GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

The moral fiber and ethical conduct of public officials not only influence the standard of governance but also their own interests and performance. Elaborate.

Answered by 8 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Syllabus: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

How toppers approached it

From all 8 answers · about 170 words · 13% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • No separate opening75%
  • A quotation25%

Body

  • Points88%
  • Points and prose13%

Close

  • A summary63%
  • A way forward25%
  • A source13%

The toppers’ answers

Aditya SrivastavaAIR 1 · CSE 2023 · 174 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Public officials are responsible for not just service delivery but also upholding constitutional morality.

In this respect their moral fibre and ethical conduct becomes important for -

Body · points

Standard of governance

  1. Upholding objectivity in all tasks leading to rules being upheld.
  2. Upholding transparency and accountability for public trust. → (Eg) MyGov platform
  3. Upholding temprance as a value to avoid corruption. (Eg) Ashok Khemka
  4. Upholding devotion to duty to ensure citizen satisfaction. (Eg) Armstrong Pame building people's road via crowdfunding
  5. Upholding value of compassion for the weaker sections. (Eg) Prashant Nair's Compassionate Kozhikode (IAS) campaign to feed the poor.

For own interests & performance

  1. Help in upholding Kantian dictum of duty boundedness.
  2. Help in self interest of ensuring satisfaction of conscience.
  3. Better performance via emotional intelligence & motivation → better appraisal. (Prevent DM Surajpur slapping man → suspended)
  4. Upholding Gandhian Antyodaya while also performing for Welfare State under Article 38.

Close · a summary

Thus the moral fibre and ethical conduct of civil servant is sine qua non of ethical governance.

More on Civil Service Values

Public and civil service values and ethics in public administration: their status, and the problems of holding to them.

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