence: A public official either does not perform
his professional responsibilities or performs them in a delinquent manner, causing damage to the state or community.
This is mostly because of the lack of interest that one has in one’s duties and responsibilities.
● Corruption: Bribery and corruption are seen as reward for performance of obligatory work and considered as
necessary evil greasing the wheels of the government departments.
o Example: India has been ranked 85th in Corruption Perception Index, 2021.
● Evasive Tendency: There is lack of initiatives on the part of administrators facing a difficult situation and the problem
is evaded by passing the task from one department to another.
● Patronage: Political patronage plays an important role in appointment of administrators, especially at the higher
levels.
o Example: Post-retirement assignments to senior officials to Regulatory and other bodies are largely done
on the basis of political patronage.
● Excessive Security: Article 311 of the Constitution provides excessive security to public servants and this reduces
the enforcement of accountability.
● Ill-Conceived Goals: When incentives are given for achievement of any goal but they promote a negative behaviour.

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o Example: The Bank Manager of Utkala Grameen Bank in Odisha insisted on physical verification of a
100-year-old lady for withdrawal of money from Jan Dhan Account.
● Nepotism: The practice of nepotism (the appointment of relations and/or friends to public positions, thereby ignoring
the merit principle), may lead to the downgrading of the quality of the public service.
● Lack of Compassion: Indifference towards the feelings or the convenience of individuals and by an obsession with
the binding and inflexible authority of departmental decisions, precedents, arrangements or forms, regardless of how
badly or with what injustice they work in individual cases.
● Overvaluing Outcomes: It is about giving more importance to the end result and not to the process.
o Example - Certifying a drug developed by a drug company, even if it has used unethical means.
● Lobbying: Various pressure groups convey huge political capital and they lobby for their interest. Sometimes these
demands may not be beneficial in the long-term but due to political pressure government/administrators have to fulfil
their demands.
o Example - Various political parties have given into the demands of loan waivers.

PROBLEMS OF ETHICS IN INDIAN ADMINISTRATION


● Lack of Ethical Literacy: It refers to inability to understand the ethical issues that are involved in any situation and
the decision is entirely based on the rule-books. This limits the understanding of the situation where cultural, social,
environmental etc. factors play major roles.
● Secrecy: In spite of RTI Act, 2005, there is greater secrecy in the Indian administration and even the information
sought under RTI Act is denied in the context of official secrecy.
● Societal Pressures: Irrational and unreasonable demands are made upon the officers by families, relatives, peers and
other close ones.
● Political Superiority: Bureaucrats are accountable to their political masters and they have to abide by their decisions,
even if they are not economically sound but based on the political exigencies and short-term goals.
● Lack of Grievance Redressal Mechanism: There is lack of organisation of public opinion regarding administrative
deficiencies, which is compounded by lack of awareness among people about their rights and entitlements and
grievance redressal mechanism against officials.
● Information Leaks: Sometimes officials have not been able to hold on to the sensitive information such as pending
tax increase, cost-cutting of staff etc. and this information is leaked into the public domain.
● Lack of Whistleblower Protection: Although Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014 is present there is victimisation
of whistleblowers and no penalty against any public servant victimising the complainant.
ETHICAL DILEMMA IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS
● Dilemma refers to a situation in which a problem is offering two possible solutions, neither of which is practically
acceptable.
● Ethical dilemma refers to a situation that necessitates a choice between a competing set of principles neither of which
is absolutely ethical.
o Example - A civil servant is approached by an old person, who is eligible under the public distribution
system but does not have required documents. This is a situation which puts the civil servant in an
ethical dilemma.
Three Essential Conditions for a Situation to be Ethical Dilemma:

Ethical Dilemma in Governance

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Public servants in India have to work under different sets of conditions such as resource crunch, political leadership,
different societal values etc. and under such situations they face multiple ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas include are
caused by the following relationships of Civil Servants:
● Civil Servants and Political Office holders;
● Civil Servants and Citizens; and
● Intra – Civil Service (Ministries, Departments and Agencies, that make up the Country’s or State’s Civil Service).

ETHICAL DILEMMAS FACED BY PUBLIC SERVANTS


Conflict of Interest
● It is a situation involving conflict between private interest and public interest when an individual is at a position of
power and trust.
o Example - Arun Jaitley did not handle
vodafone case because he had conflict of
interest as he was advisor to vodafone
earlier.
● Conflict between personal values and values of public
administration.
o Example - A public servant might be
against the use of Aadhar because of high
regard for the right to privacy, but might
have to use it for Public Distribution
Systems (PDS).
● Conflict between professional ethics and unjustified
demand by superiors.
o Example - A Public servant might be
against loan waivers but because of orders
of seniors will have to abide by the order.
● Various aspects of code of conduct, such as motivation versus not accepting rewards for performance of duty.
o Example - A Public servant might be of the opinion that small gifts act as a motivation to perform his/her
duty but that is against code of conduct.
● Professional Commitment versus Public Welfare.
o Example - A public servant denying government entitlements to a destitute due to lack of documentary
proofs.

RESOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMA IN GOVERNANCE


Ethical dilemma can be solved by keeping following key aspects in mind:
● Giving Priority to the Public Interest: Public
officials should prioritize the public's welfare over
their own self-interest when making decisions or
taking actions.
● Thorough Assessment: Ethical dilemmas should be
carefully evaluated by considering all available
options and selecting the decision that maximises the
well-being of the majority.
● Impartiality: Public servants should remain
unbiased when faced with ethical dilemmas and make
decisions without favouritism, similar to a neutral
referee.
● Fusion: Integrating individual, organisational, and
societal goals helps alleviate ethical dilemmas, as a
suitable choice can align with all these objectives.

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● The Rule of Law and Legality: The rule of law is essential in politics and society, and adhering to the principles of
legitimacy is crucial when exercising authority. The law sets the minimum ethical standard and aids decision-making
during ethical dilemmas.

ETHICAL CONCERNS IN PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS


● Business ethics applies to all aspects of a business conduct and is relevant for conduct of individuals and the entire
organisation. Although fundamentals remain the same, it varies from organisation to organisation. Individuals of an
organisation might find themselves in a conflicting situation.
o Example: An honest salesman might have to sell a defective medical product which might affect the
patient’s health.
It gives rise to a number of ethical concerns in a private organisation such as:
● Conflict of Interest arises when an individual is involved in multiple interests.
o Example - BCCI Ethics officer served a notice on Conflict of interest to Rupa Gurunath as the
President of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association as well as Director of India Cements Ltd (the parent
company of Chennai Super Kings). She has been found guilty of indirect conflict of interest for ICL's
close association with Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL).
● Excessive competition in the market often forces people for unethical practices like insider trading and
manipulation of share prices. It is also when personal interests take precedence over the organisational and the
share-holders’ interest.
● Nepotism and Favouritism are generally seen in employment and appointments in an organisation where caste, clan
or other identities overtake merit. This is also seen in the positions of board of directors.
● Integrity of the Audit Process is questioned when companies manipulate their business accounts in order to show
good financial health and maintain good credit ratings in the market and this is not brought to the public by audit
processes.
o Example - Yes Bank scam which highlighted the directors’ inability to unravel deviations.
● Lobbying in some countries is ethical. In India there is no law which defines Lobbying. Defence contracts are often
heated topics for the lobbying angles involved in the same. Lobbying in a regulated manner is often recommended by
experts.
● Cartelisation and Manipulation of Market by private business enterprises in order to displace new entrants in the
market or to earn higher profits.
o Example - Manipulation of prices by Arhartiyas in APMCs, tax evasion, insider trading etc.

LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS AND CONSCIENCE AS SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE


● Laws are usually based on an ethical framework and aim to bring social order while controlling the immoral and
unethical behaviour of individuals in the society.
● Rules are elaborate frameworks that are usually framed with an aim to bring simplification, facilitation, convenience
etc. in the order to guide the behaviour of individuals or organisations.
o Example: Information Technology Act, 2000 is a law and Information Technology Intermediary
Guidelines Rules 2021 are framed to give effect to the law.
Difference between Laws and Rules:
Laws and rules may seem like overlapping terms, but there are some differences on which distinction can be made between
the two:

Parameter Rules Law


Objective Rules usually focus on individual good Law seeks to increase public good and serve
public interests
Framing Rules can be set by individuals, or by Laws are enacted only by those in exercise of
organisations sovereignty or government
Flexibility and Rules are more flexible and have lighter Laws are inflexible and carry stiff penalties
Violation consequences when broken including imprisonment and, in some cases,
death

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HOW LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE


● Regulating Discretionary Powers: Public servants have discretionary powers for governance, and that can be used
for personal benefit. Laws, rules and regulations regulate this power by laying specific ‘dos and don’ts’ for use of that
power.
o Example: Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1964 provides dos and don’ts for the civil servants to
prevent misuse of discretionary powers.
● Commanding Action and Inaction: Laws, rules and regulations act as positive and negative enablers and encourage
or prohibit action.
o Example: Prevention of Corruption Act prevents corruption and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act enables social audit.
● Fostering Social Justice: Laws, rules and regulations foster social justice by providing modern human rights, such
as equality, liberty etc.
o Example: Prevention of Civil Rights Act 1955 prohibits untouchability.
● Human Rights Protection: Laws, rules and regulations encourage empathy towards the needy and thus promotes
human rights protection.
o Example: Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2019 provides for Good Samaritans and protects them
against civil or criminal actions.

LIMITATIONS OF LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS AS SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE


● Lack of Enforcement: Laws, rules and regulations demand official machinery for their enforcement, lack of which
might lead to unethical behaviour by individuals or organisations.
o Example - There are laws preventing crimes in the society, but still crimes are prevalent in the society.
● Evasive Tendency: Enactment of laws, rules and regulations may not translate into ethical behaviour from individuals
or organisations because of tendency of non-compliance.
o Example - People avoiding fines under
Motor Vehicle Amendment Act by
carrying their vehicle by hand.
● Finding Loopholes: Laws, rules and regulations might
not be able to envisage every possible scenario and
therefore people might find loopholes in them.
o Example - Tax evasion by finding
loopholes in the Income Tax Act.
● Negative Perception: Some laws, rules and regulations
might have negative perception among those who are
obliged to perform under them.
o Example - Corporate Social
Responsibility is perceived as additional
tax by some corporations.
● Lack of Social Maturity: Laws, rules and regulations might have good intentions, but the society might not be mature
enough to accept them.
o Example - Opposition to Triple Talaq law by some sections of Muslim society, opposition to the
Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala case by some sections of Hindu society.
● Cultural Evils: Laws, rules and regulations cannot always provide protection against social evils.
o Example - In spite of legal provisions for protection of women but still rapes/dowry cases are witnessed
in literate society like Kerala.
Conclusion
● Hence, laws, rules and regulations are external sources for ethics. However, an ethical society can be made by an
ethical conscience.

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CONSCIENCE AS SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE


Difference between Conscience and Law:

Law Conscience

Law applies principles of morality outside human Conscience acts within human beings and checks the morality
beings of human actions.

Law states a general rule Conscience provides practical rules for specific action and
applies law and rules to that specific action.

Antecedent Conscience and Consequent Conscience:


● Antecedent Conscience: Antecedent Conscience is that which acts as a guide to future actions, prompting to do them
or avoid them.
o Example - A person stops at a red signal because of prospective remorse. In ethics, an antecedent
conscience which is a guide to our future actions is more important.
● Consequent Conscience: Consequent Conscience is that which is acting as a judge of our past actions and acts as a
source of our self-approval or remorse of the past actions.
o Example - A person jumps the red signal and then feels guilty.

CONSCIENCE AS A SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE


Conscience is linked with morality and comes into picture when dealing with practical situations. It acts as a source of
ethical guidance in following manner:
● Resolving Ethical Dilemma: Conscience helps in taking correct decisions based on our ethical and moral principles
and thus helps in resolving ethical dilemmas.
● Avoiding Conflict of Interest: Conscience reminds of one’s inherent moral values and helps us avoid conflict of
interest.
o Example: A person known for professionalism would prefer professional values when faced with a
conflict of interest vis-à-vis his/her relatives.
● Guilt Consciousness: An individual who might have done something wrong feels pain or guilt emanating from his/her
conscience.
o Example: A biker breaking traffic rules might feel guilty after sometime because of his/her conscience
and might not break traffic rules next time.
● Repulsive Behaviour against Unethical Act: A person might show lower motivation and involvement in a situation
in which is against his/her conscience and thus he/she will be inclined to take ethically correct path.
o Example: A police officer might lack motivation to do lathicharge on a peaceful protest if that is against
his/her conscience.

IS CONSCIENCE AN ABSOLUTE GUIDE TO ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR? NO


Crisis of Conscience:
● Crisis of conscience is a situation when conscience fails to provide moral guidance to an individual in any specific
situation. Individuals lose the ability to get guidance from his moral sense about what is right and what is wrong.
o Example - If a police officer is administering a peaceful protest and suddenly asked to resort to strict
measures irrespective of the nature of protest. This makes the situation ambiguous and the officer is faced
with a crisis of conscience as his/her moral sense cannot guide him/her about right and wrong actions.
o During the recent Anti- Encroachment drive, Municipality officials have been ordered to forcefully
evict illegal shelters constructed by squatters on government land. The official observes that the
occupants are poor people who have small infants to take care of. In such cases the official has to choose
between his/her conscience of giving them time to vacate or follow government order and perform his
duty.
● Wrong Training of Conscience: Conscience develops with good habits but following wrong habits provides wrong
training to conscience and it does not provide us moral guidance.

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o Example - A person who has always lied will not be guided by his/her conscience to tell the truth.
● Impact of Morals/Cultures: Conscience also depends on the morals/cultures of the place and time.
o Example - A person’s conscience towards his behaviour towards females would not provide ethical
guidance if he has been brought up in a patriarchal environment.
● Impact of Societal Pressure: Conscience can be overtaken by societal or professional pressure.
o Example - People do not agree for inter-caste/inter-religion marriage for their children under societal
pressure, even if they want to agree.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ETHICAL GOVERNANCE

ACCOUNTABILITY
The concept of holding public officials accountable involves a process through which their actions and choices are closely
examined to ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities, obligations, and job duties.
Accountability Encompasses Two Main Aspects
1. Answerability: This refers to the responsibility of the government, its agencies, and public officials to disclose
information about their decisions and actions, and to provide justifications for them to both the public and the
institutions entrusted with overseeing accountability.
2. Enforcement: This aspect suggests that either the public or the accountable institution has the authority to take
measures against the party that has acted inappropriately or to rectify the behaviour that has violated established
rules. Consequently, different accountability institutions may be responsible for either or both of these stages.
Need of Accountability
● Answerability: It prevents the public services from turning into tyrants as they are held answerable to their deeds and
misdeeds.
● Avoids Conflict of Interests: Setting accountability clearly demarcates the area of one’s actions where he or she is
required to act.
● Public Interest: The first and last beneficiary of public service is the public, as the public services are required to act
in the interest of the public and they are answerable for their actions.
● Justice & Equality: Promotes justice, equality, and egalitarianism because public servants are required to realise
these constitutional ideals and at the same time, they are answerable for their actions.
● Legitimacy to Public Services: Accountability promotes the loyalty to service as actions are carefully calculated and
keeps a check on arbitrary and ill-conceived actions and policies.
Ways of Ensuring Accountability
● Capacity building of Stakeholders to question the public officials about their discharging of official duties.
o Example - The concept of Social Audit under MGNREGA. Also, effective implementation of laws
like Prevention of Corruption Act should be ensured.
● By promoting transparency, through effective implementation of RTI in full earnest, especially the pro-active
disclosure, then public officials would be more careful to function strictly according to the spirit of the law and
constitution. Secondly, it would educate the people about their rights, entitlements and how to question their
fulfilment.
● The independence and effective role of judiciary is crucial for upholding the rule of law in India, thus various steps
like Memorandum of Procedure, e-courts among others should be promoted.
● The final expression of accountability in a democracy is through the medium of periodic elections which is an
instrument for punishing and rewarding the Government of the day, and therefore, serves as an ultimate instrument of
accountability. The electoral reforms and democratic maturity of people is the ultimate bulwark of accountability.
Types of Accountability
● Horizontal Accountability: It is the capacity of state institutions to check exploitations by other public agencies and
branches of the government.

Parliament, Judiciary, Lokpal, Comptroller and Auditor General, Central


External (Outside the Executive)
Vigilance Commission

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● Superior Officers: Reward and Punishment, disciplinary procedures,


Performance management system
Internal (Within the Executive)
● Internal audit
● Grievance redressal mechanism
● Vertical Accountability: These are the means through which standards of good governance are enforced by the
citizens, mass media and civil society on the bureaucrats. Parliament is also an important forum for vertical
accountability.
● Political Accountability: It refers to the accountability that is established in the form of individual ministerial
responsibility.
● Social Accountability: It is society driven horizontal accountability that relies on civic engagement and ordinary
citizens and civil society organisations participate directly or indirectly to enforce accountability of officials.
Institutions and Mechanisms that Promote Accountability
Outside the State: Vertical Within the State: Horizontal
● To the People through elections ● External (Outside the Executive) - Parliament, Judiciary, Lokayukta,
● Through RTI Act to Citizens CAG, CVC
● Citizen’ Oversight Committees ● Internal (Within the Executive)
● Civil Society/ Watchdog bodies o Superior officers
● Media o Rewards/Punishments
● Service Delivery Surveys o Disciplinary Procedures
● Citizen’s Charters o Performances Management System
● Integrity Pacts ● CBI/Police/Vigilance
● Citizen Report Cards ● Internal Audit
● Through Whistle Blower Act ● Grievances Redressal Mechanisms (Prevention Of Corruption Act,
Official Secrets Act)
● E- Governance mechanisms (Pragati, NeGP etc.)

Significance of Accountability in Governance


● Democratic Governance: Accountability ensures democratic governance in the country where officials are directly
or indirectly responsible to the people and not only to their superiors only.
● Public Trust: Accountability ensures officials are made answerable for their actions for any wrongdoing. This
improves public trust, confidence, cooperation and coordination in the government performance.
● Clarity: Accountability also requires clear specification of tasks to be performed, time frame for the task and also
financial and other resources available at disposal, against which an official is held accountable. This improves
governance.
● Administrative Irregularities: Accountability prevents administrative irregularities and improper implementation of
government policies and programmes and thus helps improve governance.
● Remedial Measures: Accountability ensures that officials are held liable for any wrongdoing and remedial action can
be taken.
● Transparency: Accountability ensures that officials take decisions more transparently in order to reduce absolute
accountability. This makes citizens stakeholders in governance.
● Feedback Mechanism: Accountability also generates a feedback mechanism that ensures that the feedback from
beneficiaries reach the decision-makers.

RESPONSIBILITY
● It means accountability to oneself, i.e. when the accountability turns inward. It is a moral concept, where a person
feels answerable to oneself for all his actions, even if it is not covered by any law.
● It is more enduring than accountability, because it is based on ethical reasoning, and the person would always do the
right thing, even if nobody is there to watch his action, as he holds himself answerable to oneself. Here the person
takes ownership of one’s actions and decisions.

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Difference between Accountability and Responsibility


● Responsibility refers to being in-charge of certain
duties which are expected to be performed by virtue of Authority: Power given to a
being in a certain post/position. Accountability is one person to act and make
step ahead. It includes answerability, i.e. being liable decisions within boundaries
for the outcomes achieved due to performance of the
duty. Therefore, accountability can be held on to a
person only after the task is done. Responsibility: Carrying out the
o Example - A judge is responsible for specific delegated tasks
delivering a judgement, but is not
accountable if the outcomes are not as
expected. A DM is both responsible as Accountability: Being liable for
well as accountable for ensuring actions and decisions
compliance with Right to Education in
her district.
● In individualistic terms, responsibility can also refer to
what one expects of oneself or the others. To be
morally responsible for something, is to be worthy of a particular kind of reaction, such as praise or blame in pursuance
of the act.
o Example - Helping a destitute is a responsibility of the affluent and empathetic. However, they cannot
be held accountable for not helping them. They can be condemned, if one wishes so.

GOVERNANCE, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ETHICAL GOVERNANCE


● According to the UNDP, Governance is the exercise of political, economic and administrative authority to manage a
country’s affairs.
● According to the World Bank, Good Governance refers to the manner in which power is exercised in the management
of a country’s economic and social resources for development.
● Eight Principles of Good Governance by United Nations:
o Participation: People should be able to voice their opinion and become part of governance, including
men and women, vulnerable sections of society etc.
o Follow Rule of Law: Impartial enforcement of legal framework and full protection to human rights,
particularly those of minorities and vulnerable sections.
o Consensus Oriented: It requires mediation of different interests to meet the best interests of a
community.
o Transparent: It means enough information is provided to public in easily understandable form.
o Responsive: It means redressal of citizen grievances, citizen orientation, timely delivery of services etc.
o Effective and Efficient: It means that processes and institutions result in optimum utilisation of resources
at their disposal.
o Equitable and Inclusive: It ensures that different
sections feel that they have a stake in it and are not
excluded from the mainstream.
o Accountable: It acknowledges and assumes
responsibility for actions, products, decisions and
policies.
● Ethical governance is formulating, implementing and complying
with the policies, rules, laws and orders in an organisation in such
a manner that it does not merely concentrate on administrative
efficiency but uphold universal values such as truth, honesty,
integrity, dedication to duty etc.

IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL GOVERNANCE


India is a country with a huge population and a comparative resource crunch. Therefore, ethical governance becomes
important for ensuring:

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● Social Justice: Constitution of India envisages social


justice for the people of India and ethical governance
ensures that inequalities are reduced in the society.
● Confidence of Public: Ethical governance based on truth
ensures transparency in the governance and ensures that
people’s trust is upheld along with cooperation and
coordination from the public.
o Example - Right to Information Act, 2005
uphold transparency in the governance of the
country.
● Upholding Basic Human Rights: Ethical governance
based on altruism and welfare ensures that citizens are
given basic human rights that they are entitled.
o Example - National Food Security Act ensures that the poor section of the society gets their right to
food.
● Upholding Universal Value System: Ethical governance based on objectivity and fairness absorbs the pressure of
nepotism and extends favours in the governance, appointment etc.
● Efficiency: Ethical governance based on integrity would ensure that the public money is spent for the purpose that it
is laid out for and thus reduces the chances of corruption in the governance.
● Compassion: Ethical governance based on compassion would ensure that poor and vulnerable sections and their
necessities are given especial importance in the governance.
o Example - Affordable rental housing scheme by government ensures housing for migrant workers at
affordable cost.
Ethical governance is a continuing process, starting with the administration and extending to all citizens. With transparency
and unwavering ethics, people will seek to earn the trust of those they partner with, forge lasting service relationships and
strengthen business over the long term.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND FUNDING


International Ethics refers to a set of universal standards and values that guide and regulate the behaviours and
actions of nations in their international dealings. For instance, most countries uphold and protect basic human rights as
a set of fundamental principles.

SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL ETHICS


The significance of International Ethics can be understood through various roles it plays in international relations:
● Responsibility: Ethics ensures that affluent and developed countries contribute to the progress of Less Developed
Countries, making them accountable for human development in these nations as well. Example- The Paris Climate
Change Agreement and the concept of Common, But Differential Responsibilities in mitigating climate change.
● Humanitarian Ethics: Ethics guarantees that advancements in science, defense, and security, as well as cooperation
between countries in these areas, do not impede human rights. For instance, countries imposing restrictions on the
end-use of weapons through organisations like the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group,
and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Compassion: Ethics fosters compassion in international relations, prompting countries to stand in solidarity with each
other during challenging times. For example, countries collaborating through the COVAX Program to provide
COVID-19 vaccinations to impoverished nations.
● Peace and Harmony: Ethics ensures that global affairs are conducted in a manner that promotes peace, harmony,
and equality among nations. The establishment of the United Nations serves as an example of an effort to maintain
peace worldwide.
● Legitimacy: Ethics grants legitimacy to countries, but it can also revoke legitimacy based on their actions. The
Taliban in Afghanistan, for instance, lacks international legitimacy due to its violation of human rights.
● Human Rights Protection: Ethics drives countries to work towards safeguarding human rights rather than solely
pursuing their narrow national interests. Cooperation among nations in addressing refugee crises exemplifies this
commitment.
● Solutions to Global Problems: Ethics encourages countries to cooperate in addressing global problems rather than
pursuing short-term goals solely for their own interests. Cooperation among countries in combating terrorism
serves as an example.
● Business Ethics: Ethics ensures that multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes in the countries where they
operate, preventing them from evading taxes through offshore havens. Recent developments such as the Global
Minimum Tax deal and efforts to combat Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) reflect this concern.
● Racism: Ethics compels countries to work towards eradicating racism from their policies. An example of this is the
international pressure that led South Africa to end apartheid.

ETHICAL CONCERNS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS


● Lack of Responsibility and Equity: Although climate change is a global phenomena and developed countries are
responsible for climate change, the impact of climate change would be on developing and Least Developed Countries.
o Example: Developed countries are not willing to take responsibility for climate change and are against
common but differentiated responsibility.
● Global Poverty: While people in richer countries enjoy a lavish lifestyle, people in poorer countries lack even the
basic human rights.
o Example: While there is considerable hunger in African countries, richer countries are known for food
wastages.
● Apathy Towards Third World: In difficult times countries look for their self-interest rather than on the global
interest.
o Example: Russia’s attack on Ukraine and China’s aggression towards Taiwan for self-strategic
interest are disturbing the supply chain. As a result, there is an increase in the price of commodities like
Crude oil.
● Terrorism: Terrorism is a challenge for humanity, especially in the age of social media but countries around the world
have not been able to agree on a basic definition of terrorism.
o Example: Comprehensive convention on counter-terrorism proposed by India has been pending in
the United Nations since 1996.
● Lack of Accountability: Global organisations have not been able to ensure accountability of powerful countries.
o Example: Chinese expansionism and refusing to abide by the award of Permanent Court of Arbitration
on South China dispute.
● Selfishness: Countries have often looked to work for their parochial selfish interests and not the global community.
o Example: Controlled production of crude oil by the OPEC countries, for higher market price of Crude
oil, Lack of Consensus on Patent Waiver for Covid -19 vaccines
● Lack of Universal Standards: Countries have often tended to protect their national interest and have moved away
from universal standards in working towards this.
o Example: China supporting Pakistan in United Nations listing of Masood Azhar
● Racism: Although global institutions have been working to end racism, it is still prevalent.
o Example: George Floyd case in USA, Megan Merkel’s child issue.
● Weakening Global Institutions: The global institutions still reflect the second world war era and therefore have been
weakening due to absence of reforms along with present realities.
o Example: WHO was criticised over the issue of tackling of COVID-19 in the initial period.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL FUNDING


International funding refers to the aid given by richer and advanced countries to poorer countries for developmental,
security and other purposes.
However, this aid presents following ethical issues:
● Subverting Sovereignty of Nations: While giving funding to the recipient countries donor agencies put several
conditions that are best decided by the people and governments of the countries.
o Example: IMF conditions on loans given to India during 1991 financial crisis.
● Exploiting Compulsion: Countries often exploit the compulsion of the recipient countries to further their own
interest.
o Example: China’s debt-trap diplomacy exploits infrastructure requirements of poorer countries.
● Funding to NGOs: Countries provide funding to NGOs to further their own interests.
o Example: Greenpeace protesting in India against Nuclear Power Plants.
● Clinical Trials: Pharma countries often conduct clinical trials in poorer countries and provide funding to recipient
countries for this, which is a violation of human rights.
● Neo-colonialism: Countries use their market-tactics and funding to promote neo-colonialism in the recipient countries
with the setting up of factories and creating dependence on them.
o Example: Multinational companies are alleged for promotion of western culture.
● Terror Financing: Many times, international funding has been channelised for terror funding and also black money
has been round tripped in the host country.

GLOBAL EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH INTERNATIONAL ETHICAL ISSUES


Issues and Global Efforts

Issues of Human Rights Violations:


● Political interventions frequently lead to Human Rights Violations.
● Terrorism: States use Terrorism as a tool of foreign policy and indulge in human rights violation. (For Example
- Pakistan (supporting LeT, JeM), Iran (supporting Hezbollah)).
● Refugee Issue: European nations are closing their borders to refugees fleeing war-torn areas.
Global Efforts
● Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): The 30 rights and freedoms include civil and political rights,
like the right to life, liberty, free speech and privacy and economic, social and cultural rights, like the right to
social security, health and education, etc.
● Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
● Amnesty International: An international organisation of volunteers who campaign for human rights. This
organisation brings out independent reports on the violation of human rights all over the world.
● Efforts of countries like India and Bangladesh to provide shelters and aid for Rohingya refugees.
● Humanitarian approaches extended by the world to reduce hardship in Afghanistan related to food shortages and
other essential items.
● United Nations Peacekeeping Army are sent to establish Peace and harmony in the conflict zone.
Climate Change Issues:
● International Equity Concerns: Countries that are least responsible for climate change and have the least
economic capacity to fight the effects of climate change are the most affected ones. For example Marshall Islands.
● Issue of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities: There are issues in defining and differentiating the
responsibilities between present and future generations as well as developed and developing countries.
● Climate Sceptics don’t consider climate change to be real.
Global Efforts
● Commitment to strong climate action including the promotion of sustainable lifestyles based on mindful
consumption and reduction of waste.
● Financial tools adopted such as – Polluter Pay Principle, Carbon Tax, Energy Saving Certificates, green Bonds etc

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Mission Innovation: It is a global initiative of 22 countries and the EU to accelerate global clean energy
innovation. Participating countries have committed to double their governments’ clean energy R&D investments
over 5 years.
● Decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.
● Glasgow Climate Summit and Major countries disclosed their target of becoming Carbon Neutral. Ex, India will
become carbon neutral by 2070.
● Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): It refers to a market mechanism for achieving GHG emissions
reduction under the Kyoto protocol. It allows an industrialised/developed country with an emission-reduction
target under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in any of those developing countries
and earn tradable Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one ton of CO2.
● Proposal made for Climate finance and Climate Finance Delivery Plan at the Glasgow summit.
● Focus on sources of Renewable Energy and Establishment of international institutions. Ex. International Solar
Alliance.
● Increasing Green Cover to create more Carbon sinks.
Other Issues:
Global commons are defined as those parts of the planet that fall outside national jurisdictions and to which all nations
have access.
● Zoonotic diseases like Covid-19
● Overfishing
● Accumulation of plastic waste
o Accumulation of Space debris
Global Efforts Panel set up by WHO to monitor Zoonotic diseases.
● International Cooperation for the development of Vaccines
● Framework for patent waiver on medicines, vaccines and other medical devices related to Zoonotic diseases such
as Covid-19
IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights):
● The developed countries are depriving the poor countries of accessing the new technologies (even life-saving
drugs) by the restrictive clauses of IPRs.
● It is essential to determine whether it is justifiable for a country to defend its IPRs on commercial grounds, or it
should share technology for the greater interest of humanity.
Global Efforts
● Guidelines set up by WTO regarding enforcement of IPRs.
● Invoking of Compulsory Licencing clauses in the case of emergency

Conclusion
International ethics is a set of universal values that governs the actions and behaviours of nation-states. In International
Relations, the state is called an Actor. Hence, all decisions should protect and further the national interests of the State
(Machiavellian Ethics) but it should also be seen as ethical.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
According to the Cadbury Committee, corporate governance is the “system by which companies are directed and
controlled.”
It is a set of systems, processes and principles which ensure that a company is governed in the best interest of all
stakeholders. It is about promoting corporate fairness, transparency and accountability.

IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE


Good corporate governance benefits not only the company but also the environment around it in the following way:

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● Premium: Well governed companies across the world command a


premium of anywhere between 10 to 40 percent more than their not so
well governed counterparts.
● Foreign Investment: Good corporate practices based on transparency
and sound business principles attract foreign investment, which is much
more liberalised now.
● Weak Corporate Laws: A good firm-level governance often makes up
for weaknesses in a country’s corporate laws or the enforcement of such
laws as such organisations uphold the values such as integrity, fairness,
honesty, transparency etc.
● Vulnerable to Corruption: Often scandals and fraud within a company
become more likely where directors and senior management do not have
to comply with a formal governance code.
● Corporate Sustainability: Corporates that are run in
the best interests of all the stakeholders enjoy the trust
and confidence in the organisation and provide long-
term sustainability.
● Curbing Nepotism: Good corporate practices curb
nepotism and favouritism while valuing merit in
appointments.
● Internal Checks and Balances: Good corporate
practices better internal checks and balances to curb
mismanagement, conflict of interests, and misuse of
company resources.

ISSUES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN


INDIA
● Collusion: Companies sometimes indulge in collusion with auditors to mislead the investors, regulators, board and
other stakeholders.
o Example: Satyam scandal, DHFL Case etc.
● Huge Risks: In some cases, the owners of the companies have taken huge risks in their private capacity and were
unable to pay.
o Example: V. Siddhartha in the case of Café Coffee Day.
● Promoter-Led Board: It is seen that the Board is chaired by promoters and this makes the board to serve at the wish
and command of the promoter-chairman.
o Example: Naresh Goyal in case of Jet Airways.
● Lack of Oversight: Although statutory changes have been made, the enforcement mechanism has not followed with
these changes which leads to poor oversight.
o Favouritism: Often lending institutions favour their closed ones to give loans, while overlooking
professional values such as integrity.
o Example: ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochar case.
● Lack of Independence: Independent directors are not given free hand in their working and are pressured by other
members of the board towards particular decisions.
o Example: Tata-Mistry case.
● Crony Capitalism: It is also an issue where closed ones receive mutually advantageous treatment.
o Example: Captive coal block allocation in Coal scams in early 2010s.
● Credit Rating Issues: Credit ratings agencies provide credit ratings to companies but they themselves suffer from
conflict of interest from non-rating business, lack of information availability etc.
o Example: Recent IL&FS crisis

EXISTING MEASURES TO ENSURE ETHICAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

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● Companies Act, 2013: It regulates incorporation, formulation and functioning of companies in India. It makes
comprehensive provisions to govern all listed and unlisted companies in India. It empowers shareholders and
highlights higher values for corporate governance.
● The Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956: The Act aims to prevent undesirable transactions in securities by
regulating the business dealings.
● Competition Commission of India: CCI was established to promote and sustain competition culture and inspire
businesses to be fair, competitive and innovative. It aims to curb monopolistic tendencies in the working of the market.
● National Company Law Tribunal: Established under Companies Act, 2013, it deals with the corporate disputes of
civil nature. It is also the adjudicating authority under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
● Accounting Standards: These are issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India to bring much needed
structure to the financial reporting and mandates disclosure of accounting policies, cash-flow statements, construction
contracts, borrowing cost, related-party disclosures etc.
● Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Guidelines: SEBI being the regulatory authority, having
jurisdiction over listed companies, issues regulations, rules and guidelines to companies to ensure protection of
investors.
● Secretarial Standards: These are issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), an autonomous
body, that issues secretarial standards in terms of the provisions of the New Companies Act.

COMMITTEES RELATED TO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN INDIA


Kumar Mangalam Birla Committee Report (2000)
● The report made certain mandatory recommendations for listed companies with a paid-up share capital of 3 crore
or more.
● These recommendations include:
o The board of directors should have an appropriate mix of executive and non-executive directors.
o The audit committee should consist of three independent directors.
o The establishment of a remuneration committee.
o The board should hold a minimum of four meetings per year.
o Shareholders should be provided with information regarding investments.
Naresh Chandra Committee Recommendations (2002)
● The committee presented its report on Corporate Governance and Audit in November 2002.
● The committee made the following recommendations:
o Certain non-audit services, such as valuation services and internal audit, should be prohibited for
audit clients.
o There should be compulsory rotation of auditors, with audit partners and at least fifty percent of the
team members being rotated every five years.
o Audit firms should provide an annual certification of independence to the Audit Committee or Board
of Directors before agreeing to the terms of the audit engagement.
Narayan Murthy Committee Recommendations (2002)
● The committee focused on the responsibilities of the audit committee, the quality of financial disclosure, and the
requirement for boards to assess and disclose business risks in annual reports.
● The key mandatory recommendations include:
o Strengthening the responsibilities of audit committees, including the requirement for at least one
member to be financially knowledgeable and another member to possess accounting or related
financial management proficiency.
o Improving the quality of financial disclosures, especially those related to related party transactions.
Uday Kotak Committee Recommendations
● The committee made several recommendations for corporate governance in top 500 listed companies, including:
o Separation of the roles of chairperson and CEO/MD.
o Imposing a maximum limit of eight directorships for an individual.
o Requiring at least half of the board members in listed companies to be independent directors.

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o Mandating minimum qualifications for independent directors and disclosing their relevant skills.
o Granting powers to SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to provide immunity to whistle-
blowers.
o Suggesting that public sector companies should be governed by listing regulations rather than nodal
ministries.
o Enhancing disclosure requirements, such as full disclosure of fund utilization, auditor credentials, audit
fees, etc.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY


According to the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Activities that can be taken up as CSR:
Responsibility is the continuing commitment by ● Promotion of Education
business to behave ethically and contribute to economic ● Eradication of extreme hunger and poverty
development while improving the quality of life of the ● Gender equity and women empowerment
workforce and their families as well as of the local
● Reducing child mortality and improving maternal
community and society at large.
health
Provision of Corporate Social Responsibility under ● Combating HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Companies Act, 2013:
● Environment sustainability
● Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 which ● Social Business projects
contains CSR provisions is applicable to companies: ● Employment enhancing vocational skills
o With an establishment of a ● Research across various fields such as science,
remuneration and more, or technology, medicine.
o A net worth of INR 500 crore and ● Incubators funded by the Centre or State or any state-
more, or owned companies.
o A net profit of five crore INR and more.
o The Act mandates companies to spend at Companies (CSR Policy) Amendment Rules, 2021
least 2% of their average net profit in ● Following activities have been excluded from CSR:
the previous three years on CSR
activities. ● Activities undertaken in normal course of business
excluded from CSR activities;
Significance for Corporate Social Responsibility ● Activities undertaken outside India;
● Moral Appeal: It appeals to companies to be good ● Contribution to political parties;
citizens on the lines of Gandhiji’s Trusteeship principle. ● Activities benefiting employees of company;
● Satisfaction: This proposes that companies should not ● Activities supported by the company on sponsorship
only look to satisfy their shareholders but other basis;
stakeholders who are directly or indirectly in the affairs
● Activities carried to fulfil statutory obligation.
and environment of the company.
● Engagement of external organization for design,
● Public Image: Companies that under CSR activities
evaluation permitted;
tend to enjoy brand value and good public image.
● Companies have to formulate an annual action plan
o Example: TATA Group of companies.
and submit to Board of the company
● Licence to Companies: CSR provides companies to ● Companies to ensure administrative overhead not to
gain the trust of local communities and ensures that the exceed 5% of total CSR expenditure;
resources are also allocated for the development of local
communities. ● Surplus cannot be utilized for other purposes
● Profitability: CSR activities increase profitability of ● Companies with CSR obligation of more than 10 crore
the company as ethical conduct exerts a growing 3 financial years to hire Independent agency to
influence on purchasing decisions of the customers. conduct impact assessment
● Competitive Advantage: Businesses that show how ● Mandatory disclosure of CSR projects on the website
they are more socially responsible than their
competitors tend to stand out.
● Morale Boost for Employees: CSR practices have a
significant impact on employee morale, as it reinforces
his confidence on Company’s empathy.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Consumers’ Trust - Many consumers actively seek out companies that support charitable causes. Therefore, CSR
attracts customers.

ISSUES WITH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY


● Poor Implementation: There is very little strategic thinking and innovation in implementation of CSR. The larger
goal of CSR is not understood, companies view it as only a charitable endeavour.
● Lack of Robust Policy: There is lack of long-term robust CSR policy which leads to failure in giving definitive
direction to CSR spending.
● Duplication of Activities: Duplication of activities by different corporate houses results in competitive approach
rather than collaborative approach.
● Viewed as Additional Corporate Tax: The CSR obligation is often viewed as a 2% tax, albeit spent by the firms
rather than given to the government.
● Skewed Pattern of Expenditure: Many CSR efforts are mainly driven by company’s operational perspective and
ease of implementation.
Way Forward
● Annual Awards: Annual awards for incentivizing companies to take up CSR activities be set up – one each for the
two categories of companies, large and small, as recommended by Anil Baijal Committee.
● Accountability: Companies should ensure that their CSR activities have clear objectives and monitorable targets,
which are diligently and stringently monitored.
● Collaboration: Companies should engage with local NGOs for understanding ground situations and also utilise their
expertise in that field.
● Greater Awareness: Greater awareness should be created, especially at Gram Sabha level to ensure that they get their
due share of social development in the company profits.
● Injeti Srinivas Committee Recommendations:
o Make CSR expenditure tax deductible.
o Allowing companies to carry forward unspent funds for three to five years.
o Aligning Schedule 7 of Companies Act, 2013 with the Sustainable Development Goals
o Balancing local area preferences with national priorities
o Introducing impact assessment studies for CSR obligation of 5 crore or more
o Registration of implementation agencies on MCA Portal.
o Developing a CSR exchange portal to connect contributors, beneficiaries and agencies
o Allowing CSR in social benefit bonds,
o Promoting social impact companies.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEWS

ALCOHOLISM IN INDIA
Context:
● In recent years deaths due to consumption of poisonous alcohol in States where alcohol is banned has become a serious
problem.
● At the same time, overall consumption of alcohol has also increased in the country questioning the direction of social
progress.
Ethical Concerns:
● Ethical dilemma arises in the relationship between the State and the individual regarding whether to prioritise the
protection of individual liberty and autonomy as guaranteed by Fundamental Rights or fulfil constitutional
responsibilities under Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) by intervening in public health matters.
o The consumption of alcohol is associated with various chronic health issues, social violence, and an
increase in road accidents.
● An aspect of this is regarding the balance between the revenue generated by the liquor business for the state
government and its duty to protect weak, vulnerable, and impressionable individuals.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Another ethical dilemma emerges in marketing products that have a harmful impact on individuals and families in
order to maximise profits, as opposed to following social responsibility to promote sensible drinking.
● There is a challenge in protecting jobs in the liquor industry while also addressing the growth of illegal liquor
businesses resulting from prohibition measures.
● Ethical considerations arise regarding the use of social norms or social pressure to protect relationships and families,
or allowing individuals to exercise personal discretion within certain limits.
● Societies have differing views on alcohol consumption, with some considering it a part of socio-religious rituals while
others advocate for abstinence.
Way Forward
● These ethical dilemmas highlight the need for thoughtful decision-making and balancing conflicting interests, such as
individual freedom, public health, social responsibility, and economic considerations.
● It requires considering the broader societal impact and striving for solutions that prioritise the well-being and interests
of individuals while upholding ethical principles and legal frameworks.

CHANGING WORK CULTURE


Observed Changes:
The work culture has undergone significant changes in recent times, influenced by various factors. These changes in work
culture are driven by various factors, including evolving workforce needs, technological advancements, and the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following are the major changes:
● Longer work hours
● Significant rise in Remote work
● Accelerated adoption of Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
● Technology-enabled monitoring
● Focus on employee well-being and mental health
● Shift towards remote collaboration and digital tools
● Need based interpersonal communication
Consequences
The above mentioned changes have given rise to new phenomena and trends. Here are some key shifts:
● Hustle Culture: The influence of the startup culture has had a spill-over effect on the overall work culture, resulting
in the emergence of hustle culture. This culture promotes and encourages employees, workers, or labourers to work
more than the standard hours. Work becomes a constant presence in their minds, even during their free time or
holidays.
● Quiet Quitting: The blurring of boundaries between work and home, coupled with longer work hours, has given rise
to the concept of quiet quitting. This refers to employees who only do the bare minimum at their job, such as leaving
work promptly at the end of their shift, demanding extra compensation for additional work, and establishing clear
work-life boundaries.
● Quiet Firing: Quiet firing has been a prevalent practice, particularly in large companies. It involves creating an
unpleasant work environment and subtly encouraging employees to quit by neglecting them through a lack of feedback
or resources.
● Moonlighting: The combination of remote work and technological advancements has led to an increase in
moonlighting, where individuals take on additional jobs or assignments without their employers' knowledge, outside
of their regular full-time job, often after office hours.
Ethical Concerns
● The rapid digitization of work processes brings about new ethical challenges. There are concerns about the impact
on individuals' well-being, including increased anxiety related to technology dependence and cyber security threats.
● The advancement of technology and the rise of hybrid work culture have led to a decline in the sense of community
among employees.
o This has also exacerbated issues like loneliness, posing ethical concerns related to the well-being and
social connection of individuals in the workplace.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Practices like Quiet Quitting and Quiet Firing hinder honest communication between employees and employers,
ultimately eroding trust within the organization.
o This raises ethical issues surrounding transparency, fairness, and mutual respect in the workplace. •
● Long working hours have been linked to detrimental health effects, such as increased risks of stroke and heart
disease.
● The rise of burnout and mental health concerns in the workplace is a pressing ethical matter.
Way Forward
● These ethical issues highlight the importance of creating a work culture that values human connection, trust, well-
being, and responsible use of technology to ensure a sustainable and healthy work environment.
● Balancing the benefits of digitalization with the need for privacy, security, and healthy technology usage becomes an
ethical consideration.
● There is a need to prioritize employee well-being and strike a balance between productivity and their physical and
mental health.

ETHICS OF PROTEST
Context
● Protests were witnessed at various places after the government launched the Agniveer Scheme for tri-services
recruitment. Aspirants were protesting against the short tenure of service and absence of pension benefits among
others.
● Previously on several occasions, public agitations have caused large scale damage to public property which in most
cases have never been recovered.
o Jat Agitation in Haryana, Gujjars Movement in Rajasthan, Patidar Stir in Gujarat and various protests in
the national capital itself are examples of absence of ethical conduct in the public arena.
Legal and Constitution Position
● Right to Protest is granted under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution. It gives the right to freedom of speech and
expression, the right to assemble peaceably and without arms, and the right to form associations and unions.
● According to the Supreme Court's ruling in Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan vs Union of India:
o The Constitution guarantees the fundamental right of people to engage in peaceful protests,
demonstrations, and other forms of expression under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b).
o Freedom of speech, the right to assemble and demonstrate through peaceful protests and agitations are
essential elements of democratic morality.
Check on the Right to Protest
● While citizens enjoy the freedom to protest, the Indian Constitution also provides for reasonable restrictions on this
right.
o Democracy is a system where the people rule, by the people and for the people, ensuring the active
participation of citizens in governance.
o Restrictions on rights under Article 19 can be imposed in the interests of India's sovereignty and integrity,
state security, friendly relations with other countries, public order, decency or morality, or in cases
related to contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offence.
o Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) empowers a magistrate to issue an impartial
order imposing restrictions on movement, carrying arms, and unlawful assembly.
The Ethical Aspect
● Citizens have a fundamental duty of protecting public or private property and are expected to not resort to violence
during protest.
● Upholding of civic sense of the society as a whole is based on the observance of ethical behaviour by individual
members.
● It is also in observing our ever-cherished ideals of peaceful existence, well being for all and non violence.

POLICING ETHICS
Ethics in Policing

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● While ethics applies to various aspects of human life, the role of the police holds a distinct ethical and moral dimension
not found in most other occupations.
● Policing ethics encompasses various dimensions such as:
o The act of Protection of life and liberty brings scenarios where a police personnel has to balance the
freedom and restrictions at the same time.
■ Many times protesters are physically removed from the protest site by police officers and they sometimes get
hurt in the process.
o Complexity in decision-making
■ An ethical dilemma faced by police officers involves deciding whether to grant bail to habitual offenders or
keep them as undertrials in jail.
o Upholding Rule of law and maintaining order also puts the police in a tough situation.
o Emotional Intelligence
o Protection of Human Rights
o Police are expected to use Ethical Means to reach Ethical Ends.
o Political interference and politicization of the police at times obstructs the policing and sometimes puts
the resources of the police to misuse by those in power.

LAW VERSUS ETHICS: BILKIS BANO CASE


● This debate over law versus ethics came to the fore when in the famous Bilkis Bano case, the Gujarat government
released 11 criminals convicted of gang rape and murder, invoking the remission policy.

In the post-Godhara riots, Bilkis Bano, a five months pregnant lady was gang raped by neighbours on March 3, 2002,
after witnessing the murder of 15 members of her family including her three-year-old daughter.

● It is said that in a civilised society, laws should be based on ethical principles. However, in this case, the law was
followed strictly in its literal form, neglecting its spirit and raising concerns about its impact on society's ethics.
● The case of releasing convicts convicted of heinous crimes raised ethical concerns.

Key Terms

Voice of conscience, Conflict of Interest, Bureaucratic Morality, Ethical Dilemmas, Crisis of Conscience,
Accountability, Social Justice, Social Capital, Public Trust, Sarvodaya/Antyodaya, Ethical Literacy, Law, Rule,
Conscience, Guilt Consciousness, Social Maturity, Cultural Evils, Accountability, Responsibility.

Previous Year Questions Year

1. What do you understand by the term ‘voice of conscience’? How do you prepare yourself to heed 2013
to the voice of conscience?

2. What does ethics seek to promote in human life? Why is it all the more important in Public 2014
Administration?

3. Public servants are likely to confront the issues of “Conflict of Interest”. What do you understand 2015
by the term “Conflict of Interest” and how does it manifest in the decision making by public
servants? If faced with the conflict-of-interest situation how would you resolve it? Explain with the
help of examples.

4. “Max Weber said that it is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical 2016
norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realize that the state

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality.” Critically analyse this
statement.

5. Conflict of interest in the public sector arises when (a) official duties, (b) public interest, 2017
and (c) personal interest are taking priority one above the other. How can this conflict in
administration be resolved? Describe with an example.

6. Explain the process of resolving ethical dilemmas in Public Administration. 2018

7. What is meant by 'crisis of conscience'? How does it manifest itself in the public domain? 2019

8. What is meant by ‘crisis of conscience’? Narrate one incident in your life when you were faced 2013
with such a crisis and how you resolved the same.

9. What does ‘accountability’ mean in the context of public service? What measures can be adopted 2014
to ensure individual and collective accountability of public servants?

10. At the international level, bilateral relations between most nations are governed on the policy of 2015
promoting one’s own national interest without any regard for the interest of other nations. This lead
to conflicts and tension between the nations. How can ethical consideration help resolve such
tensions? Discuss with specific examples.

11. Strength, peace and security are considered to be the pillars of international relations. Elucidate. 2017

12. “The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral 2020
duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations.

13. Corporate social responsibility makes companies more profitable and sustainable. Analyse. 2017

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

CHAPTER 10 PROBITY IN GOVERNANCE


WHAT IS PUBLIC SERVICES
● It implies the delivery of goods and services by the government institutions to the public. It forms the interface
between the citizens and the administration.
● It is seen as amalgamation of legal and moral obligation of the government.
● It includes services such as healthcare, education, maintenance of law and order, public utility etc.
● Availability, affordability and accessibility forms the prime criteria for the success of public service.

PROBITY
● Probity literally means “the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.”
● It is more than avoiding corrupt or dishonest conduct, for it implies values such as impartiality, accountability and
transparency.
● It is regarded as strict adherence to code of ethics.
● In a democracy, probity espouses the principles of equality before law and respect for the rights and duties of leaders
towards their citizens.

PROBITY IN GOVERNANCE
● It is concerned with procedures, processes
and systems rather than outcomes.
● It is essential for an efficient and effective
system of governance and for socio-economic
development.
● Important requisites for ensuring probity in
governance are:
1. Effective laws, rules and regulations.
2. Effective and fair implementation of these
laws.
3. Absence of corruption.

PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS OF GOVERNANCE AND PROBITY


● Indian scriptures like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Arthashastra, Kural, Kadambari, Hitopadesha etc. are replete with
philosophical guidance to ensure probity.
● Chinese philosophers like Confucius, Lao Tse etc have also given maxims on ethical governance.
● Three eminent schools of ethics in Western philosophy are:
1. According to Aristotle, virtues like justice, generosity etc benefit the holder of the virtues as well as the society
to which he belongs.
2. Immanuel Kant makes the concept of duty central to morality. According to him, the knowledge of duty makes
a person respect the other person.
3. The utilitarian viewpoint is based on the greatest happiness of the greatest number.
● The concept of Good Governance as illustrated by the World Bank focuses on ethical and moral conduct of the
administrators.
● According to Max Weber, there should be complete separation between the property of the office and personal
property of the officer.

OBJECTIVE OF PROBITY IN GOVERNANCE


1. To ensure governance accountability.
2. Maintaining the highest level of integrity in government services.
3. To maintain public trust in the government's decision-making process.
4. To avoid the potential for fraud, misconduct and corruption.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

5. It is an essential and vital requirement for an efficient and effective system of governance and for socio-economic
development.
6. It is required to serve the motto of the Constitution. i.e. to provide Social, Political and economic justice to all. It
enhances faith in governance.
7. It helps address nepotism, Favoritism, Political partisanship. Public reposes more trust in governance and therefore it
facilitates participatory governance.

PRIVATE INTEREST
● It includes financial as well as non-financial components.
● It includes not only the personal, professional or business interests of the officer but also that of friends, relatives and
even rivals and enemies.
● It involves actual or potential financial gain or loss.
● It can involve property, shares, unpaid debts, some form of gifts or benefits like job opportunity or employment.

PUBLIC DUTY TO SERVE PUBLIC INTEREST


● A public servant has the responsibility to serve the interest of the entire community.
● The public office should not be used to serve the interest of a particular individual or community or for private gain.

CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH PROBITY IN GOVERNANCE


● Lack of Fair and Effective Implementation of Laws: It is the implementation of the law that tests its effectiveness
in addressing problems on the ground.
● Colonial Legacy: Due to ingrained culture of indiscipline resulting out of colonial legacy of bureaucracy/executive
functioning, those in authority can exercise power in an unchallenged way.
● Historical and Social Asymmetries of Powers in Society: Nearly 90% of the people work in the unorganized sector.
Two thirds of the remaining work in the organized sector and are employees of the state either directly or indirectly.
Such asymmetry of power reduces societal pressure to conform to ethical behavior.
● Culture of Corruption Ingrained in Society: It is so deeply entrenched that corruption is now considered a social
norm. Greed for Illegitimate Money, Over Centralisation is some of the reason for the culture of corruption.
● Lack of Transparency in the Working of Institutions: Due to the opaque working environment in the organization,
it is difficult to maintain probity in the governance of the Institutions.

IMPORTANCE OF CIVIL SERVICES TO GOVERNANCE


● Civil service is the executive branch of the government which excludes the army and the judiciary.
1. Strong binding character and presence throughout the country.
2. Effective policy making and regulation.
3. Coordination between government institutions.
4. Leadership at different levels of governance.
5. Service delivery at the cutting-edge level.
6. Continuity Provides continuity and change to the administration.
7. Implementing social and economic development programs, ensuring law and order etc.

APPROACHES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF SERVICE DELIVERY

DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
● According to E Weidner, it is an action oriented and goal oriented administrative system. Emphasis is on
government influenced changes, i.e. progressive social, economic and political changes.
● Behavioral parameters for development administration are:
1. Change orientation
2. Result orientation
3. Citizen participatory orientation
4. Commitment to work

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT


ADMINISTRATION

Traditional Public Administration Development Administration


1. It is status quo oriented. 1. It is change oriented.
2. It is hierarchical and rigid. 2. It is flexible and dynamic.
3. It believes in centralisation. 3. It believes in decentralization.
4. There is not much involvement of people. 4. It stresses on people’s participation

NEW PUBLIC SERVICE


● It was formed in response to social and political turbulence which was observed in the USA during the 1960s, where
traditional public administration was unable to solve the problems.
● The seven broad principles which should be followed by government and administration to improve service
delivery are:
1. Serve citizens, not customers
2. Seek the public interest
3. Value the citizenship over entrepreneurship
4. Think strategically, act democratically
5. Recognise that accountability is not simple
6. Serve rather than steer
7. Value people, not just productivity

NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT (NPM)


● The focus of NPM is on 3Es i.e., Efficiency, Economy and Effectiveness.
● Salient Features
1. Thrust is on efficiency, management and performance appraisal.
2. Cost cutting.
3. Contracting out to foster competition.
4. Its management is characterized by output targets, limited term contracts, monetary incentives and freedom to
manage.

ENTREPRENEURIAL GOVERNMENT
● Osborne and Gaebler suggested a ten-point programme for Entrepreneurial government.
● Entrepreneurial Government:
1. Promote competition between diverse providers of goods and services.
2. Empower citizens by shifting control out of bureaucracy.
3. Measure performance through outcomes and not through inputs.
4. Is driven by mission and not by rules and regulations.
5. Redefine clients as customers and offer them choices.
6. Prevent problems rather than curing them.
7. Emphasis is not only on spending money but also spending them.
8. Embraces participatory management.
9. Prefer market mechanisms to bureaucratic mechanisms.
10. Stimulate public, private and voluntary sectors to solve community problems.

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY


● According to this theory, people surrender some of their rights to a state or authority for protection of remaining
rights.
● The idea of self-government emanates from this concept.

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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics

● Features
o The will and not the might is the basis of government.
o The value of justice or right or might is the basis of all political society.

TRANSPARENCY

● It is the openness of decision-making process and freedom of information to the public and
media.
About ● Resolution 59 of the UN General assembly of 1946 recognised freedom of information as an
integral part of freedom of expression.
● In Kulwal Vs Jaipur Municipal Corporation, the Supreme Court said that without the right
to information, freedom of speech and expression is futile.
● It leads to careful utilization of funds.
● Decision making becomes rational and objective.
● These empower citizens, foster their participation in public affairs, strengthen participatory
Advantages democracy and usher in people centric governance.
● Transparency of information is also seen as significant for motivating citizens to exercise ‘voice
power’. Voice power is defined as the capacity of citizens to pressurize the frontline officials in
ensuring effective delivery of services.
● It develops friendly relations between the public and the administrators.
Institutional Transparency is not just a means to fulfill certain functions but an end in itself.
Means to 1. Parliamentary controls.
Achieve 2. Legislative framework. Example - RTI.
Transparency 3. Ombudsman scheme. Example - Lokpal and Lokayukta
in 4. Independent judiciary
Administration 5. E-Governance
6. Free Press
Official Secrets Act (OSA):
● The presence of abundant discretion converts every legal matter into confidential matter.
● OSA broadly deals with two aspects:
o Spying or Espionage, and
o Disclosure of secret information of the government.
● However, the OSA does not define the secret information, the government follows the Manual
of Departmental Security Instructions, 1994 for classifying a document as secret.
Issues with RTI Act:
Respect to ● It is the law that gives an ordinary citizen the right to ask questions to the government. It is a
Transparency tool of participatory democracy which augments good governance and socio-eco service
in India delivery.

Whistleblower Protection Act:


● The act establishes a mechanism to receive complaints related to disclosure of allegations of
corruption or wilful misuse of power or discretion, against any public servant, and to inquire or
cause an inquiry into such disclosure.
● It allows any person, including a public servant, to make a public interest disclosure before a
Competent Authority, which is yet to be operationalized.

Conclusion ● Therefore, we can say that in a broad sense, Transparency refers not only to the level of
openness, accessibility and reliability of information but also to style of functioning and the
priorities accorded by the government in policy making.

MECHANISM TO ENSURE PROBITY IN INDIA

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