GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

What does 'public service' means to you? Describe the various ways in which one can serve the public. Does one necessarily serve the public better by entering the civil services? Justify your stand.

Answered by 6 toppers · CSE 2017–2019

Syllabus: Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

How toppers approached it

From all 6 answers · about 180 words · 17% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • A definition83%
  • A quotation17%

Body

  • Points67%
  • Points and prose33%

Close

  • A summary67%
  • No separate close33%

The toppers’ answers

Pratham KaushikAIR 5 · CSE 2017 · 193 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a quotation

Gandhiji said that meaning of life is to lose yourself in the service of others. Public service or service of others is helping those in need to the best of your abilities. The needs can vary from basic needs of food & shelter to higher needs of luxury or spirituality. Every person with considerations for other is doing a public service.

Body · points and prose

Ways to serve public

↳ As an administrator or part of government, by providing the public effective admin.

↳ As part of civil society - by supporting and standing with people in need whether of a community eg: peasants or society as a whole eg: environment.

NGOs and Pressure groups come in this domain.

↳ Being a service provider, making lives easier → e.g. banking professionals.

↳ As a citizen - just by helping people in need around you.

Close

To serve public, entering civil services is one of the many ways, but can be 'better' means of serving public depending on individual capacities. For example, A person with administrative and leadership qualities can serve better as a civil servant, while someone with good business acumen can serve better by being an entrepreneur.

More on Probity in Governance

The concept of public service and the philosophical basis of governance and probity, taken as the syllabus states it.

All GS4 questions on Probity in Governance