GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

What do you understand by "integrity-based civil disobedience"? Do you think a challenge to personal integrity can be a justifiable cause for responsible disobedience in civil services? Explain.

Answered by 10 toppers · CSE 2021–2025

IntegrityEthical Dilemmas in GovernmentCivil Service ValuesEthical TheoriesPressure and LoyaltyRules versus CompassionSources of Ethical Guidance

Syllabus: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

How toppers approached it

From 9 of the 11 answers · about 160 words · 11% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • A definition100%

Body

  • Points56%
  • Points and prose44%

Close

  • A way forward56%
  • No separate close22%
  • A summary22%

The toppers’ answers

RuhaniAIR 5 · CSE 2023 · 163 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

Integrity refers to the quality of being morally upright. Integrity-based civil disobedience refers to opposing unjust decisions taken against officers upholding integrity while being on duty.

Eg:- SSP of Bareilly, IPS Prabhakar Chaudhary was transferred for not allowing the procession of Shobha Yatra through a Muslim area to prevent a possibility of communal riot.

Body · points

→ Due to his integrity and action to divert the Yatra, he was transferred to Lucknow.

→ As a result, government was criticised for this decision. This is the integrity based civil disobedience.

→ Similarly, Ashok Khemkha (IAS) has been transferred a no. of times due to his integrity-based decisions. → Thus, a challenge to personal integrity can justify responsible disobedience.

→ However, civil servants are accountable to the elected representatives of the people. → Hence, they must be neutral and non-partisan. → Thus, civil servants are supposed to implement the decisions of the elected executive.

Close

This reduces the justification for disobedience, even if their personal integrity is challenged.

More on Integrity

Consistency between stated values and conduct, especially when it is costly, and the difference between integrity and mere rule-following.

All GS4 questions on Integrity