GS4 · 10 marks · 150 words

Values that guide public administrators can often compete with each other, owing to their relative importance to the larger public interest. Discuss with examples.

Answered by 8 toppers · CSE 2022–2025

Ethical Dilemmas in GovernmentCivil Service ValuesAccountability and Ethical GovernanceIntegrity

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 160 words · 50% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • No separate opening63%
  • A definition25%
  • A quotation13%

Body

  • Points75%
  • Points and prose25%

Close

  • A way forward50%
  • No separate close25%
  • A summary25%

The toppers’ answers

Aditya SrivastavaAIR 1 · CSE 2023 · 157 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Value conflicts often exist in the life of public administrators and often lead to ethical dilemmas. This can be seen in -

Body · points

ublic interest |-- rights of all |-- Utilitarianism |-- common good |-- laws & rules

This can be seen in -

  1. Objectivity vs compassion Seen in beneficiary identification when vulnerable people get excluded.
  2. Secrecy vs transparency Seen in conflict between Right to Information Act and Official Secrets Act. Another example of DLF Scam exposed by Ashok Khemka.
  3. Bureaucratic vs democratic attitude often faced due to Weberian model of archaic rules. Eg: Armstrong Pame building "people's road" with crowdfunding due to rules and fund crunch.
  4. Discipline vs voice of conscience

Close · a way forward

When seniors tell to do something but which seems wrong according to own conscience (Eg: Senior asking junior to transfer some officials without giving reasons).

Need in such scenarios is to turn towards the lives of great men/women and learn what they did to resolve ethical dilemmas. Upholding integrity and objectivity while working for the larger public interests always leads to good results.

More on Ethical Dilemmas in Government

Ethical concerns and dilemmas arising in government and private institutions, and how a conflict between two duties is resolved.

All GS4 questions on Ethical Dilemmas in Government