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Prahaar Redefined 3.0: Ethics
Prahaar Redefined 3.0: Ethics
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.
● 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.
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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.
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
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.
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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.
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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
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.
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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.
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
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.
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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
● 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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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.
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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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
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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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
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.
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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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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.
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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.
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
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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
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.
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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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.
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.
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.
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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
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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.
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
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
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.
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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● 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
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CHAPTER 6 OBJECTIVITY
“Objectivity does not mean detachment, it means respect, that is, the ability not to distort and to falsify.” - Erich
Fromm
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● 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.
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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● 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.
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.
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● 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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● 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.
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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
● 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.
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'.
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● 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.
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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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.
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.
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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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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
OPENNESS
“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” -Louis D. Brandeis
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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.
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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.
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“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.
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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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.
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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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”.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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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.
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.
KEY TERMS
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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.
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
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:
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
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
JOHN LOCKE
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
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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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
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
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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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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
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.
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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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.
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● Truth ● Non-possession
● No stealing ● Control on the palate
● Self-discipline ● Fearlessness
● Equality of all religion
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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;
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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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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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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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.
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
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).
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PRAHAAR ReDEFINED 3.0: Ethics
● 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.
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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.
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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
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.
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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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● 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.
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● 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.
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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.
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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.
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● Consumers’ Trust - Many consumers actively seek out companies that support charitable causes. Therefore, CSR
attracts customers.
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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● 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.
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● 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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● 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.
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.
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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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.
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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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.
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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.
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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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.
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● 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.
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.
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