--- title: "Complete Book 0" book: "MPUB 402 Ethics in Governance" category: "General" publisher: "Ratan Prakashan Mandir Pvt. Ltd." type: "Educational Material" ---  According to Latest Syllabus Read For Sure SuccessIn University Examination RATAN TEXT BOOK ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE M.A.Pub.Ad.(Sem-IV) Dr. Divya Sharma Published by Ratan Prakashan Mandir Pvt. Ltd. 2nd Floor, Centre Plaza, Parinay Kunj, Lajpat Kunj Marg, Agra-282002 Copyright Authors & Publishers Published by Ratan Prakashan Mandir Pvt. Ltd. 2nd Floor, Centre Plaza, Parinay Kunj, Lajpat Kunj Marg, Agra-282002 ISBN :978-81-69604-78-9 Price 290.00 only Printed at : KIDS INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD. C-60, 61, 62, 63, EPIP, Shastripuram, Agra - 282007 Ph. : +91 9719004921 Preamble to the Constitution of India WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, Having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens : JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. CHAPTER 1 Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, Determinants and Consequences of Ethics in Human Actions Structure 1 .0 Learning Objectives 1.1    Introduction 1.2    Concept of Ethics and Human Interface 1.3    Essence of Ethics and Human Interface 1.4  Determinants of Ethics 1.5  Consequence of Ethics in Human Actions 1.6    Self-Check Exercise 1.7    Summary 1.8    Glossary 1.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 1.10    Suggested Reading 1.11    Terminal Questions 1 .0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The concept of Ethics and Human Interface •    Determinants of Ethics •    Consequences of Ethics in Human Actions •    Some examples of Ethics in Human Actions 1.1    Introduction Etymologically the term “Ethics” correspond to the Greek word “Ethos” which mean Character, Habit, Customs or Way of behaviour, etc. Hence, Ethics, defined as Systematic study of human actions from the point of view of their rightfulness or wrongfulness. Simply it’s “A set of principles which guides us what to do and what not to do the way acceptable to the society.” As a philosophical discipline, ethics is the study of the values and guidelines by which we live. It also involves the justification of these values and guidelines. It is not merely following a tradition or custom. Instead it requires analysis and evaluation of these guidelines in light of universal principles. As moral philosophy, ethics is the philosophical thinking about morality, moral problems, and moral judgements. Ethics is a science in as much as it is a set or body of reasoned truths organised in a logical order and having its specific material and formal objects. It is the science of what human ought to be by reason of what one is. It is a rational science in so far as its principles are deduced by human’s reason from the objects that concern the free will. Besides it has for its ulterior end the art by which human may live uprightly or comfortably to right reason. It is a normative/regulative science in as much as it regulates and directs human’s life and gives the right orientation to one’s existence. Ethics is not merely a set of ‘codes’. Ethics certainly deals with moral codes yet one cannot identify ethics to moral codes. Ethics is not primarily to restrict one’s behaviour, rather to help one to find what is good and how to get it. The obligatory character of ethical norms derives from the very purpose of ethical enquiry, i.e. to discover the most ultimate principles of explanation or the most ultimate reasons why one ought to do anything. The ethics and human interface experience is intricate, encompassing the essence of moral principles, the determinants that shape ethical choices, and the profound consequences that follow ethical or unethical actions. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles and values. It is concerned with how people ought to behave and make decisions in a way that is fair, honest, and respectful of others. In today’s complex and interconnected world, ethical issues are increasingly relevant and important. From questions about the use of technology and artificial intelligence to issues of social justice, environmental sustainability, and human rights, many challenges require careful ethical consideration. 1.2    Concept of Ethics and Human Interface The concept of human interface in ethics refers to the intersection between human beings and ethical decision-making processes. It encompasses the ways in which individuals interact with ethical principles, norms, and values, and how these interactions influence their moral beliefs and behaviour. In modern society, the human interface in ethics has become increasingly complex due to rapid advancements in technology, globalization and cultural diversity. As a result, individuals are often faced with difficult ethical dilemmas that require careful consideration and judgement. To navigate these challenges, it is essential to develop a robust ethical framework that promotes critical thinking, empathy, and respect for others. Ethical decision-making requires individuals to recognize and address their biases and prejudices which includes taking into account the social, economic and political context. Ultimately, the human interface in ethics is about developing a deep appreciation for the complexities of human behaviour and the importance of ethical decision-making in promoting social justice, fairness and human flourishing. By cultivating a strong ethical foundation, individuals can navigate the challenges of modern society with greater confidence, empathy and compassion. 1.3    Essence of Ethics and Human Interface A useful way to deal with ethics is seeing it as an active process of design, an ongoing process that occurs whenever circumstances force us to deal with conflict, tension, uncertainty and risk. As individuals define the boundaries and content of their responsibility in resolving specific ethical dilemmas both great and small, we create for ourselves an ethical identity and form character traits. Often this is done without consistent, intentional and systematic reflection, but that need not always be the case. Skill in addressing ethical issues can be learned and cultivated if we recognize the importance of doing so. The requirement is that we view our treatment of ethical problems as an ongoing process of designing the best courses of action for specific situations we face. This demands that we are able to establish a framework for understanding ethics in dynamic rather than static terms. It means an essential part and unchanging nature of a thing or person, a vital part of some idea or immaterial entity, or the predominant qualities or central meaning of someone or something. At the heart of ethics is a concern about something or someone other than ourselves, our own desires and self-interest. Ethics is concerned with other people's interests, with the interests of society, with the ‘ultimate good’. Thus, when people think ethically they are giving some thought to something beyond themselves. The essence of ethics can be understood as follows: •    The scope of ethics includes only voluntary human actions. This means the actions done by humans consciously, deliberately and in view of an end. It is concerned about that part of human conduct for which humans have some personal responsibility. •    It is a set of standards that a society places on itself and which helps in guiding behavior, choices and actions of its members. •    It is concerned about what is right, fair, just or good, about what we ought to do, not just about what is most acceptable or expedient. •    It endeavors to analyze and evaluate the principles embodied in various alternatives for conduct and social order. •    It includes study of universal values such as essential equalities of all men and women, human or natural rights, obedience to the law, concern for health and safety and, increasingly, also for the natural environment. 1.4    Determinants of Ethics These are the factors that determine or shape the ethical standards in an individual and society. Some of the important determinants of ethics are: Social Rules or Customs: Social rules and customs are, in themselves, a mix of religious or philosophical dogma, ‘what feels right’, and common sense. They evolve by various random forces impinging on them: an influential philosopher, a charismatic spiritual leader, economic factors, disease, wars, immigration, and art. The resulting morality is usually recognized as being relativist - its subjectivity being rather obvious. For example, one society believes that having more than one child is immoral, while another sees contraception as depraved. Unfortunately, this relativism does not usually prevent people from trying to force their views on others, even killing and dying for it in its name. Nature/Object of the Act: One of the criteria of judging the morality/goodness of human acts is its object/nature. Every action has a particular nature/essence that makes it different from other actions. An act thus specified may, when considered in itself, be good, bad, or indifferent. Thus, helping a blind person across the street is a good act in itself, to blaspheme is bad in itself, and learning to shoot is in itself an indifferent act and learning to shoot is in itself an indifferent act. However, there are certain types of acts that are called intrinsically evil/immoral by its very nature, that is, by its inherent moral meaning. An intrinsically evil act is an act that is always bad, always sinful. It is never good, never appropriate, and never useful irrespective of the ulterior intentions of the one acting and the circumstances. Reason also attests that some of the human acts by their very nature are incapable of being good because they radically contradict the notion of good, for instance, rape, murder of innocent children, or blasphemy. Meanwhile, there are some specific acts such as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same sex marriage, euthanasia, etc. that are considered intrinsically immoral as per moral codes of certain societies/religion. Even though intentions may sometimes be good, and circumstances frequently difficult, these acts are considered non-negotiable and hence punishable by such societies. However, such instances of judging morally of an act as evil or sinful prior to a consideration of the circumstances and intentions might be questionable, debatable or even invalid in some other societies. Intention/Purpose of the Action: Actions may be either good or bad, depending on why we do them. According to Aristotle and teleological theorists every human action, no matter how trivial, has some purpose/ motive/intention behind it. A person has the moral responsibility for all such actions (deliberate or omissions, doing or withholding from an action, trying or attempting to bring about a certain result) that involves agent’s foresight, cause, desire, or motivation. Therefore, the intention of the person in action is an element essential to the moral evaluation of an action. The manner in which purpose/intention affects the ethics of an action is outlined below: •  For a human act to be morally good the agent or doer must have good intentions. •  The motive of an agent can change an act morally good by nature into a morally evil act. •    A good intention, no matter how good, does not make something essentially immoral into something morally good. •  An action that has a good object can become more or less good because of its purpose. •  An action which is inherently wrong may become a greater or lesser wrong depending on the purpose of the moral agent. Circumstances of the Action: Every human act in a concrete order is done under particular circumstances. Circumstances may therefore affect the morality of an action and add something to the moral quality. Circumstances of a human action include such things as the act being done at a particular time, in a particular place, by a particular agent, in a particular manner. How the differing circumstances change the rightness or wrongness of actions can be understood as outlined below: •    Sometimes circumstances affect the morality of the action only in degree, that is, they contribute to increasing or diminishing the moral goodness or evil of human acts. For example, stealing is bad by object, stealing a rare object/or stealing from a destitute/poor increases the malice of the action. On the other hand, if a robber acts like Robin Hood by stealing from the rich to help the poor, his robberies become less immoral. •    Some circumstances impart a new type of goodness or badness to an action by the effect of when and where it takes place. •    When: Whether it is done during war or peace. For instance, there is an increase in the guilt of an intelligence officer who, when caught by an enemy country at the time of war, succumbs to threat of violence and discloses highly confidential information that severely affects national secrets. •    Where: Similarly, where the action takes place can affect its morality. For instance, a murder in a church/cathedral adds an additional moral evil to murder itself as it involves the profanation of a consecrated place of worship and hence the additional evil of sacrilege. Circumstances can also diminish or lessen the agent’s responsibility. For instance, a woman who kills the person who attacks her chastity is absolved from the guilt of killing someone. Thus, since all human actions occur at a certain time and at a certain place, the circumstances must always be considered in evaluating the moral quality of any human act. Meanwhile, it must be understood that ‘a morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances together’. If any one of the three is evil, then the human act in question is evil and should be avoided. Religion: Religious textbooks deal with questions about how an individual should behave and society should be. E.g., In Jainism, Non-Veg is unethical, while in Islam, there is no such restriction. Culture: Values vary with cultures. Eg: Western cultures = Individualistic | Indian = Universalism and Multiplicity Law & Constitution: The law and constitution often incorporate ethical standards to which most citizens subscribe. Leadership: The leadership of a society or an organization, or a nation also helps to determine the conduct of its followers or admirers. For example, democratic, liberal, secular, and tolerant tradition has been the gift makers of modern Indian society. Philosophies: Various philosophers and thinkers subscribe to different sets of ethics. Geography: Brahmins of West Bengal eat fish (a non-veg diet) as geography dictates them to eat fish to survive Economic Factors: profiteering is considered unethical in communist societies, while profit is considered ethical in capitalist societies. 1.5    Consequences of Ethics in Human Actions The consequences are the effects caused by an action. Many of our actions, decisions, and choices of everyday life are made with an eye to the consequences. Human beings by nature tend to be consequence oriented. That means we have a tendency to seek intended results and the quality of these results/consequences depend on how much goodness they contain. An action is judged to be good or bad on the basis of its outcome. If other people suffer, it is wrong. If people benefit, it is right. Consequences, then, are an important consideration in our analysis of ethical conduct. The cases where the consequences of an action are attributable to the doer who is held responsible for an effect, involve the following conditions: •    If the doer holds notice (even if vaguely) or knows ahead what the consequences of a particular choice or action will be, he/she is presumed to have willed the effect. For example, in case of a bad effect, if a hunter sees an object, but is unsure whether it is a man or a deer. The hunter anticipates vaguely what the consequences of firing a shot may be killing of dear or killing of men. If the hunter chooses to shoot anyhow, he has willed the effect, whether the killing of dear or killing of men. •    If the actor does not perform the act but causes another one to do it (in the form of help, encouragement or persuasion), the first person is still morally responsible for the consequences of the act to the degree that he or she foresaw those consequences. For instance, if a politician gives a hate speech that incites communal violence in a sensitive area, he will be considered guilty of the commission of a wrong act. •    If one remains silent or does not take any action - If a person witnesses a road accident and refrains from helping the victim in critical condition, he fails to perform the duty of a good Samaritan therefore, is guilty of errors of omission and the bad consequences (death of the victim) that follow. Thus, whatever increases, lessens or destroys the liberty and knowledge that are essential for a moral act also increases, lessens or destroys the responsibility of the actor. 1.6  Self-Check Exercise a.    What is Ethics b.    Enlist Determinants of Ethics 1.7    Summary Ethics is a set of standards that society places on itself and which helps guide behaviours, choices and actions. It is the theoretical exposition which studies human behaviour and attempts to determine- right or wrong in human action. It is also called moral philosophy. The significance of ethics is obvious. Since prehistoric period, man has always sought to know how to lead a good life and to draw up rules of conduct. Philosopher of all cultures tried to explain in what this ‘good’ life consisted and, especially, why precisely it was ‘good’. It is not so much that traditional moral values are questioned but more radically still, that-the very ‘meaningfulness’ of an unchanging and universally valid morality is brought into question. 1.8    Glossary Ethics: Ethics is a set of standards that society places on itself and which helps guide behaviours, choices and actions Aptitude: Aptitude is a natural ability or innate potential to learn or acquire a skill Morals: These are the learned values of an individual under the influence of society and surroundings 1.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 1.1            b. See 1.4 1.10    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. 1.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Define Ethics and highlight its importance for individual and society. 2.    What are the various determinants of Ethics. CHAPTER 2 Dimensions of Ethics: Morality, Values, Ethics Structure 2.0 Learning Objectives 2.1    Introduction 2.2    Dimensions of Ethics 2.3    Concept of Values 2.4    What is Morality? 2.5    Difference between Ethics and Morality 2.6    Self-Check Exercise 2.7    Summary 2.8    Glossary 2.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 2.10    Suggested Reading 2.11    Terminal Questions 2.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The difference between ethics and morality •    Dimensions of Ethics •    Concept of Values 2.1    Introduction Ethics seeks to resolve challenges of human morality by defining certain themes such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. Moral philosophy is connected to the sciences of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory as a subject of intellectual investigation. Moral philosophy also called ‘Ethics’, includes systemizing, defending and promoting conceptions of good and bad conduct in our society. The notions of good and bad are a matter of perspective and are prone to alter regularly. It is the study conducted by ethics that attempts to develop a common viewpoint that determines what is deemed right and wrong. Questions of human morality concerning good and evil, virtues and vices, fairness and injustice and other related issues are addressed by four primary facets of ethics, which are called the Dimensions of Ethics. 2.2    Dimensions of Ethics Ethics is divided into four main branches. They are: 1.    Meta-Ethics (Ethics about Ethics) 2.    Prescriptive Ethics (Normative Ethics) – which is again divided into Deontological Ethics, Teleological Ethics, and Virtue Ethics. 3.    Descriptive Ethics (Comparative Ethics) 4.    Applied Ethics – again divided into Bio-ethics, Cyber Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Personal Ethics, Professional Ethics, Public Ethics, International Ethics and so on. Meta-Ethics: Meta-ethics is concerned with the problems that determine whether a given subject or item is morally right or morally wrong. It inquires about our comprehension– how we perceive whether a decision, action, or purpose is good or negative. It focuses on the meaning of ethical concepts in general, rather than the applied question of ‘what should be done in a specific situation?’ It is not concerned with whether an action is right or wrong; rather, it is concerned with the fairness and evilness of morality itself. Naturalism, nonnaturalism, and prescriptivism are the three main theories in meta-ethics Normative or Prescriptive Ethics: It is the study of ethical beliefs that govern how individuals should act and behave in society. Furthermore, it investigates norms for the righteousness and wrongfulness of the conduct. If someone violates set norms, there are grounds for punishment as well as an explanation for doing so. The following are some of the dimensions of normative ethics: •    Deontology Ethics: It contends that the ideal ethical action protects and respects the moral rights of those impacted. The fundamental assumption is that persons have dignity as a result of their human nature or free choice. Based on such dignity, people have the right to be recognized as goals in themselves, rather than just as means to other objectives. •    Contractarianism- According to this viewpoint, moral rules are those that are acceptable to all members of society, but they must be objective when analyzing their moral value. For instance, consider John Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance and Thomas Hobbes’ Social Contract. •    Natural rights theory- This viewpoint believes in the existence of absolute inherent rights that are bestowed upon humans just by their humanity. John Locke and Thomas Aquinas (natural right theory) are two examples (Life, liberty and property rights being unalienable). Descriptive Ethics: This dimension of ethics is on the less intellectual end of the ethical spectrum. It gathers knowledge on how people live, observes patterns of events that arise in their surroundings, and draws broad judgments based on these observations. It is an empirical study of people’s moral ideas based on law and conventions. It investigates the history and evolution of Ethics and provides documentation of particular taboos, norms, or conventions. Descriptive Ethics may be seen in Kohlberg’s idea of moral awareness. By providing a value-free viewpoint on ethics, descriptive ethics distinguishes itself as a part of social science rather than human morality. Descriptive ethics does not begin with preconceived theories and assumptions but rather prefers to extensively study the subject’s existing facts and examples, making observations of actual decisions made by moral actors in a practical world. Applied Ethics: This is the theme of ethics that is used in everyday life in a variety of domains of work and living. It is concerned with the philosophical investigation of specific moral dilemmas in private and public life including moral judgments. It uses the conceptual tools of meta-ethics and normative ethics to investigate specific difficult subjects such as abortion, infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homosexuality, capital punishment, nuclear weapons and so on. Normative Principles in Applied Ethics are the most commonly used in the realm of applied ethics. Some of them are as follows: •    Personal benefit – acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for the individual in question. •    Social benefit –acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for society. •    Principle of benevolence –help those in need. •    Principle of paternalism – assist others in pursuing their best interests when they cannot do so themselves. •    Principle of harm – do not harm others. •    Principle of honesty – do not deceive others. •    Principle of lawfulness –do not violate the law. •    Principle of autonomy – acknowledge a person’s freedom over his actions or physical body. •    Principle of justice – acknowledge a person’s right to due process, fair compensation for harm done, and fair distribution of benefits. •    Rights – acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free expression, and safety. 2.3    Concept of Values According to Radhakamal Mukherjee, “Values may be defined as socially approved desires and goals that are internalized through the process of conditioning, learning or socialization.” According to Allport, “Value is a belief upon which a man acts by preferences” Values are individual beliefs to which people attach significant worth and by which they organize their life. Value can also be defined as a principle that promotes well-being or prevents harm. Human beings have the unique ability to define their identity, choose their values and establish their beliefs. All three of these directly influence a person’s behaviour. Thus, values are principles before us that guide and direct our behaviour. Some of the important values are as follows. Personal Values: It is personal to an individual both in terms of their possession and their use. It is a desire and cherished by the individual irrespective of his social relationship. These values make a person good for himself. Examples being ambition, cleanliness, discipline etc. Family Values: Family as a social institution is based on certain universally defined value system which are nurtured and cultivated within a family system. Mainly, these values comes from the lead of the family mostly father who transfer these values to their children, who further impart these values to future generation. Social Values: It refers to certain behaviours and beliefs that are shared within specific cultures and social groups. These values are good for the society and form the basis of the relationship of an individual with other people in society. Examples being courtesy, charity, civic duty etc. Moral Values: These values constitute attitude and behaviour that a society consider essential for co-existence, order and general well-being. It enables an individual in making a distinction between right and wrong and good and bad etc. Example being fairness, justice, human dignity etc. Ethical Values: Ethical values are a set of moral principles that apply to a specific group of people, professional field or form of human conduct. These values presuppose moral courage and the power to act according to one’s moral convictions even at the risk of financial, emotional or social security. These relate to our personal behaviour with our fellow beings. All moral values are also covered under ethical values. Spiritual Values: it refers to the process of reflecting on non-material dimensions of life and acquiring insights into personal experiences. They affect the individual in his relations with himself and concerned with the realisation of the ‘Self’ and being one with ‘Divinity’. Examples being truth, beauty, goodness etc. Cultural Values: Cultural values are the standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong in a society. It gives importance to preserve cultural practices, ceremonies, traditions etc. which might be threatened by the materialistic culture of modern times. Examples being hospitality, social order, tolerance etc. Trans-cultural values: Values that are similar in practice among different cultures throughout the whole world. These can be categorized as universal values since these values are followed across the cultures. Intrinsic Values: They are the ends in themselves, not the means for achieving some other end. In the hierarchy of human values, these values stand at the highest place and are superior to all other values of life. Examples being goodness, beauty, happiness, bliss etc. Instrumental Values: These are such values that are useful in deriving some other benefit through them such as economic gain or an increase in status. A subject is said to have instrumental value when it is pursued, not for its own sake but for some ends beyond itself. Example being education for success in life, political power to do public service etc. Aesthetic Values: It seeks to emulate the beauty of the Divine through the arts. Things and activities which gives joys of beauty are aesthetic values. Example being beauty, taste, architecture etc. Democratic Values: These values are characterized by the respect for individuality, equal treatment to all, ensuring equal social, political and religious rights to all, impartiality and social justice and respect for the democratic institutions. 2.4    What is Morality? Morals are values held by an individual which help him in distinguishing between right and wrong. They determine the character of individuals. Although political, public and private morality are related and come from same source, yet these moralities are different from each other. Interpersonal morality: Interpersonal morality is understood as the duties that we morally owe each other. It is concerned with personal wrongs, but not with impersonal wrongs (i.e., actions that are wrong but wrong no one; e.g., perhaps voluntary euthanasia when this harms no one). What we owe others is what they can claim from us, and this is that to which they have a right against us. Public Morality: In this type of morality, people see themselves as members of a large political community, as citizens of a state. Public morality is concerned with collective obligations, and is generally based on the notion of consequentialism. Citizens in a political community must be bound together neither by feelings nor by self-interest but by a commitment to common values discovered by public reason values such as political freedom, solidarity, shared traditions and cultural heritage. Political morality: It is guided by a commitment to justice, to impartiality. Those who wield political power must realise that what they do has enduring consequences affecting the lives of an incalculably large number of people. This brings with it enormous public responsibility which derives in no small part from the fact that they have at least temporary legitimacy to use force against ordinary citizens. 2.5    Difference between Ethics and Morals Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematising, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, or culture. It can also derive from a standard that a person believes in. Ethics refers to the principles and values that govern the behaviour of individuals and organizations. It is the branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles and values and how they should guide behaviour. Ethics is concerned with questions of right and wrong conduct, good and bad, and fairness and justice. It provides a framework for decision-making and guides individuals and organizations on how to act in certain situations. Ethics can be influenced by religious teachings, philosophical principles, cultural and societal norms, legal and regulatory frameworks, and professional codes of conduct. It can also change over time and vary across different contexts and cultures. Morals, also known as moral values, refer to the personal beliefs and values that guide an individual’s actions and moral behaviour. These beliefs and values are unique to each person, shaped by their experiences, upbringing, and personal perspectives. They can include principles such as honesty, compassion, fairness, and respect. Morals are the foundation of an individual’s personal code of conduct and shape their understanding of what is right and wrong, good and bad, and fair and unfair. Unlike ethics, which are often more formalized and universal, morals can vary widely among individuals and cultures. They are not always based on rational principles, but rather on an individual’s personal beliefs and experiences. For example, one person may have a strong moral belief in nonviolence, while another may believe in the right to self-defence. These differing moral beliefs can lead to different actions and decisions even when faced with similar situations. Morals are self-enforced by individuals; they are not enforced by external institutions like laws or regulations, although they can be influenced by cultural, religious, or philosophical teachings. Furthermore, morals can change over time as an individual’s beliefs and values evolve, and they can also be affected by new experiences and perspectives. 2.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Elaborate dimensions of Ethics b.    Highlight Concept of Values 2.7    Summary Ethics and morals are both important values that play a crucial role in shaping our society and guiding our behaviour. Ethics provide a framework for decision-making and are intended to be universal. They help to establish standards of behaviour and provide guidance on how to act in certain situations. Ethics play a critical role in professional and organizational contexts, helping to ensure that individuals and organizations act in a responsible and fair manner. They also help to promote trust and integrity in society and are essential for maintaining a just and fair society. Morals, on the other hand, are personal beliefs and values that guide an individual’s actions and behaviour. They serve as the foundation of an individual’s personal code of conduct and shape their understanding of what is right and wrong, good and bad, and fair and unfair. Morals play a critical role in personal life, guiding individuals to make choices that align with their values and beliefs, and helping them to navigate ethical dilemmas. Both ethics and morals are essential for promoting positive and constructive behaviour, guiding individuals and organizations to act with integrity and fairness, and creating a stable and just society. They are fundamental for human behaviour, and their importance cannot be overstated. Ethics and morals are fundamental in shaping the way we live and interact with others, and by understanding the difference between them, we can strive to make our world a better place for all. 2.8    Glossary Values: Value is the worth & importance we (as individuals or society) allocate to something. Attitude: When Values are objectified (i.e. tied to an object), they become Attitudes. Morals: These are the learned values of an individual under the influence of society and surroundings. 2.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 2.2           b. See 2.3 2.10    Suggested Readings Arora, Ramesh K. (ed.) (2014) Ethics, Integrity and values in Public Service. New Delhi: New age International. Sawshilya, A. (2012) Ethics and governance. New Delhi: Pearson Education. 2.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Differentiate between Ethics and Morality. 2.    What are the various Dimensions of Ethics? CHAPTER 3 Ethics in Private and Public Relationships Structure 3.0 Learning Objectives 3.1    Introduction 3.2    Ethics in Relationships 3.3    Importance of Relationships 3.4    Personal Ethics and Professional Ethics 3.5    Relationship between Private and Public Life Ethical Conduct 3.6    Self-Check Exercise 3.7    Summary 3.8    Glossary 3.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 3.10    Suggested Reading 3.11    Terminal Questions 3.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The difference between private and public ethics relationship •    Dimensions of Ethics in public and private life •    Suggestions from philosophers regarding ethical conduct 3.1    Introduction At the heart of ethics is a concern about something or someone other than ourselves and our own desires and self-interest. Ethics is concerned with other people's interests, with the interests of society, with God's interests, with ultimate goods, and so on. So when a person thinks ethically they are giving at least some thought to something beyond themselves. One problem with ethics is the way it’s often used as a weapon. If a group believes that a particular activity is wrong it can then use morality as the justification for attacking those who practice that activity. When people do this, they often see those who they regard as immoral as in some way less human or deserving of respect than themselves; sometimes with tragic consequences. Ethics is not only about the morality of particular courses of action, but it’s also about the goodness of individuals and what it means to live a good life. Virtue Ethics is particularly concerned with the moral character of human beings. But now even philosophers are less sure that it’s possible to devise a satisfactory and complete theory of ethics - at least not one that leads to conclusions. Modern thinkers often teach that ethics leads people not to conclusions but to decisions. In this view, the role of ethics is limited to clarifying ‘what's at stake’ in particular ethical problems. Philosophy can help identify the range of ethical methods, conversations and value systems that can be applied to a particular problem. But after these things have been made clear, each person must make their own individual decision as to what to do, and then react appropriately to the consequences. 3.2    Ethics in Relationships Relationship management has become the focus of research in recent years. While some scholars conceive of relationships as subjective realities, others view them as objective. Still others see relationships as a combination of subjective perceptions and objective qualities of relationships independent of participants. It has been pointed out that relationships should be a multidimensional notion. Further, six dimensions of relationship state have been proposed by some: reciprocity, trust, mutual legitimacy, openness, mutual satisfaction, and mutual understanding. Others have presented five dimensions: trust, openness, involvement, investment, and commitment. However, at least four dimensions have been widely supported: trust, commitment, satisfaction, and control mutuality. The relational dimension trust refers to “one [relational] party’s level of confidence in and willingness to open oneself to the other party”. Trust has three sub dimensions: integrity, dependability, and competence. Integrity shows one party’s belief of consistency and fairness in the other’s behaviours. Dependability describes the consistency between one’s words and behaviours. Competence indicates the extent to which one party believes the other has the ability to do what it says it will do. The relational dimension commitment reflects “the extent to which one feels that the relationship is worth spending time and energy to maintain”. Commitment has two sub-dimensions-continuances and affective commitment. Continuance commitment relates to behaviour, whereas affective commitment concerns emotions. The relational dimension satisfaction is defined as “the extent to which one [relational] party feels favourably toward the other because positive expectations about the relationship are reinforced”. From the social exchange theory’s perspective, both relational parties (e.g., a public and its organization) are satisfied with their relationship when they achieve a balance of rewards and costs. Satisfaction measures the favourable feelings expressed by relational parties. Control mutuality refers to “the degree to which parties agree on who has rightful power to influence one another”. Power imbalance is an important issue in control mutuality. However, power does not have to be equally distributed to maintain a stable relationship. 3.3    Importance of Relationships Optimal living is impossible without harmonious human relationships. Successful social interactions are an integral part of our lives and flourishing - from the most fundamental act of our conception to the glorious interplay of a romantic union. We benefit from others intellect by testing our reasoning against theirs; we vastly extend our knowledge, skills and productiveness by the physical and mental division of labour; we experience immense pleasure from a variety of intimate friendships; we are inspired by great artist, scientists and entrepreneurs. Effective relationships are of great benefit to us; a fact that a rational ethic must encompass. What principles and virtues foster beneficial human interactions? The basic personal virtues of rationality, awareness, self-knowing, honesty, productiveness and integrity form a solid basis for reaping benefits from other - as they benefit from us. We prefer to deal with moral, principled people because they are productive and dependable. They represent a value, not a threat. A uniquely social principle is that of voluntary, mutually beneficial interaction. It recognizes the merit of individuals trading value for value; not giving or taking undeservedly; not squandering value on others or defrauding them. This has elegantly been termed the Trader Principle. The principle recognizes the value of personal self-responsibility, authority and autonomy. People are individuals and can ultimately only successfully define and achieve their own goals. We cannot think for the irrational, be optimistic for the pessimist or satisfied for the discontented. We can also not make someone else feel genuine self-esteem. Yes, we can encourage others in these endeavours, but each individual must ultimately think their own thoughts, feel their own feelings, and make their own decisions - live their own lives. The Trader Principle rejects the notion that human interaction is a zero-sum game. Interactions can, and should be profitable to all parties. Exchanges that are voluntary are inherently deemed beneficial to all concerned; otherwise they would not engage in them. This is true not only for commercial transactions, but equally - and possibly even more importantly - for primarily emotional, psychological trades: friendships. A healthy friendship is a mutually beneficial exchange of value - values such as positive character traits, skills, knowledge, intelligence, beauty and emotional support. We don't keep literal scorecards of these values traded, but once they become substantially lop-sided, the relationship suffers. One person sacrifices, the other loses independence - both undermine their self-esteem. Understanding the potential and actual value of interacting with others on the basis of the Trader Principle encourages such virtues as justice, respect, tolerance and benevolence. Achieving successful relationships, both casual and long-term, is further enhanced by good psychological knowledge, as well as communication and social skills. This morality encourages social virtues not as a price to be paid for personal security or simply because one should, but as a direct extension of personal virtues. Moral social interaction cannot be based on self-sacrifice - sacrifice to family, society or nation. They must be based on the individuals' rational self-interest. Rational social principles foster our own optimal living - as well as that of others. It also advances diversity; yet it reduces social conflicts by providing a means of resolving them. A shared rational personal ethic forms the basis of social conduct, law and politics - conflicts are resolved using reason, not force. 3.4    Personal Ethics and Professional Ethics Professional ethics is mostly played out in the daily interactions that one has with other people. What matters most to people is the honesty of the person standing right in front of them; rather than that of Satyam Computers or Enron. How you treat the people during your regular workday sets the stage for whether or not you will crash when the inevitable personal ethical crisis comes. Your core values must match what you say to others. Here, we're not just talking about the ethical no-brainers such as lying to co-workers or stealing company funds. We’re talking about whether your everyday treatment of people, from poorest person to the richest reflects the ethical values that you hold dear. In a nutshell, do you treat people right? Why don’t you sexually harass your co-worker? Because you respect him or her as a person and it would be unthinkable to drag that person through the pain and torment that harassment brings. What's stopping you from taking credit for someone else's work? Because you would not want the same thing to happen to you. Why don't you take advantage of a customer's ignorance to cash in on a sale? It’s because you understand that this destroys relationships and trust, which is what true success in business is built upon. We are used to hearing about ethics from a punishment/consequences angle. Prison is not the primary reason you don't swindle your colleagues, tell casteist jokes, or wield power over weaker individuals. The reason is that there's a right and a wrong way to treat people. It's not about you, it's about them. And you don't need a corporate code of conduct to tell you. You may wonder why a co-worker becomes a heartless dictator after a promotion. Why does a normal person behave like a sexual predator when around certain people? The reason is that he or she lacks or has lost a healthy perspective on human value and dignity. Respect is what compels us to treat people right whether or not they deserve it. Consider a situation where one human says or does something cruel to another. You may wonder how a person can do such horrible things to another person. You figure that the individual is hardened and must have no feeling or regard for others. That may be the case, or possibly the abuser was just a normal person like you who lost perspective. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget who we are talking to. What the workplace sexual harasser and someone on trial for war crimes have in common is that they both dehumanized others. They see the object of their harassment as less than human -as "beneath" them. The act of dehumanizing others strips away another person's intrinsic value and worth. Even in a small amount, this leads to a slippery slope. Once this kind of attitude is allowed a little room to grow it can lead down a path that may justify the mistreatment of others. Everyone has feelings. Everyone has hopes, dreams, ambitions, and passions. We need to view others in a spiritual dimension that goes deeper than what they look like or how much they know. There is something deeper within all of us that begs for respect and honour no matter who we are. We should treat each other as priceless human beings who have the same capacity and potential we do. There's no reason why the person on the other side of the sales counter or the person who speaks another language isn't deserving of the same honour that you expect to have. Becoming an ethical person starts with your honest interactions with everyone. The root ethical failures in the huge things are no different from the small matters we deal with every day. 3.5    Relationship between Private and Public Life Ethical Conduct The distinction between private and public ethics is dubious because, in public and private lives, a person lives by the same ethical values in general. Moreover, no sharp line can be drawn between where private life starts, and public life ends for a Civil Servant. The very philosophy of Civil Service says that when a person becomes Civil Servant, he loses his individuality and becomes part of larger order. Furthermore, one cannot expect someone who lacks moral character in public life to be ethical in their private life and vice versa. How a civil servant treats women in his family is reflected in how he handles female co-workers. There should be no conflict between personal and professional ethics as it may lead to frustration, guilt, confusion & dissonance in the mind of some persons. But at the same time, Ethics in public life places a greater responsibility & a person cannot always follow his personal ethics. For example, personally, one may feel abortion is morally wrong, but as a doctor, he needs to do an abortion according to professional ethics. When performing a role in public, one must separate his personal life and strictly follow a professional code of conduct. A person’s private life can act as a motivating factor but many times can be depressing. The environment from which a person comes to the office daily certainly influences his behaviour for the rest of the day. His personal affiliations, the ideology of his family and his convictions can stop him from taking rational decisions. Ethics in Private Relationships: It refers to the ethical principles that a person adheres to when dealing with other people and situations in daily life. It primarily involves relations with family &    friends. They are informal in nature since they are built on emotional ties rather than any formal procedures that govern them. Principles in Private Relationships: Although private ethics differ from person to person, some common principles are shared and accepted by society. For example – •    Honesty: Being truthful and transparent in your personal relationships is important. •    Respect: Respecting the boundaries, beliefs, and opinions of others is essential in maintaining healthy relationships. •    Fairness: Treating others with fairness is important. •    Confidentiality: Maintaining confidentiality and privacy in personal relationships and not sharing personal information without their consent. •    Empathy: Demonstrating empathy and compassion towards others by listening to and understanding their concerns. •    Communication: Effective communication is essential in maintaining healthy relationships. •    Loyalty: Loyalty to the partner and family members is essential. Ethics in Public Relationships: It refers to the moral principles that a person may follow when interacting with others and conducting business in their professional life. Public life has to be in an ethical framework. When somebody enters public life, whether as MLA or MP, i.e. through the election system or as Civil Servant, i.e. through Selection System, he can’t say that they will conduct their life normally. There has to be some special ethics for such persons. Hence, a special ethical framework is prepared for the people in public life. They are supposed to be strictly guided by that ethical framework. Principles in Public Relationships •    Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in the public interest. •    Integrity: Holders of public office shouldn’t obligate themselves in any way, whether financially or otherwise, to outside individuals or organizations •    Objectivity: Public officials should take decisions based on merit •    Accountability: Holders of public office should be accountable for their actions taken. •    Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible •    Honesty: Holders of public office must declare any private interests relating to their public duties. 3.6    Self-Check Exercise c.    Explain ethics in relationships d.    Differentiate between Personal and Professional Ethics 3.7    Summary The distinction between ethics in private and public relationships is a dubious one because both in public and private lives, one has to live by some of the common ethical values. A person who is unethical in his public life can hardly be expected to be ethical in his private life and vice versa. For instance, A dishonest civil servant is least expected to show integrity in his personal relationship. Ethics in public life places a greater responsibility and is more demanding and application of personal values in determining the ethicality might turn out to be dangerous. For example -You, as civil servant, opine based on your personal values that women should not be allowed into Sabrimala temple but your professional ethics compels you to follow the decision of Hon’ble Supreme court. Thus, sometimes we should separate our personal ethics from public ethics. 3.8    Glossary Ethics: Ethics are values held by society as a whole and help distinguish between right and wrong. Personal ethics: refers to the ethical principles that a person adheres to when dealing with other people and situations in daily life Professional ethics: refers to the ethical principles and standards that govern the behavior and decisions of professionals in their specific fields 3.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a.    See 3.2 b.    See 3.4 3.10    Suggested Readings Human Values, Ethics and Design by Friedman and Kahn Linking Ethics Congruence, Communication Strategies, and Relationship Building by Hongmei Shen and Jeong-Nam Kim 3.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Highlight the relationship between private and public ethical conduct. 2.    What is the importance of relationships in ethics? CHAPTER 4 Role of Family, Society and Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values Structure 4.0  Learning Objectives 4.1   Introduction 4.2  Role of Family 4.3  Role of Society 4.4  Role of Educational Institutions 4.5  Importance of Other Agencies 4.6    Self-Check Exercise 4.7    Summary 4.8    Glossary 4.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 4.10    Suggested Reading 4.11    Terminal Questions 4.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The importance of family and society in inculcating values •    Role of educational institutions •    Other agencies like media, social media etc. 4.1    Introduction Inculcating values entails educating a child on moral principles or helping him build a moral code that applies to various aspects of his life. Here, a set of internalized values can be used to characterize an ethical framework. Here we look into multiple stakeholders like family, society, and education in inculcating values. The inculcation of values is a multifaceted process that involves the active participation of various institutions, including family, society, and educational institutions. Each of these plays a distinctive yet interconnected role in shaping an individual’s value system, character, and ethical foundation. Socialization is the process of transfer of culture from one generation to another, a process by which a person is indoctrinated into his culture. To mould a person into a useful and productive member of society, a lifelong process is required. The tactics of socialization include observation, conditioning, role-acting, inculcating values, and trial and error. It is a lifelong process (from coming out of the womb to going to the tomb) of shaping an individual’s social tendencies so that he becomes and remains a useful and productive member of his society. 4.2    Role of Family Family is the informal agency of socialization. It is a network of relationships marked by cooperation, continuity and emotionality not duplicated in any other system. The family is an important influence on a child’s development and can play a significant role in shaping their values. Parents and caregivers can teach and model values such as honesty, kindness, and responsibility, and can also create a positive and supportive home environment that fosters the growth and development of these values. Additionally, families can provide opportunities for children to practice and apply their values in real-life situations, which can help to reinforce and strengthen them. Parents and caregivers need to be mindful of the values they are teaching and modelling, as well as to be open to discussing and exploring values with children and helping them understand the importance of different values. The family imparts to the child the cultural ideals of peace, collaboration, democracy, harmony, and equity. A person learns the importance of sacrifice, love, feelings, good morals, and other things from their family, which shapes their perspective on other people in society. The family, the fundamental pillar of society, serves as the initial institution for teaching moral behaviour through elder’s ethical guidance and by setting an example for younger family members. These can be taught through tales, lessons from life, etc. In addition to the socialization of children, the family also plays a role in the socialization of adults. Marriage and parenting are major life transitions that can lead to significant changes in an individual’s identity and social role. Through these transitions, individuals learn new skills and responsibilities, and they often adapt their values and behaviours to fit the demands of their new roles. Overall, the family plays a vital role in the socialization of both children and adults, and it plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of social cohesion and stability in any society. Changes in Family Structure There have been significant changes in the structure of families over the past few decades. Some of the most notable changes include: •    Increase in single-parent families: There has been an increase in the number of singleparent families, due to a variety of factors such as divorce, separation, and non-marital childbirth. •    Increase in multi-generational households: There has been an increase in the number of multi-generational households, where two or more generations live together under the same roof. This can be due to a variety of factors such as economic necessity, cultural traditions, and a desire to provide support for aging parents. •    Increase in cohabitation: There has been an increase in the number of couples who are cohabiting or living together without being married. This is often seen as a step towards marriage, but it can also be a long-term arrangement for couples who do not want to get married. •    Increase in same-sex partnerships: There has been an increase in the number of samesex partnerships, both in the form of marriage and non-marital relationships. This is due in part to increased social acceptance and legal recognition of such partnerships. •    Decrease in marriage rates: There has been a decline in the overall marriage rate in many countries, as more people are choosing to remain single or cohabit instead of getting married. These changes in family structure have had a variety of social and economic impacts, and have led to debates about the role of the family in society. There is close contact between the parents and children. Parents are more accessible to the child than other members of the family. The minds of children develop in a major way through the process of non-formal education at home. Home is often said to be the first school, and parents are the first teachers. Depending upon the style of parenting, it can be classified into three types: Authoritarian: They believe in restricting the autonomy of their children. They impose their value system on their children. Hence children of Authoritarian parents are generally. Either over-compliant or hostile, Less cooperative, More Self-Centric, Less Compassionate, Less Empathetic, Biased or partial. In India, most children receive Authoritarian Parenting. The reason for this is the huge power difference between different family members. There is a clear hierarchy of power enjoyed by parents and children. Democratic: They deal with their children in a rational & issue-oriented manner. Unlike authoritarian parents who rely on physical punishment to discipline their children, democratic parents use the threat of withdrawal of love as a principle mechanism to discipline their children. Democratic parenting requires two outstanding qualities, i.e. (1) Patience and (2) Tolerance. People are very low on these qualities even if educated. It is the reason why democratic parenting is rare, even in the case of educated parents. If they make use of physical punishment, they explain to their children why they were given physical punishment. They also provide positive re-enforcement on the display of desired behaviour. Democratic parenting will develop the following values: Objectiveness, Impartiality, Cooperativeness, Tolerance, Patience, Empathy, Compassion. Permissive: Permissive parents provide their children with as much freedom as is consistent with the child’s physical survival. Their parenting will be characterized by neglect, apathy and non-involvement. Parents have indifferent behaviour towards their children, and as a result, children will develop the following values. Avoidance, Non Involvement, Indifference. There is a tendency among children that they will identify themselves with negative role models and develop negative values. The reason for this is that parents have the least watch over their children due to complete indifference towards their children. 4.3    Role of Society Society plays a crucial role in shaping individuals values, ethics, and moral compass. While family is the primary unit of socialization, society at large significantly influences and reinforces the values and norms that govern individual and collective behaviour. Societal institutions like education, religion, media, and legal systems collectively contribute to the ethical framework within which individuals operate. •    Socialization: Society plays a significant role in the socialization process, which is the process through which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors that are appropriate for their culture. Through socialization, individuals learn what is expected of them and how to behave in various social situations. •    Family: The family is a primary agent of socialization, and it is within the family that children are first exposed to the values and beliefs of their culture. Children observe and mimic the behaviors of their parents and other family members, which helps to shape their values and beliefs. •    Education: Schools and other educational institutions also play a role in the inculcation of values. Through the curriculum, students are exposed to the values that are considered important by their culture, such as honesty, integrity, and respect for others. •    Peer groups: Peer groups also influence the values of individuals, particularly during adolescence. Individuals often adopt the values and beliefs of their peer group to fit in and be accepted. •    Mass media: The mass media, such as television, movies, and social media, also play a role in the inculcation of values. These sources often present and reinforce certain values and beliefs to large audiences. •    Religion: For many people, religion is a source of values and moral guidance. Religious institutions and practices often teach and reinforce specific values, such as compassion, forgiveness, and charity. •    Law and government: Law and government also play a role in the inculcation of values. The laws of a society reflect the values that are important to that society, and individuals learn to conform to these laws to be a part of the community. 4.4    Role of Educational Institutions A child spends the majority of his time in educational institutions, second only to his family. They thus play a significant part in influencing the development of the child’s personality. Educational institutions can help students develop moral values by providing a safe and supportive learning environment that promotes respect, responsibility, and empathy. Teachers can model and encourage positive values in the classroom by demonstrating integrity, fairness, and compassion in their interactions with students. Educational institutions can offer opportunities for students to engage in service learning and community service projects, which can help them, develop a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement. Schools can incorporate character education programs or other initiatives that focus on teaching students about values such as honesty, kindness, and respect for others. Educational institutions can encourage students to think critically about ethical issues and to consider the consequences of their actions on others. Schools can provide resources and support for students to learn about different cultural and moral perspectives, helping them to develop an appreciation for diversity and inclusivity. Educational institutions can create a culture of accountability and responsibility by enforcing rules and consequences for behaviour that is inconsistent with the values of the school. Overall, educational institutions play a vital role in helping students develop the values that are necessary for success in school and in life. There are many values that children can learn in school. Some common values that are often emphasized in schools include: •    Respect: Children can learn to respect themselves, others, and the rules and expectations of the school. •    Responsibility: Children can learn to be responsible for their own actions and to take ownership of their learning. •  Honesty: Children can learn to be honest and truthful in their interactions with others. •  Fairness: Children can learn to treat others fairly and to respect diversity and inclusivity. •    Empathy: Children can learn to understand and care about the feelings and experiences of others. •    Perseverance: Children can learn to work hard and to keep trying even when faced with challenges or setbacks. •    Creativity: Children can learn to think creatively and express themselves through various mediums. •    Confidence: Children can learn to believe in themselves and their abilities. •    Self-control: Children can learn to regulate their emotions and behaviors. •    Cooperation: Children can learn to work well with others and to be part of a team. These values can help children develop into responsible and well-rounded individuals, and they can serve as a foundation for success in school and life. 4.5    Importance of Other Agencies Workplace: The workplace provides job satisfaction which has an impact on interpersonal & social relationships. The workplace provides individuals with work culture, i.e. ethos & values. If the work culture is compatible with the individual’s socialization, job satisfaction will be higher. E.g., a Boss or Group leader has to provide Paternalistic touch to his team because Indians are socialized to live in such a society. Values a person develops at workplace are commitment, diligence (persistent work), excellence, team Spirit, appreciation of diversity. Media: It is known as the ‘fourth pillar of democracy’ as it helps in ensuring the transparency and accountability of the government. Moreover, it acts as the linking pin between the government and the people. It helps in shaping the perception by educating the masses. It is also the source of observational learning to inculcate values. It provides us with topics for discussion. Media influence our aspirations. The media has increased the aspirations of people for quality of life. Role of Religious Institutions: It is an integrative social force. Religious rituals like weddings, funeral ceremonies etc., promote group solidarity and cohesion. Provides us identity which increases the sense of security in a person due to belonging to a collective. Religion also plays a prophetic function. It provides authentic and time-honoured standards upon which institutional norms can be evaluated. Religion provides society with a positive framework to manage frustration and miseries. 4.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Role of Family b.    Role of Educational Institutions 4.7    Summary The role of the family, educational institutions and society in inculcating values is crucial. The family serves as the first source of values for children and plays a crucial role in shaping their beliefs and behaviours. Educational institutions also play a significant role in imparting values through the curriculum and extracurricular activities. Society, on the other hand, influences an individual’s values through its cultural and societal norms. Therefore, all three entities play a vital role in the process of inculcating values in individuals. 4.8    Glossary Authoritarian: enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom. Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Socialization: the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society. 4.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 4.2           b. See 4.4 4.10    Suggested Readings Arora, Ramesh K. (ed.) (2014) Ethics, Integrity and values in Public Service. New Delhi: New age International. Fox, W. (2009) a Theory of General Ethics – Human Relationships, Nature and the Built Environment. New Delhi: PHI Learning. 4.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Elaborate the role of family in inculcating values. 2.    What is the importance of educational institutions in inculcating values in a person? CHAPTER 5 Ethics in Public Life: Civil Service Neutrality, Impartiality and Anonymity Structure 5.0 Learning Objectives 5.1    Introduction 5.2    Ethics in Public Life 5.3    Civil Service Neutrality 5.4    Impartiality 5.5    Anonymity 5.6    Self-Check Exercise 5.7    Summary 5.8    Glossary 5.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 5.10    Suggested Reading 5.11    Terminal Questions 5.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The importance ethical code of conduct of a civil servant •    Role neutrality, impartiality and anonymity •    Challenges and dilemmas faced by civil servants 5.1    Introduction Ethics is concerned not only with distinguishing right from wrong and good from bad but also with doing what is just, fair and proper. Civil service is the executive arm of the government. It is permanent and the closest manifestation of the State for the people. Exercising the duly conferred sovereign power of the state, it has been entrusted with huge responsibilities. The Civil Service supports the Government in developing and implementing policies, enforcement of law, delivering public services and management of resources entrusted in the state on behalf of the people. Even though there is constitutional and legal sanctity to the exercise of power by civil administration is essential to build public trust. And thus, in order for civil servants to exercise power with justice and fairness, ethics becomes necessary. Ethics/Values provide a framework for accountability between the public and the administration and ensure that the public receives what is due to it in a fair and just manner, so that it is widely acceptable. Ethics help Civil Services to ensure the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does. It not only provides guidelines (internal in the form of values and external in the form of Codes of Conduct) for appropriate behaviour but also ensures that public trust is earned and maintained. By creating this atmosphere of trust, the administration helps the public understand that they are working with their best interests in mind. When public servants work with integrity and there is probity in governance, it helps foster trust with society and ultimately leads to good governance. 5.2    Ethics in Public Life Professional ethics of a public administrator encompass standards of behaviour and conduct that are crucial for performance of his/her public duties. These include ideas and actions to make things right and a behaviour that reflects a sense of public administration. The object of ethics in public administration is to instil a sense of professional morality in the administrator to perform his duty in a manner that conforms to the highest ethical standards. Ethics and values are frequently conflated, especially when discussing how to combat corruption or poor administration, but this conflation is problematic. For instance, the creation of an Office for Public Service Values and Ethics in Canada distinguished between the two. Here in India, a comparable difference is required. Values by themselves lack agency, or the capacity to take action. Instead, the way ethical standards are applied to values will determine a person’s behaviour. For instance, while government officials may hold the concept of honesty, it is their behaviour and actions that put this value into practise. Therefore, ethics are the laws that apply values to daily life. All facets of ethical decision-making, ethical judgment, ethical choice, and ethical behaviour are influenced by values. Additionally, it is incorrect to distinguish between “positive” and “negative” values because values cannot be either positive or negative. Value application is something that may be viewed from both negative and positive angles. For instance, the value of confidentiality may be perceived positively (essential for national security) or negatively (Inhibits transparency). The people who depend on the public service may stop having faith in it if its actions are not guided by the right set of values. High-level public service values can greatly increase public confidence and trust. On the other hand, poor application of values or the promotion of unsuitable values can result in a decrease in these fundamental components of democratic administration. Several core values are important in public service and public administration, including: •    Service to the public: Public servants are committed to serving the needs and interests of the public. This involves providing high-quality services that meet the needs of the people and working to improve the lives of citizens. •    Integrity: Public servants must be honest, transparent, and accountable in their actions and decision-making. This means acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness in all aspects of their work. •    Impartiality: Public servants must be impartial and objective in their decision-making, free from personal or political bias. This means treating all citizens equally and impartially, regardless of their characteristics or beliefs. •    Professionalism: Public servants must be competent, skilled, and dedicated to their work. This involves upholding professional standards and being committed to continuous learning and development. •    Respect for diversity: Public servants must respect and value the diversity of the communities they serve. This includes valuing diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other personal characteristics. •    Responsibility: Public servants must be responsible and accountable for their actions and decisions. This means taking ownership of their work and being accountable to the public for their actions. •    Transparency: Public servants must be open and transparent in their actions and decision-making processes. This involves making information about government policies, programs, and decisions available to the public. The civil service’s professional code of ethics is referred to as administrative ethics. They define the moral character of government employees and set rules for how various civil servant types should act and behave. As a profession in the modern state, the civil service has created a moral code for its members. Civil officials are required to uphold the customs, precedents, and standards that make up the code of ethics. In particular, in light of the expanding significance of administration and its effects on society, public workers are required to uphold high moral standards not only for themselves but also for the community at large. 5.3    Civil Service Neutrality Civil service neutrality plays a crucial role in public administration, particularly in a diverse and democratic country like India. Civil service neutrality refers to the impartiality and nonpartisanship of civil servants in their role as public administrators. It entails maintaining objectivity, fairness, and independence while executing their duties, irrespective of their personal beliefs or political affiliations. Civil servants serve as the backbone of public administration and are responsible for implementing government policies and delivering public services. Their neutrality ensures that they work for the greater good of society, free from personal biases or external pressures. Neutrality requires civil servants to make decisions based on objective criteria, without favouring any particular group or individual. This ensures that public resources are allocated fairly and transparently. Civil servants must steer clear of engaging in partisan politics and refrain from using their position for personal or political gain. Their loyalty should lie with the constitution and the rule of law, rather than any specific political ideology or party. India has established laws and guidelines to safeguard civil service neutrality. The Constitution of India provides for an independent and impartial civil service. Additionally, the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, along with various service conduct codes, outline the ethical standards and expectations for civil servants. Significance of Civil Service Neutrality in Public Administration •    Ensuring fair and transparent governance •    Neutrality in the civil services is crucial for delivering efficient and equitable public services. It helps prevent discrimination and ensures that decisions are made solely on merit, without any undue influence or favoritism. •    Upholding the rule of law •    Civil service neutrality upholds the principles of the rule of law by ensuring that all individuals are treated equally before the law. This fosters a sense of justice and fairness in society. •    Promoting public trust in the government Civil servants often face challenges due to political interference, which can compromise their neutrality. Pressures to prioritize political interests over public welfare can undermine the effectiveness and integrity of the civil services. Civil servants must strike a delicate balance between loyalty to the government of the day and their duty to act in the public interest. Negotiating this balance can be challenging, especially during political transitions or in contentious policy scenarios. Civil service neutrality is a cornerstone of effective and ethical public administration. It ensures fair and transparent governance, upholds the rule of law, and fosters public trust in the government. Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding neutrality, it is imperative to strengthen and protect this essential aspect of the civil services. By providing training, establishing safeguards, and promoting ethical conduct, we can reinforce civil service neutrality and ensure that our administrative institutions remain impartial and dedicated to serving the public interest. Upholding and protecting civil service neutrality is not only crucial for the functioning of a vibrant democracy but also for building a just and equitable society. 5.4    Impartiality Impartiality implies that decisions should be made without regard to bias, prejudice, or an unfair favour for one individual, group, or organization over another. Impartiality implies that a bureaucrat’s behaviour and treatment towards any person or organization must solely be based on merit. Absolute impartiality is required to make decisions that are fair, just, equitable, effective, and efficient and leads to inclusive growth. A public servant who possesses this value will not face controversy during his or her tenure in office. The work’s objectivity will keep problems out of the public eye. For instance, it will cause a stir if a public official approves the organizing of a rally for one political party but not for another. It is possible to prevent this by being impartial. It will help in maintaining harmony between social groups. Tension between groups can occur when there are several difficulties between them, especially in multi-religious and multicultural societies like India. To ensure peace, the officials must carry out their duties while keeping a safe distance from both groups. The government, as the supreme authority, must refrain from interfering with the public too much. The worth and dignity of the job will be threatened if that barrier is breached. For instance, UPSC members ought to avoid candidates who are close friends. If any connections are made, the body’s reputation will be in jeopardy. A civil servant can defend constitutionalism and avoid authoritarian rule by acting impartially. It makes the civil servant accountable to the law and aids in maintaining the rule of law. An impartial civil servant would have better credibility and persuasive ability in negotiations, for example, N Ravi, an interlocutor was effective in northeast insurgency negotiations because of his impeccable record of impartiality. This is very helpful in situations like communal riots, ethnic conflicts, etc. Minority views may be muted, especially in a diverse nation like India, if a civil worker shows a bias toward the majority for personal gain. The concept of impartiality from an ethical perspective has been a matter of debate. To be ethical, one should be having a thinking mind. But impartiality demands action only as per the rules and regulations. Here Weber has put more faith in laws than in humans for rational action. It was in a way subordinating the human mind to the law. But the human mind can think better than law otherwise society could not have been this advanced. Therefore bureaucracy should act as per rules and laws. But wherever necessary it should also apply its wisdom. Even the conduct rules of civil servants empower them that wherever the law is not clear civil servants should apply their minds to make the most competent decision. Significance •    It provides the administrator the authority to close any holes in the subject’s lack of trust in the government. It makes the activity of the administrator more legitimate and effective by impartiality. •    It establishes the idea of justice. Justice is based on the idea of that judgments should not be made based on bias, prejudice, or favoring one person over another for wrong motives, but rather on objective standards. •    Impartiality helps the administrator to fulfill his duties in a fair, just, and equitable manner that represents the civil service’s commitment to diversity and equality. •    It is recognized as a fundamental principle of professional ethics. 5.5    Anonymity Civil Service Anonymity refers to the principle that a civil servant should perform their functions behind the curtains, away from the public view and as political masters are directly responsible to the people, all the credit for success and blame for failure of any action of the government should be awarded to the political masters as against civil servant. Anonymity has been a hallmark of Westminster bureaucracies, including in India. Public service anonymity is the convention that ministers answer to Parliament and to the public for government actions without naming the public servants who provided advice or who carried out the administrative action. In a world where public governance has become the norm, remaining habitually anonymous is counterproductive. The anonymity of the civil service is linked to two concepts: permanence and neutrality. Civil servants, many of whom remain in their jobs whilst serving numerous governments, are thus likely to have to give advice to governments of different political parties, who may have different attitudes to policy. The advice they give needs to be given to ministers both freely and also without fear of adverse public or political reactions and without fear of future career damage. This is tied into the concept of ministerial responsibility, whereby the convention is for the minister to accept responsibility for their actions and decisions and those of their departments. However, in recent years, civil service anonymity has begun to be eroded for a variety of reasons. The creation of Departmental Select Committees in 1979 to scrutinise the activities of government departments, mean that MPs frequently question civil servants about the advice they give to ministers. Increased media interest in government affairs means that individual senior civil servants tend to be identified. Ministers are also increasingly willing to “name and blame” their civil servants as opposed to accepting responsibility for their departments’ actions. There are also some executive agencies that have chief executives that are public figures. There are two schools of thought about civil servants’ usage of social media. While many people, including former civil officials, support civil servants utilising social media in their official capacity, others believe that anonymity, a defining aspect of Indian bureaucracy, is jeopardised. In fact, bureaucracy is incompatible with social media as an organisational model. Bureaucracy is defined by hierarchy, formal relationships, and established procedures, whereas social media is defined by openness, transparency, and flexibility. 5.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Civil Service Neutrality and Impartiality b.    Define ethics in public life 5.7    Summary It is crucial that public employees receive training on ethical principles and values and that there are processes in place to make sure they are held accountable for their actions to solve these issues. To keep public officials accountable, the public must have access to information regarding their deeds and decision-making procedures. It is the primary responsibility of the State to promote an environment which supports high standard of conduct and moral values in society. This needs an all-encompassing approach, by imparting right kind of education to the children and youth in schools and colleges, by ensuring ethical conduct of persons working in public services including politicians and by creating an environment of honesty and trust for business and industry to thrive. 5.8    Glossary Anonymity: Bureaucrat is supposed to work behind the curtain and avoid media limelight and public gaze. Impartiality: refers to the state of being fair and unbiased. Neutrality: It implies that civil servants should provide unbiased and candid advice to the government, free from any political biases. 5.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 5.3 & 5.4            b. See 5.2 5.10    Suggested Readings Bhargva, R. (2006) Politics and Ethics of Indian Constitution. New Delhi: OUP. Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. 5.11    Terminal Questions 1.    What is the importance of ethics in public life for civil servants. 2.    Elaborate neutrality, impartiality and anonymity required for civil services. CHAPTER 6 Emotional Intelligence: Concepts and their Utilities and Applications in Administration and Governance Structure 6.0 Learning Objectives 6.1    Introduction 6.2  Emotions and Intelligence 6.3  Importance of Emotional Intelligence 6.4    Models of Emotional Intelligence 6.5    Role of Emotional Intelligence in Administration and Governance 6.6    Self-Check Exercise 6.7    Summary 6.8    Glossary 6.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 6.10    Suggested Reading 6.11    Terminal Questions 6.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The importance emotional intelligence •    Role emotional intelligence in administration and governance •    Application of emotional intelligence 6.1    Introduction The term EI was introduced in 1990 by Mayer and Salovey. It is described as a set of skills that involve the ability to monitor ones’ own and other’s feelings/emotions, to discriminate among them, so as to use that information to guide one’s thinking and action. Thus, it integrates emotions and intelligence. Simplistically speaking, it is the ability to channelize emotions for constructive purposes. It must be known that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence. It is not the triumph of heart overhead, rather, the unique intersection of both. Mayer and Salovey introduced this concept as a challenge to the traditional notion of intelligence as monolithic ability i.e. only focused on cognitive ability, and to the thinkers who held emotions as obstructive to cognitive activity. EI includes the intra- and interpersonal intelligence, i.e. the ability to know oneself and others, in terms of abilities, current emotional state. The traditional notion of intelligence as logical or mathematical ability invariably reduces it to cognitive ability. Cognition refers to processes such as memory, attention, language, problem solving, and planning. Many cognitive processes often involve so-called controlled processes, such as when the pursuit of a goal (e.g., maintaining information in mind like retaining some facts) needs to be protected from interference (e.g., a distracting stimulus like a nagging noise). Traditionally, it was believed that emotion, being non-cognitive, can’t facilitate the cognitive processes. In fact, it was believed that emotions were counter to cognitive task, because they are intense feelings. Thus, the earlier notion was either of no relation between emotion and intelligence or negative relation. For example, when we are experiencing negative emotions, like anger or depression, then it becomes very difficult to perform a constructive task, like solving a puzzle, or making good decisions. However, Mayer and Salovey, in their concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI), discarded this necessarily negative relation between Emotions & Intelligence. It was realized that emotions aren’t necessarily bottlenecks in our thinking or decision making which leads us to the topic of Emotional Intelligence. 6.2    Emotions and Intelligence Emotions are complex reactions that involve both intense subjective feelings such as joy, anger, sorrow etc., and also emotional expressions and the ability (or abilities) to understand emotional information i.e. the ability to “read” the emotional reactions of others. In other words, emotions are generally understood as intense feelings, favourable or unfavourable, that are directed at someone or something. Emotions have also been described by some theorists as discrete and consistent responses to internal or external events which have a particular significance for the organism. They are biologically given and a result of evolution because they provided good solutions to ancient and recurring problems that faced our ancestors. Therefore, they are the essential constitute of human mind. It is a well-established fact that it is almost impossible for humans to live without emotions. Certain emotions like joy, interest, contentment, love, and similar that are pleasant and rewarding, are called positive emotions. They open up new possibilities and build up our personal resources. On the other hand, negative emotions are associated with actions that probably helped our ancestors save their skins: escaping, attacking, expelling poison. Negative emotions can also be valuable and constructive. For example, persistent distress may motivate a person to seek help, mend a relationship, or find a new direction in life. There is a natural tendency that people enjoy positive emotions while treating negative emotions as misery. Intelligence is defined as the capacity of an individual to think rationally, act purposefully and deal effectively with his environment. In other words, it is the mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment. It can be more generally described as the ability to perceive or infer information, and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviours within an environment or context. The most important use of intelligence is adaptation to one’s environment. For the most part, adaptation involves making a change in oneself in order to cope more effectively with the environment, but it can also mean changing the environment or finding an entirely new one. Such adaptation may occur in a variety of settings: For example, a student in school learns the material he needs to know in order to do well in a course; a physician treating a patient with unfamiliar symptoms learns about the underlying disease; or an artist reworks a painting to convey a more coherent impression. Effective adaptation involves a number of cognitive processes, such as perception, learning, memory, reasoning, and problem solving. The main emphasis in a definition of intelligence is hence, on the fact that it is not a cognitive or mental process per se but rather on a selective combination of these processes that is purposively directed toward effective adaptation. Thus, the physician who learns about a new disease adapts by perceiving material on the disease in medical literature, learning what the material contains, remembering the crucial aspects that are needed to treat the patient, and then utilizing reason to solve the problem of applying the information to the needs of the patient. 6.3    Importance of Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is about the emotions of humans which should be regulated so that there is socially desirable behaviour. Formally, it is about knowing one’s own emotions and understanding others’ emotions, and behaving in a socially desirable way by regulating the emotions. It is about emotional, social, and behavioural competency that a person is behaviourally competent in different social conditions. Classic intelligence can be defined as what is measured by IQ tests. These tests are about the skills which are required to analyse and solve problems. However, implementing the solution requires emotional intelligence. Classical intelligence alone is not enough to produce consistent results. Intelligent actions are now a result of both emotions as well as reasoning. Emotional intelligence is about being intelligent about your emotions. IQ gets you hired whereas EQ gets you promoted. For example, Suppose you are an SP handling a mob lynching situation in your district. Some of your men get injured while doing their duty. As you do not have orders from above you and your team are not left with many options. Here you would need emotional intelligence to handle the situation. Emotional Intelligence can be identified in people based on positive and negative characteristics of their behaviour, whether good or bad or high or low EI. When our emotional health is in a bad state so is our level of self-confidence and self-esteem. We have to slow down and deal with what is troubling us so that we can enjoy the simple joy of being happy and at peace with ourselves. It is often said that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Emotional intelligence enables you to influence yourself first, then influence others, to enable a more stable and productive work environment. 6.4    Models of Emotional Intelligence Mayer and Salovey described EI more specifically in 1997 by outlining the competencies it encompasses. They organized those competencies along the four branches: Four Branch Model •    Perceiving emotions: It refers to the ability to perceive i.e. recognize emotions and also the ability to specifically categorize the current emotional state, in oneself and in others. For example, it enables the person to understand the kind of feeling he/she or other person is going through. •    Understanding emotions: It is the ability of a person to comprehend the emotions in the given messages better. It also enables one to understand the relationship between emotions, thought, and behavior. For example, with this ability one can accurately understand as to how a particular emotion can affect the thinking or action of oneself and that of others. •    Using emotions to facilitate thought: This model is a logical corollary of the aforementioned models, i.e. from the above two it can be deduced that emotions can act as facilitators of thinking by channelizing emotions for constructive purpose, like making appropriate decision or solving some problem. •    Managing emotion: It refers to the ability to take responsibility for one’s emotions, and converting the negative emotions into positive ones. Its utility lies in generating the desirable emotions in oneself or in others, which are conducive to the task at hand. It is because emotions are energy for motions, therefore if desired emotions are created then efforts in the direction of task can be made easily. For example, motivating oneself and others to perform some task, like focusing on studies when otherwise it is difficult to focus; or managing the stressful situation without losing temper etc. Goleman further refined the concept of emotional intelligence in 1999. Five Component Model •    Self-awareness: It is the ability to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others. Hallmarks of self-awareness include self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a self-deprecating sense of humor. Self-awareness depends upon one's ability to monitor one's own emotion state and to correctly identify and name one's emotions. •    Self-regulation: It is the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the tendency to suspend judgment and to think before acting. Some of its hallmarks include trustworthiness and integrity; comfort with ambiguity; and openness to change. •    Internal motivation: This refers to a passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond external rewards like money and status. This can be driven by an inner vision of what is important in life, a joy in doing something, curiosity in learning, a flow that comes with being immersed in an activity. Its hallmarks include a strong drive to achieve, optimism even in the face of failure, and organizational commitment. •    Empathy: It is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. It involves imaginatively stepping in someone’s shoes and emoting as per the context. It is a skill that helps one treat people according to their emotional reactions. Its hallmarks include expertise in building and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity. It is important to note that empathy does not necessarily imply compassion. Empathy can be 'used' for compassionate or cruel behavior. Serial killers who marry and kill many partners in a row tend to have great emphatic skills. •    Social skills: It includes proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and the ability to find common ground and to build rapport. Hallmarks of social skills include effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams. Thus, Goleman’s model is more comprehensive and is most suited for effective functioning in a social system, especially in governance and administration. 6.5    Role of Emotional Intelligence in Administration and Governance Many civil servants despite being extraordinarily talented, conceptually brilliant and having a very high IQ, are not particularly likeable people. Many of them are aggressive and brutal in their response to the outside world. They have little or no feeling for people around them. They feel physiologically awkward in their relationships; have no social graces or even a social personal life. Being uncomfortable with themselves and making people uncomfortable becomes a routine response in their life. Apart from this, it has also been noticed that risk taking behaviour, and bold decisions are needed in discharging the responsibility of public services, especially in a developing country like India. Civil servants need to be adept at handling people effectively since it forms a major part of their responsibilities. Further, the civil servants are the trustees of public interest and are entrusted to make policies. Therefore, they need to be high on EI, because without EI it would be difficult to be empathetic to different sections of the society, to be firm in their approach, and to be good change agents. Emotionally intelligent leaders are centered and grounded. Such leaders display a stable mood, aren’t erratic or extremely unpredictable in their behaviour, and they tend to possess these traits: •    High self-regard: Good leaders have high self-regard. Leaders who claim to know it all tend to be poor leaders. Good leaders know their strengths and capitalize on those strengths, as well as know their weaknesses and fill the gaps with people who have strong skills in these areas. •    Maintain balance in life: Good leaders also seem to know how to balance their personal and work lives. They tend to avoid burning out by managing their time well. If a person can manage his own life well — including stress, home life, fitness, and diet — then he has a better chance of managing the workplace well. •    Model the way: Successful leaders say what they want to accomplish and get it done. The leader needs to walk the talk if he wants others to follow. In emotional intelligence terms, this practice involves assertiveness and independence. People who are assertive and articulate have no difficulty expressing their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Also, people, who are independent, listen are to and take in the advice of others, but in the end, make their own informed decisions. Independence implies acting in order to carry things out. •    Inspire a shared vision: As a leader, one must convince others that he/she understands others needs and have their best interests at heart. Inspiring a shared vision requires a good deal of empathy and optimism for it gives our vision a positive and desirable flavor so that others want to share in it. Our empathy ensures that we hit the right chord in terms of what others want to see and hear from us. •    Challenge the process: An emotionally intelligent leader strives for change. He looks for opportunities to improve and grow and also to experiment and take risks. One of the key emotional intelligence skills that are needed in order to challenge the status quo is flexibility. Flexible people are more likely to try new things, take risks, and face new challenges without fear. •    Enable others to act: Success requires a team and leaders, by definition, require followers. Leaders can empower others in a variety of ways. They enable others by fostering collaboration and building trust. Successful leaders share power, delegate well, and do what’s necessary to help others perform. In terms of emotional intelligence, there is a need of self-regard and interpersonal skills to enable others to act. In order to build successful relationships, you need the skills to engage and relate to others in a meaningful way. •    Stay composed under pressure: Good leaders don’t flare up or lose control under difficult circumstances •    Encourage others: A key component of this practice involves recognizing the contributions of others. Rewarding people for their participation goes a long way in motivating them to be part of our team. Leaders who encourage others not only need to know how those people feel but need to be capable of building relationships with them, as well. 6.6    Self-Check Exercise e.    Importance of Emotional Intelligence f.    Role of Emotional Intelligence in Administration and Governance 6.7    Summary Succeeding in life largely depends on succeeding socially, and a large part of social success depends on EQ. But as a growing body of research shows, EQ can be used to orchestrate ‘win lose’ as well as ‘win-win’ outcomes. Of course, people aren’t always using emotional intelligence for nefarious ends. More often than not, emotional skills are simply instrumental tools for goal accomplishment. Appropriate level of EI demands capacity for appreciation of ‘interconnections’ of matters which are seemingly unrelated but together influence the outcome of a public policy or project. Emotional Intelligence, thus, has to be factored in administrative justice, and it may even be called ‘constructive emotional intelligence’. 6.8    Glossary Emotional Quotient: an individual's ability to identify, evaluate, control and express emotions ones own emotions; perceive, and assess others' emotions; use emotions to facilitate thinking, understand emotional meanings. Intelligence Quotient: Ability to learn, understand and apply information to skills, logical reasoning, and word comprehension, math skills, abstract and spatial thinking, filter irrelevant information. 6.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 6.3            b. See 6.5 6.10    Suggested Readings Goleman, D. (2020). Emotional intelligence. Bloomsbury Publishing. Sawshilya, A. (2012) Ethics and governance. New Delhi: Pearson Education. 6.11    Terminal Questions 1.    What is the importance of emotional intelligence. 2.    Elaborate the role of emotional intelligence in administration and governance. CHAPTER 7 Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance Structure 7.0 Learning Objectives 7.1    Introduction 7.2    Ethical Governance 7.3    Importance of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance 7.4    Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values 7.5    Ethical Issues in Indian Governance 7.6    Self-Check Exercise 7.7    Summary 7.8    Glossary 7.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 7.10    Suggested Reading 7.11    Terminal Questions 7.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    The importance of ethical and moral values in governance •    Features of ethical framework in civil services •    Moral Values for Individuals 7.1    Introduction Ethics is an effort to direct human conduct and it helps individual in leading good life by applying moral principles. Ethics is elucidated as well based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. In present scenario, ethics in governance are attracting attention of researchers, people who talk of good governance. The spread of democracy in various countries of the world has highlighted the issue of ethics in governance. The Overall purpose of ethics is to ensure good governance with prime concern for ethical principles, practices and behaviour. Governance is described as the way an organization takes itself and the processes and structure that are used to realise its goals. Governance is also crucially concerned with how organizations relate to each other, how they relate to citizens and the way in which citizens are given a voice. The essential duty of governance is to effectively and equitably implement what is called the social contract. Changeover to liberalization and economic reforms and to new types of managerial set-ups is a complex and difficult task which demands a highly competent, well informed and caring administration. In prehistoric time of India, good governance was conceptualized as Ram Rajya. The cardinal aphorism of be good and do good was applied to all the monarchies, whether personal or professional; and the governmental system was no exception. Kautilya in his magnum opus (Arthashastra) urged the rulers to be compassionate to their subjects. In contemporary India, more and more inhabitants are becoming educated, progressive and aware of their rights. Therefore, ethics in governance are attracting attention of all the people who talk of good governance. The general objective of morality is to ensure good governance with prime concern for moral values, practices and behaviour. These moral values are inculcated in an individual by her parents, teachers, religion, society and the environment of workplace. The important duty of governance is to effectively and impartially implement what is called the social contract. Hence, it demands a highly competent, well informed administration. It envisages the government institutions to become innovative, participatory and have a good deal of sound policy formulation, open-mindedness, and distinct citizen orientation. 7.2    Ethical Governance Ethical governance is a way of governing which infuses high standards of moral values and behaviour in the governance process. For example, a bureaucrat is bound to serve the people that come to his office, but he couldn't be penalized if he doesn't make provisions for a glass of water to an elderly couple who might be tired after waiting too long in the queue. Those will be the ethics of public service and altruism that will make him do that. Similarly, an official should allow disbursal of Public Distribution System (PDS) ration to beneficiaries particularly for women and senior citizens, even if there is a failure of Aadhaar identification due to mismatch of biometric data. It is important to understand that denial of such services may cost a person his life. Hence, compassion and human dignity forms the basis of ethical governance. Ethical governance is the much-needed approach for establishing trust and mutual cooperation between citizens and public servants. Ethical governance means governance based on a certain value premise, which is also “good”. For example, probity, integrity, compassion, empathy, responsibility, social justice etc. without which ethical issues can’t be upheld. Probity would ensure that the sole purpose of administration is public interest, thereby devoid of any wrongdoing. Responsibility, not merely accountability, ensures the inculcation of internal accountability for every act of omission or commission in the form of judgement based on one’s conscience. If this is attained then there would be no question of corruption. In order for a nation to compete globally, eliminating corruption is not just a moral imperative, but also an economic necessity. Rule of law should be one of the most important elements of ethical governance in order to eliminate corruption and reduce bureaucratic delays. Rule of law checks arbitrariness in governance, thereby reducing chances of misusing discretion. 7.3    Importance of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance Implementing social contracts fairly and effectively is a key responsibility of governance. Therefore, it necessitates a very capable, knowledgeable administration. Government institutions are envisioned as becoming creative, and interactive, and possessing a significant amount of sound policy formation, openness, and distinct citizen orientation. The advancement of ethics and moral values in good governance suggests the legality of government action, rationality in policy and decision-making, evolving a sense of responsibility, ensuring accountability, and strengthening work commitment. It also enhances creating excellence, facilitating a spirit of individual and organizational goals, developing responsiveness, showing compassion, protecting the national interests, protecting the spirit of justice, bringing transparency, and elevating integrity. The importance of ethics and moral principles in fostering good governance cannot be overstated. There are several approaches to improving moral principles in government. Principle of Selflessness: Officers of public offices should only consider the general welfare when making decisions. They should refrain from taking any action that will benefit themselves, their family, or their friends materially or financially. High Integrity: Holders of public office should avoid putting themselves in any kind of debt to outside parties or organizations that could influence how they carry out their official duties. Objectivity: Holders of public office should base all decisions on merit when conducting public business, including public appointments, contract awards, and recommending people for rewards and benefits. Accountability: Public officeholders ought to be as transparent as possible about all their choices and activities. They should document the rationale behind their choices and only impose information restrictions where the larger public interest requires it. Honesty: Holders of public offices must disclose any private interests that may clash with their official responsibilities and take action to resolve any disputes in a way that safeguards the public’s interests. Leadership: Holders of public offices should promote and support these principles by way of leadership and examples. Sense of belongingness with the Public: Elected representatives such as village Panchayat members, Block Samiti members, Zilla Parish members, Elected members of the local bodies, MLAs, and MPs should establish a sense of belongingness with voters of their constituencies; and listen to and address their grievances by visiting them regularly to implement ethics in governance. Between the two, there shouldn’t be any communication gaps. 7.4    Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values To ensure the best service delivery and citizen-centric governance, it is essential to strengthen ethical and moral values in governance. E-Governance and digitization to reduce red tape, streamline paperwork, and promote accountability and transparency. Example: PRAGATI, MyGov portal. RTI enables citizens’ right to know, improving the integrity of government. To ensure there is no corruption, there are strict rules including the Prevention of Corruption Act and the CVC. Civil service codes and various Service Rules to ensure honesty and integrity. Example: Civil Service Conduct Rules. Citizen charters and citizen-oriented governance to better address feedback, and grievances. Example: CPGRAMS, Jan Sunwai. In 2006, the Department of Personnel drafted a Public Service Bill which enumerated fundamental values of Public Services, a Code of Ethics, a Management Code, etc. to develop public services. The bill didn’t make much headway and is in cold storage etc Witness protection scheme to safeguard the witness from victimization. The future of governance must be centred on the people, and that means digitization and egovernance. One place where clients can pay all of their bills is UMANG, for instance. If instilled early on through education, values like selflessness, honesty, integrity, and objectivity would eventually result in ethical leadership. Public officials should receive sensitivity training and value-oriented training. Auditing should be done ethically. Every organization should ensure that work and responsibility are delegated, and citizen charters should be used to codify the accepted practices. A senior-level bureaucrat who serves as a conduit between the people and the government oversees each ministry. These senior officers ought to provide the responsible Minister with accurate feedback regarding the issues experienced by the public and recommendations for workable steps that can be made to address the issue within the bounds of the law. If at all possible, they might also advise changing the law to adequately handle the issue. Governance will change into good governance if there are friendly relationships between the government and the people at various levels. If one of their critical demands is not met for any technical reason, the public will feel like they are a part of the administration and will better understand the government’s position. 7.5    Ethical issues in Indian Governance •    A Violation of Authority or Rank Position: Officials make actions that are out of their position, responsibilities and rights that, finally, cause damage to the interests of the state or certain citizens. •    Negligence: A public official either does not perform his professional responsibilities or performs them in a delinquent manner, causing damage to the state or community. •    Bribery: Corruption and bribery have become acceptable parts of society, lubricating the wheels of commerce. •    Complacency: There is a core of exceptionally hardworking, dedicated and conscientious officers, but they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the complacent, which are obsessed with status, rank, and emoluments and addicted to habits of personal luxury. •    Patronization: The post-retirement assignment of senior officers to Regulatory bodies and other important posts is largely done on patronage with no set guidelines. •    Administrative Secrecy: The purpose of administrative secrecy is to serve the public interest while maintaining private interests. Therefore, transparency is one of the most important virtues of ethical governance •    Nepotism: Neglecting the merit principle by appointing relatives or friends to public positions may degrade the quality of public services. •    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. 7.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Importance of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance b.    Methods of Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values 7.7    Summary The overall goal of ethics is to provide effective governance with a focus on moral values, conduct, and principles. The definition of governance is the attitude an organization has toward itself as well as the systems and structures it employs to achieve its objectives. Strengthening ethical and moral values in governance is fundamental for fostering trust, accountability, and transparency in public administration. The integration of ethical principles contributes to the development of a responsible and responsive government, promoting the well-being of society. Strengthening ethical and moral values in governance is an ongoing process that requires commitment, continuous effort, and collaboration. By prioritizing transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement, governments can foster a culture of ethical governance that enhances public trust and promotes the well-being of society. Integrating ethical principles into governance practices contributes to the establishment of a just, fair, and responsible government. 7.8    Glossary CPGRAMS: Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System E-Governance: application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals. 7.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 7.3            b. See 7.4 7.10    Suggested Readings Ghere, R.K. & Frederickson, H. G. (Eds.) (2007) ethics in Public Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning. Hooja, R. (2008) Corruption, Ethics and accountability essays by an administrator. New Delhi IIPA. 7.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Why ethical and moral values important in governance. 2.    Elaborate the methods of strengthening ethical and moral values. CHAPTER 8 Concerns and Dilemmas related to Ethics in Government Institutions Structure 8.0 Learning Objectives 8.1    Introduction 8.2    Reasons for unethical behavior of Government Officials 8.3    Ethical Dilemmas in Government Institutions 8.4    Principles used in resolving ethical dilemmas 8.5    Ethical concerns with respect to Employees and Employers 8.6    Self-Check Exercise 8.7    Summary 8.8    Glossary 8.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 8.10    Suggested Reading 8.11    Terminal Questions 8.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    reasons for unethical behaviour of government officials •    ethical dilemmas faced in government institutions •    principles used in resolving ethical dilemmas 8.1    Introduction Ethical dilemmas are situations in which there is a choice to be made between two options, neither of which resolves the situation in morally satisfactory manner. In such circumstances, social and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome for the selector. An ethical dilemma is an intricate situation that often involves an apparent mental skirmish between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in disobeying another. Theoretical studies have demonstrated that an ethical dilemma ascends from a situation that necessitates a choice between conflicting sets of principles. Therefore an ethical dilemma can be defined as a circumstance that requires a choice between competing ideologies in a given, usually undesirable or confusing, situation. Conflicts of interest are perhaps the most apparent example that could place public sector leaders in an ethical dilemma. Other types of ethical dilemmas in which public officers may find themselves include conflict between: the values of public administration; justifications for the institutions; aspects of the code of conduct; personal values and supervisor or governmental directive; professional ethics and supervisor or governmental directive; personal values and professional ethics versus governmental directive; blurred or competing accountabilities; and the dimensions of ethical behaviour. In general, however, ethical dilemmas happen in at least two forms. Either some evidence or argument designates that an act is morally right, and some evidence or strength of argument on both side is inconclusive or an agent believes that, on moral ground, she or he is obligated to perform two or more mutually exclusive actions. Ethical dilemmas are in three broad categories: Personal Cost Ethical Dilemmas: It rises from situations in which compliance with ethical conduct results in a substantial personal cost to the decision maker in a problematic situation. Right-versus-Right Ethical Dilemmas: It arises from situations of two or more conflicting sets of bonafide moral values. Conjoint Ethical Dilemmas: It develops when a careful decision-maker is exposed to an amalgamation of the above-indicated ethical dilemmas in searching for the “right-thing-to do”. 8.2    Reasons for Unethical Behavior of Government Officials Since ethical norms are not organized, there is always a potential that a conflict may arise and that there will be disagreements over proper behaviour. Independent India inherited the same Bureaucratic Structure. During British rule, the bureaucracy was primarily focused on controlling the Indian population and looting resources. Public bureaucrats are not just facilitators of public policy. They make decisions relating to the lives of citizens, for example, about taxes, survival and the dismissal of people. In doing so they exercise discretion. The main concern is that they should make decision to avoid ethical dilemmas. In other words, the promotion of general welfare depends on the use or exploitation of administrative discretion which can be ensured by providing sensitive training to the bureaucrats. There are a variety of reasons why public officials may engage in unethical behaviour. Some common reasons include: •    Personal gain: Public officials may be motivated by a desire for personal financial gain or to advance their careers. •    Power or influence: Public officials may abuse their power or influence for personal or inappropriate purposes. •    Lack of accountability: If there are insufficient mechanisms in place to hold public officials accountable for their actions, they may be more likely to engage in unethical behavior. •    Culture of corruption: If corruption is prevalent within an organization or society, public officials may be more likely to engage in unethical behavior. •    Personal values or beliefs: Public officials may act unethically if their values or beliefs conflict with the values or standards of behavior expected in the public sector. •    Pressure or temptation: Public officials may be tempted to engage in unethical behavior if they are under pressure to meet certain goals or if they are offered incentives or rewards for unethical behavior. •    Excessive security: Excessive security which has been provided in Acts like Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA) and Article 311 of the Constitution etc. is misused by corrupt and unethical civil servants. 8.3    Ethical Dilemmas in Government Institutions Ethical concerns can arise in public institutions when the actions or decisions of those institutions or the individuals working within them do not align with the values, principles, and standards of behaviour that are expected in the public sector. Some common ethical concerns in public institutions include: Administrative Discretion: The public official has ample opportunity to use discretion within the confines of the laws’ established norms and regulations and the established procedures. The problem is that choosing one course of action from a range of options is frequently done based on personal preference, political or other affiliations, or even self-aggrandizement. Corruption: Corruption in public office refers to the misuse of public power for personal or financial gain. This can take many forms, including bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and nepotism. Corruption in public office can have serious consequences for individuals, organizations, and societies. It can undermine trust in government, hinder economic development, and lead to social and political instability. It can also disproportionately impact marginalized or disadvantaged groups, as they may be less able to access the resources or opportunities that are being corruptly distributed. Administrative secrecy: Administrative secrecy, also known as official secrecy or state secrecy refers to the practice of keeping certain information or activities secret within government institutions. However, administrative secrecy can also be a concern in government institutions, as it can be used to conceal wrongdoing or abuse of power or to limit transparency and accountability. It can also restrict access to information that is in the public interest, such as information about environmental impacts, public health, or government decision-making. Nepotism: Nepotism in government institutions refers to the practice of favouritism or preferential treatment based on personal relationships, rather than merit. This can occur when a public official hires, promotes or favours someone based on their personal relationship with that individual, rather than considering the qualifications or suitability of other candidates. Information leaks: In public institutions, information leaks can be a concern because they can compromise the confidentiality and security of sensitive information, such as national security secrets, confidential government documents, or personal data. Information leaks can also undermine trust in the government and can lead to political or social instability. 8.4    Principles used in resolving ethical dilemmas It is important to have a look at the ethical principles that should be followed in Public Office, as they will act as guiding forces in resolving the dilemmas in public office •    Legality: Legality refers to whether an action is permitted or prohibited by law. Public officials have a duty to follow the law and to ensure that their actions are legal. •    Rationality: The concept of rationality pertains to the capacity to think logically and arrive at sound conclusions grounded in factual information and evidence. •    Utilitarianism: While making policies and decisions, an administrator should ensure the greatest good (happiness, benefits) of the greatest number. •    Accountability: Accountability is the answerability of the public official for his actions. •    Work Commitment: Public officials should work with full commitment to achieve the goals set by the constitution, laws and government. •    Responsiveness: Respond effectively to demands & challenges from outside and within the organization. •    Respect for autonomy: This principle involves respecting the autonomy and decisionmaking capacity of individuals and giving them the freedom to make choices about their own lives. •    Non-maleficence: This principle involves avoiding actions that could cause harm or suffering to others. •    Beneficence: This principle involves taking positive actions that promote the well-being of others. •    Justice: This principle involves treating all individuals fairly and equitably. •    Respect for persons: This principle involves respecting the dignity and worth of all individuals. •    Fidelity: This principle involves being faithful or loyal to one’s commitments, values, and principles. By considering these principles when resolving ethical dilemmas, individuals and organizations can make decisions that are aligned with their values and that respect the rights and interests of all stakeholders. 8.5    Ethical Concerns with respect to Employees and Employers Some of the examples of ethical concerns with regard to employees: Moonlighting: It is the process of working for multiple organizations. Ethically, an employee shouldn’t work in more than one place simultaneously (in 2022, Wipro, Infosys, etc., removed workers due to moonlighting because such workers may disclose the parent company’s trade secrets or client list to other rival companies.) Taking credit for others’ work: Employees often work in teams to create marketing campaigns, develop new products or fine-tune services, yet rarely does everyone in a group contribute equally to the final product. If all employees accept equal praise even though only a select few did the real work, it is wrong. Team members should insist that all employees perform specific tasks to help complete a project. Harassing co-workers (physically, psychologically or sexually): Employees often don’t know what to do if they see one of their co-workers harassing another employee either mentally, sexually or physically. Employees may worry about their jobs if they attempt to report a superior for harassment. Some of the examples of ethical concerns with regard to employers: Favouritism: Employers shouldn’t favour a particular person with regard to promotions and bonuses. Sexual harassment at the workplace: To resolve such issues proper formation of committees are needed at the workplace. Unnecessary delay in paying the employee’s provident fund and gratuity . Hire and fire culture, i.e. firing the employees on frivolous grounds for budget management or reducing expenses. Gender Neutrality: Some organizations favour men over women due to issues like maternity leaves and other gender-associated prejudices. 8.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Elaborate reasons for unethical behaviour of government officials. b.    Principles used in resolving ethical dilemmas 8.7    Summary Ethics in government have become not only something of great public interest, but also significant area of study in the academic fields of politics and government. There are several unethical conducts in organizations. In dealing with ethical issues, officials are often faced with dilemmas that challenge a simple choice between right and wrong. Assessing the ethical concern of government officials, it can be understood that the challenges posed by ethical dilemma sometimes make a person to be at a lost with no solution in sight. This becomes more pronounced if one is to make a choice between personal values and public values as in the case of public officials involved to provide public services. 8.8    Glossary Favouritism: the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another. Moonlighting: having second job in addition to one’s regular employment. Nepotism: the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. 8.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 8.2            b. See 8.4 8.10    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. 8.11    Terminal Questions 1.    What are the reasons for unethical behavior of government officials? 2.    Elaborate the principles used in resolving ethical dilemmas. CHAPTER 9 Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems Structure 9.0 Learning Objectives 9.1    Introduction 9.2    Public Service Values and Ethics 9.3    Principles of Managing Ethics 9.4    Indian Initiative to strengthen the ethical framework 9.5    Status and Problems in public service ethics and values 9.6    Self-Check Exercise 9.7    Summary 9.8    Glossary 9.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 9.10    Suggested Reading 9.11    Terminal Questions 9.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    public service values and ethics •    indian initiative to strengthen ethical framework •    status and problems in public service ethics and values 9.1    Introduction Public values are defined as those values that provide normative consensus about the rights, benefits and prerogatives to which citizens to be entitled. These are the obligations of citizens to society, the state and one another. Values are the principles upon which government and policies must be based. However, values are not only concerned with resource allocation and decisions on public policy but can also inform other features of organisation life such as human resource policy and interpersonal employee relations. The Public service system such as Civil service, Policing, and other government officials are mainstay of which acts as significant mechanism for governance. Over the period, the role of Public services has transformed depending on the schema of the governance of that particular period. The institution of Public service has reduced service to the overall socio-economic development of the country. For bureaucracies, adherence to high-level public service values can produce substantial public trust and assurance. On the contrary, weak application of values or promotion of incorrect values can lead to reductions in these essential elements of democratic governance, as well as to ethical and decision-making quandaries. Though a core set of public service values is necessary, it is also factual that different values apply to different parts of the public service. Public service organisations operate in environments subject to regular change and replete with competing demands and obligations. Process is as important as outcomes and public trust is predicated on democratic values being represented at all stages in the decision making process. Values, standards and ethics in public life is major concern since earlier time in administrative system. Ethics, whether in an entire society, or in a social sub-system, evolves from ancient time and is influenced, during its nurturance and growth, by a variety of environmental factors. Ethical behaviour and decisions maintaining citizens’ trust, guarantee effective use of resources, and allow government to preserve individual rights while assisting those who will benefit the most. Ethics is one of the prime components that allow democracy to succeed in any country. Ethics in government is critical to realizing the promises of democracy. In egalitarianism, government has an obligation to treat everyone equally and to provide the greatest good to most of citizens. 9.2    Public Service Values and Ethics Ethics and values are frequently conflated, especially when discussing how to combat corruption or poor administration, but this conflation is problematic. Values by themselves lack agency, or the capacity to take action. Instead, the way ethical standards are applied to values will determine a person’s behaviour. For instance, while government officials may hold the concept of honesty, it is their behaviour and actions that put this value into practise. Therefore, ethics are the laws that apply values to daily life. All facets of ethical decisionmaking, ethical judgment, ethical choice, and ethical behaviour are influenced by values. Additionally, it is incorrect to distinguish between “positive” and “negative” values because values cannot be either positive or negative. Value application is something that may be viewed from both negative and positive angles. For instance, the value of confidentiality may be perceived positively (essential for national security) or negatively (Inhibits transparency). The people who depend on the public service may stop having faith in it if its actions are not guided by the right set of values. High-level public service values can greatly increase public confidence and trust. On the other hand, poor application of values or the promotion of unsuitable values can result in a decrease in these fundamental components of democratic administration. Several core values are important in public service and public administration, including: •    Service to the public: Public servants are committed to serving the needs and interests of the public. This involves providing high-quality services that meet the needs of the people and working to improve the lives of citizens. •    Integrity: Public servants must be honest, transparent, and accountable in their actions and decision-making. This means acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness in all aspects of their work. •    Impartiality: Public servants must be impartial and objective in their decision-making, free from personal or political bias. This means treating all citizens equally and impartially, regardless of their characteristics or beliefs. •    Professionalism: Public servants must be competent, skilled, and dedicated to their work. This involves upholding professional standards and being committed to continuous learning and development. •    Respect for diversity: Public servants must respect and value the diversity of the communities they serve. This includes valuing diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other personal characteristics. •    Responsibility: Public servants must be responsible and accountable for their actions and decisions. This means taking ownership of their work and being accountable to the public for their actions. •    Transparency: Public servants must be open and transparent in their actions and decision-making processes. This involves making information about government policies, programs, and decisions available to the public. 9.3    Principles of Managing Ethics The civil service’s professional code of ethics is referred to as administrative ethics. They define the moral character of government employees and set rules for how various civil servant types should act and behave. As a profession in the modern state, the civil service has created a moral code for its members. Civil officials are required to uphold the customs, precedents, and standards that make up the code of ethics. In particular, in light of the expanding significance of administration and its effects on society, public workers are required to uphold high moral standards not only for themselves but also for the community at large. Several ethical principles are important in public service and public administration. These include: •    Fairness: Public servants must be fair and impartial in their decision-making, treating all individuals and groups equally and without bias. •    Confidentiality: Public servants must protect the confidentiality of sensitive information and ensure that it is not disclosed without proper authorization. •    Loyalty: Public servants must be loyal to their organization and the public, and must not act in a way that undermines the trust and confidence of the public. •    Objectivity: Public servants must be objective and unbiased in their decision-making, and must not be influenced by personal interests or biases. •    Conflict of interest: Public servants must avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts to their supervisor or the appropriate authorities. A strong ethics infrastructure is required to manage ethics in public services; merely creating a code of conduct is not sufficient. The OECD lists the following essential components of a strong ethics infrastructure: Political commitment: Politicians should stress the value of ethics, led by example, and provide resources to encourage moral behaviour. An effective legal framework contains rules and regulations that establish and uphold moral norms. Effective tools for accountability: These include administrative processes, audits, agency performance reviews, consultations, and oversight measures. Workable conduct codes should include a values statement, roles, responsibilities, obligations, and constraints. Mechanisms for professional socialization like education and training, Favourable conditions for public employment, such as fair and equitable treatment, adequate compensation, and security. A coordinating organization for ethics and a vibrant civil society with investigative media to function as a watchdog over governmental actions. 9.4    Indian Initiative to strengthen the ethical framework Accountability to Parliament: In India, political executives, who in turn answer to the Parliament, are responsible for holding administrators accountable. Financial accountability exists in addition to administrative accountability. For instance, before the government can spend any money from the Consolidated Fund of India or the state, the legislative must provide its consent. Committee on Ethics of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha: The Rajya Sabha’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business provide for the creation of a Committee on Ethics to monitor Member’s moral and ethical behaviour. This committee also oversees the Lok Sabha. A similar committee exists in the Lok Sabha to oversee the moral and ethical behaviour of its members. Code of Conduct for Public Officials: A code of conduct has been established for civil servants to boost citizen confidence in government by guaranteeing them that personal interests and power do not influence policy stakeholders. 9.5    Status and Problems in public service ethics and values The field of public service ethics and values is susceptible to a variety of issues. Some of these issues consist of: Corruption: Abusing authority or a position for one’s gain is considered one of the biggest issues with public service ethics. Bribery, theft, and nepotism are just a few of the various ways that corruption manifests. It may erode public confidence in the government, result in inappropriate resource allocation, and result in unequal distribution of benefits. Conflicts of interest: It arise when a public servant’s interests or relationships collide with their obligations and responsibilities as such. For instance, if a public employee participates in decision-making regarding a corporation that transacts business with the government and has financial ties to that company, there may be a conflict of interest. Ethical dilemmas: When confronted with opposing moral principles or allegiances, public employees may experience ethical conundrums. For instance, a public servant might struggle with balancing their devotion to their political party or personal convictions with their obligation to serve the public. Lack of transparency: To avoid responsibility or to further their interests, public employees may feel compelled to act secretively or withhold information from the general public. The public’s faith and confidence in the government may be weakened by this lack of transparency. Lack of accountability: If there aren’t enough checks and balances in place to make sure that public employees are held accountable for their activities, they may be held less responsible for them. Power abuses could result from this, compromising the public service’s integrity. Ethical lapses: Lack of awareness or comprehension of ethical principles and values can lead to blunders or unethical behaviour on the part of public employees. Public harm and bad decision-making may result from this prejudices. 9.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Indian Initiatives to strengthen ethical framework. b.    Status and Problems in public service ethics and values 9.7    Summary Public administration is a profession that offers and unusually array of opportunities to make moral or immoral decisions, to make ethical or unethical choices, to do good or evil things to people. Public servants are servants of the public, of government, of their immediate organisations and of the law. Presently, duties of the public servant remain many, complex and often apparently conflicting, but successful public servants recognise their multiple roles and prepare for them. These include maintaining secrecy, acting in the public interest, regulating, providing quality advice, adjudicating, avoiding conflicts of interest, guaranteeing accountability to a range of actors and treating all colleagues equitably. To execute such tasks, public servants employ array of values as a means to guide their behaviour and to assist them in steering a course through multiple requirements. 9.8    Glossary Code of Conduct: a set of rules that members of an organization or people with a particular job or position must follow. OECD: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 9.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 9.4           b. See 9.5 9.10    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Hooja, R. (2008) Corruption, Ethics and accountability essays by an administrator. New Delhi IIPA. 9.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Enlist indian initiatives to strengthen the ethical framework. 2.    Describe the status and problems in public service ethics and values. CHAPTER 10 Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions Structure 10.0 Learning Objectives 10.1    Introduction 10.2    Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions 10.3    Ethical Concerns in Private Sector Institutions 10.4    Ethical Concerns in Public Office 10.5    Dilemmas in Public and Private Institutions 10.6    Self-Check Exercise 10.7    Summary 10.8    Glossary 10.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise 10.10    Suggested Reading 10.11    Terminal Questions 10.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    dilemmas in public and private institutions •    ethical concerns in public office •    ethical concerns in private sector institutions 10.1    Introduction Theoretical studies have demonstrated that an ethical dilemma ascends from a situation that necessitates a choice between conflicting sets of principles. Therefore an ethical dilemma can be defined as a circumstance that requires a choice between competing ideologies in a given, usually undesirable or confusing, situation. Conflicts of interest are perhaps the most apparent example that could place public sector leaders in an ethical dilemma. A dilemma is described as a grim problem apparently incapable of a satisfactory solution or a situation involving choice between equally unsatisfactory alternatives. Policy makers in government bodies are often challenged by conflicting responsibilities. They have definite loyalties to their bosses, but also to society. They have liberty to act on behalf and in the interest of others, but they must be answerable to others, their superiors and society for their actions. The official’s obligation to respect the political process may conflict with his view on how the objects of policy making are treated. It can be understood that the dilemma of the public official is the clash between his opinion of the public interest and the requirements of law. An ethical dilemma is visualized as intricate matter for the executives of both public and private companies and demanding than a problem of what it appears to be. These dilemmas cannot be solved based on its initial status of presentation. The decision maker faces a several challenging situation in which he faces mutually exclusive alternatives that choosing one option means opposing the other that is equally significant. 10.2    Ethical Concerns and Dilemma in Government and Private Institutions Ethical dilemmas refer to situations in which individuals or organizations face conflicting moral obligations or values, and must choose which course of action to take. Ethical dilemmas can arise in both public and private institutions. Some common ethical dilemmas include: Conflicts of interest: This occurs when an individual’s interests or relationships conflict with their duties or responsibilities within the organization. For example, a public official may face an ethical dilemma if they are asked to make a decision that could benefit a family member or close friend. Transparency vs. confidentiality: Public and private institutions may be faced with ethical dilemmas when deciding whether to disclose sensitive information or to keep it confidential. For example, a private company may face an ethical dilemma when deciding whether to disclose information about a product defect that could potentially harm consumers. Individual vs. collective interests: Ethical dilemmas may arise when an individual or organization must choose between acting in their interests or the interests of a larger group. For example, a private company may face an ethical dilemma when deciding whether to pursue a business opportunity that could benefit the company but could potentially harm the environment or the community. Rights and responsibilities: Ethical dilemmas may arise when an individual or organization must choose between conflicting rights or responsibilities. For example, a public official may face an ethical dilemma when deciding whether to prioritize the right to privacy of an individual, or the responsibility to protect public safety. 10.3    Ethical Concerns in Private Sector Institutions In private companies, moral principles like ethics regimes, ethics reforms, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, and ethics rules were not initially developed. With the process of globalization, many states have lost some level of control over their compliance with ethics standards, and, often, the ability to assess and even sanction violations of labour codes and environmental standards. Globalization, however, has created new opportunities for companies, which now can shift their production to parts of the world where the cost of labour is cheaper to increase revenue. Private companies are also facing new restrictions. As people have become more knowledgeable, customer concern has become gradually focused on the ethical, environmental, and labour standards of companies that become global by writing and calling companies to complain about human rights defilements, demonstrating against the companies, supporting company anti-sweatshop organizations, filing shareholder resolutions, and in some cases, boycotting products and companies that are allegedly not respecting basic ethical. These ethical violations involve but are not restricted to issues concerning child labour, employee harassment and abuse, and solutions consisting of non-discrimination laws, freedom of association, collective bargaining agreements, health and safety standards, and adequate wages and hours of work. Growing moral concern of customers has rapidly and completely redesigned the business environment in which companies operate. Reputation has now become more important which not only commands the economic victory of a company, but its existence. It is well recognized that companies in last decades have made mindful efforts to protect their reputation and assure their customers of their adherence to a certain level of moral principles. Private sector ethics standards are shaped to respond to that consumer requirement. In order to make it effective, the private sector develops a list of obligations to adhere to human rights standards, and the beginning of what would become the Corporate Responsibility or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement. Corporate social responsibility is the commitment of businesses to behave morally and to contribute to sustainable economic development by working with all relevant stakeholders to enhance their lives in ways that are favourable for business, the sustainable development agenda, and society as a whole. In private institutions, ethics refers to the moral standards that ought to guide business decisions. Some common ethical concerns in private institutions include: Ethical concerns with respect to employees Working at several companies: An employee is not permitted to work in more than one location at once. Failure to uphold the company’s privacy policy: Don’t divulge company information to rival businesses. Inflammatory communications: In the workplace, offensive language is not permitted. Incorrect use of equipment for personal purposes. Making use of the travel incentive. Taking more than the permitted amount of leaves. Ethical concerns with respect to employers Favouritism: An employer shouldn’t give a specific employee preferential treatment when it comes to promotions and bonuses. Sexual assault. Letting a worker go without giving them any notice. Payment of the employee’s gratuity and provident fund is delayed needlessly. Taking Credit for Other’s Work: Employees frequently collaborate in teams to produce new goods, improve services, and come up with marketing initiatives, but this rarely results in equal contributions from all members of the group. It is improper for all employees to receive equal recognition when only a small number completed the necessary work. To aid in the completion of a project, team members should ensure that all employees execute certain tasks. Harassing Behaviour: Employees frequently are unsure about what to do if they witness another employee being sexually, emotionally, or physically harassed by a co-worker. If an employee attempts to report a superior for harassment, they can be concerned for their jobs. The staff members who write the employee handbook for the business are most suited to find a solution to this moral conundrum. It is their responsibility to include precise wording that makes it clear that an employee won’t be disciplined for reporting co-workers’ inappropriate behaviour or harassing behaviour. Transparency and disclosure: Transparency and disclosure are important ethical concerns in private institutions because they help to build trust and confidence in the organization and its actions. They also help to ensure that stakeholders have the information they need to make informed decisions about their relationship with the organization. Quality of products and services: Providing quality that falls short of what the organization promises is always viewed by society as immoral. 10.4    Ethical Concerns in Public Office Administrative Discretion: Within the rules and regulations laid down by legislation and within the prescribed procedures, there is ample opportunity for the public official to use his discretion. The problem is that selecting one path of action from among several alternatives is often made based on personal preference, political or other affiliations, or even personal aggrandizement. Corruption: According to World Bank, Corruption is the use of public authority for private gain. Corruption can take many forms, including bribery, red-tapism, embezzlement, nepotism, and favouritism. Corruption can lead to the violation of public trust, distorts the allocation of public resources and undermines national growth. Administrative Secrecy: Administrative Secrecy involves withholding information from the public to protect national security or the privacy rights of individuals. Although Administrative Secrecy can be necessary in certain situations, it can provide an opportunity to cover up unethical conduct and promote corruption. Nepotism: Nepotism is the practice of showing favouritism towards one’s relatives and friends, thereby ignoring the merit principle and equal opportunity. Information Leaks: Leaking official information at a date prior to the public announcement. Such disclosure of the information can lead to chaos, corrupt practices or improper monetary gains. The leakage of confidential data can jeopardize national security or harm individuals and organizations. Such leaks can undermine public trust in government institutions as government acts as the custodian of data in a fiduciary capacity. Other Concerns: Abuse of sick leave privileges, Extended tea breaks, Violation of office rules in general. 10.5    Dilemmas in Public and Private Institutions Ethical dilemmas are common in business and public institutions as many issues need to be dealt with daily, issues that can be complicated to solve. These dilemmas give rise to the question of whether ethics plays an important role in decision-making or not. Ethical dilemmas in public institutions often stem from resources or access to other resources. Whether it is a student taking another student’s seat at the university library, or a family without adequate space living next to an empty lot that is zoned for more housing units, ethical dilemmas can often be resolved by restructuring how resources are allocated. Ethics can also come into play when the property is publicly owned but privately used- for example, when a business leases public land. Public institutions have a responsibility to provide their services to anyone willing to pay for them. This means that anyone, regardless of status or social position, can receive treatment from these public establishments. The downside is that as a result of serving everyone, many are unable to provide quality service due to a lack of sufficient time and resources. To combat this issue, some public institutions have shifted focus away from meeting basic standards of care or regulation to serving more clients per day. One dilemma is that government agencies may use confidential information, like social security numbers or names of people suspected of a crime, as part of their duties. There are privacy rights that prohibit government agencies from releasing this information without the express permission of the person to whom it belongs. It can be a dilemma for agency workers whether they should protect their privacy rights or obey their employer’s orders by disclosing confidential information to someone else. Private institutions, on one hand, may be seen as more flexible because they do not answer to any governmental organization. On the other hand, because private institutions lack oversight, they are not required to comply with certain regulations designed to protect people. They also have less accountability for their actions because they cannot go bankrupt as public institutions can. Furthermore, it is harder for groups of people to get together and start a private institution than it is for a group of individuals or a government agency to create a public institution. 10.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Ethical Concerns in Private Sector Institutions b.    Dilemmas in Public and Private Institutions 10.7    Summary Ethical dilemmas are situations in which there is a choice to be made between two options, neither of which resolves the situation in morally satisfactory manner. In such circumstances, social and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome for the selector. In contemporary period, ethics in government have become not only something of great public interest, but also significant area of study in the academic fields of politics and government. There are several unethical conducts in organizations. In dealing with ethical issues, officials are often faced with dilemmas that challenge a simple choice between right and wrong. An ethical dilemma is more complex and demanding than a problem of what it appears to be. These dilemmas cannot be solved based on its initial status of presentation. The decision maker faces a difficult situation in which he faces mutually exclusive alternatives that choosing one option means negating the other is equally important. However, a dilemma is also dealt appropriately by altering and reformulating all the options in a systematic and coherent manner. 10.8    Glossary Accountability: it describes accepting responsibility, and it can be personal or public. Corruption: it is dishonest behaviour by those in positions of power Corporate Social Responsibility: it is a business model by which companies make a concerted effort to operate in ways that enhance rather than degrade society and the environment. 10.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 10.3          b. See 10.5 10.10    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Lillie, William (1948) Introduction to Ethics. Methuen: London. Sheeran, P. J. (2006) Ethics in Public Administration – A Philosophical approach. Jaipur: Rawat. 10.11    Terminal Questions 1.    What are ethical concerns in private sector institutions? 2.    Describe ethical concerns in public offices. CHAPTER 11 Law, Rule, Regulations and Conscience as Sources of ethical guidance Structure | 11.0 | Learning Objectives | |---|---| | 11.1 | Introduction | | 11.2 | What are Laws? | | 11.3 | What are Rules? | | 11.4 | What are Regulations? | | 11.5 | What is Conscience? | | 11.6 | Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as source of ethical guidance | | 11.7 | Self-Check Exercise | | 11.8 | Summary | | 11.9 | Glossary | | 11.10 | Answer to Self-Check Exercise | | 11.11 | Suggested Reading | | 11.12 | Terminal Questions | 1 1.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    about laws, rules, regulations •    source of ethical guidance •    concept of conscience 11.1    Introduction Ethical guidance in society is derived from a combination of laws, rules, regulations, and individual consciousness. These elements work together to establish a framework for ethical behaviour, providing a foundation for individuals, organizations, and communities to navigate complex moral situations. Laws, rules, and regulations, and conscience, are significant sources that direct people's ethical behaviour, according to moral philosophers. Politics and jurisprudence have different interpretations of the first three concepts, while ethics has a different interpretation There are two sources that help people make moral decisions from a deontological standpoint. The first is external to the actor and consists of laws, rules, and regulations; the second is internal to the actor and consists of the actor's inner conscience. These two sources impose an ethical obligation on moral beings, requiring them to do well and avoid evil. They provide a theoretical framework for ethical guidance when taken together. 11.2    What are Laws? Laws are only rules in a legal form. For lack of a better term, the definition of law is a rule that has been legally made to apply to every member of society. A law is a sentence that has been enacted by a legislature in a democratic system. A law can be considered to be much more formal than a regulation. A higher level of government, typically the police and prosecutor’s office, sets the laws. Laws are codified in a certain manner so that they can be applied as necessary. Voting is one of the stages that laws must go through before becoming enacted. Governments make and enforce laws based on society’s values to regulate our interactions with one another. Governments enact laws to safeguard the people who live within their borders. The three primary governmental entities tasked with making laws are the legislature, the judiciary, and public authorities. The concept of law as applied to ethics differs from that of law as applied to other subjects such as physics. Law has a moral connotation in ethics. Law, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, is defined as “An ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the community's caretaker”. As a result, law establishes a course of action that must be followed. The legislator, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, must act reasonably when devising a course of action. The legislator's orders must be good, feasible, and equitable. Characteristics of Law •    Common Good: Law must result in the common good of society. E.g., outlawing murder & thuggery. There is the common good of society if we punish this by law. Hence, this law results in the common good of society. •    Compliance: Law should be implementable. E.g., Although there is a common good in outlawing lies, it can’t be implemented. Hence, no such law is made. •    Create minimum Morality: Law creates minimum morality in public life. Hence, we can say that law represents the minimum morality/ethics that society wants in its members. A citizen can have more than that in himself, but lower than that will land him in jail. It is desirable and practicable that we make laws for minimum morality only because if laws cover every aspect of our behaviour, they will become so cumbersome that they can’t be implemented. Ethics usually guide the laws, as the law is the minimum ethical conduct the state wants each person to uphold. Sometimes the law can be more progressive than ethics, and in that case, the law guides ethics. E.g., the Sati Abolition law when William Bentinck enacted it. In that case, the law guided ethics and made society more progressive. 11.3    What are Rules? Similar to conventions, rules are norms of conduct that are created for certain situations. They are essential since there is typically a consequence associated with them. Both businesses and individuals create rules. Rules are more lenient and have fewer repercussions. Rules are strategies that are offered to maintain an organization’s efficient operation as well as peace and harmony among its members. Rules are individualized, and they are frequently adjusted as the circumstances in the home change. People can learn how to get ready for society by following the rules. Fundamentally, rules are judicial legal conclusions, much like the decisions a judge makes in a case. It is the rule of law or rules of law established in a legal dispute. Rules are a less formal set of guidelines that, depending on who is enforcing them, may have few or no repercussions. The person who makes the rules also applies them. The key distinction between laws and rules is the penalties for breaching them. The law is more potent than a rule, even though both are intended to promote a sense of order, fair play, and safety. Laws resemble the formalized version of rules. Laws are codified in certain ways to allow for flexible interpretation. Rules can be bent. To be effective, laws must be passed after following the correct procedures. Rules are only established and changed as necessary. Society must establish specific rules and laws that aid in regulating its efficient operation. Everyone will be treated equally thanks to the laws and regulations that have been put in place. No matter their social standing or position, all people are required to abide by a set of regulations, and if they do breach any of those norms, they must face the repercussions. The laws and regulations kept society working smoothly and effectively. 11.4    What are Regulations? A regulation is a set of legal requirements intended to reshape behaviour that results from flaws. A regulation can be used to encourage or forbid behaviour, to create uniform incentives, or to alter preferences. A written document with rules with laws on it and a procedure for monitoring and enforcing laws are the two components that make up regulations. The goal of regulation is to solve a situation by establishing it or changing it according to a set of laws or ideas. A regulation is a legal standard that has intention to shape conduct that is a by-product of imperfection. A regulation may be used to recommend or ban conduct, to standardise incentives or to change preferences. Regulations comprises of two factors that include a process of monitoring and enforcing legislations and a written instrument containing rules that have law on them. The art of regulating is to fix, establish or to adjust by rule, method or established mode, subject to governing Laws or ideologies. Regulations are made by the executive branch usually through the various departments such as departments of state, agriculture, treasury, etc. Regulations are similar to rules in that they provide more specificity to a particular law passed by a legislative body. Regulation creates, limits, constrains a right, creates or limits a duty, or allocates a responsibility. Regulation are of various types such as legal restrictions promulgated by a government authority, contractual obligations that bind many parties .Regulations are generally set by the executive for smooth functioning of the laws. Laws usually provide framework for addressing a subject. Regulations are intended for providing a detailed and intricate framework for making the laws work. 11.5    What is conscience? Conscience is a capacity, intuition or decision that helps to distinguish right from wrong. In psychological terms, conscience is defined as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits actions that go against his moral values and feelings of pleasure and well-being when our actions, thoughts and words are in conformity to value systems of people. Conscience is a quality, instinct, or choice that aids in separating right from wrong. When a person acts in a way that violates their moral principles, the conscience causes feelings of regret. Conversely, when our actions, thoughts, and words are in line with other people’s value systems, the conscience causes feelings of pleasure and well-being. The “voice inside” and the “inner light” are two frequent metaphors for conscience. It denotes both awareness of one’s conduct and a person’s moral sense of right and evil. Conscience is frequently used in connection with phrases like “gut feeling” and “guilt.” In this view, conscience is something that can be impacted by the indoctrination of one’s family, socioeconomic status, religion, or culture rather than something that is fundamentally the result of a reasonable inference. Throughout much of the history of philosophy, there has been debate about the extent to which conscience influences moral judgment before an action and whether such moral judgments should or should not be rooted in reason. Conscience can act as a source of ethical guidance for bureaucrats, politicians, and citizens in a democratic system. The innate intuitive ability to distinguish between right and wrong is known as conscience. The “Inner Voice” is crucial, especially in democracies when there are many participants, including citizens, NGOs, and corporations, who are all managed by politicians who are chosen by them alone. However, everyone has a conscience that helps them make crucial decisions on a personal basis. As a result, it can be a powerful tool for preventing individual self-centred thinking. Psychological studies have revealed that a conscience aims to make moral decisions in ‘overwhelming forces of inescapable situations’ despite the risk of adverse consequences. If conscience goes, then everything collapses, conscience is central to our identity and it is as component in the moral decisions making process, however, failure to acknowledge and accept that conscientious judgements can be seriously mistaken on account of their relativistic nature, may only promote situations where one`s conscience is manipulated by others to provide unwarranted justifications for non-virtuous and self-centred acts. Without adequate constraint of external, altruistic, normative justification, conscience may be considered morally blind and dangerous both to the individual concerned and humanity as a whole. 11.6    Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as source of ethical guidance Laws as a source of ethical guidance: Before being put into effect and enforced by the police and the military, laws must first be accepted and formulated by the branches of government with assistance from the legal system, which is made up of lawyers and other government employees. However, the way laws are passed differs depending on the government. In a dictatorship, the ruler has the authority to enact any law. The many branches of the government must vote on the legislation before it can become law in an egalitarian society. Everyone must abide by the law, including private individuals, groups, and businesses as well as well-known individuals, organizations, and institutions. Laws set out standards, procedures, and principles that must be followed. A law is enforceable by the judicial system, i.e. those responsible for breaking them can be prosecuted in court. There are various types of laws framed like criminal laws, civil laws, and international laws. Breaking a law is a punishable crime and has drastic consequences such as hefty fines, jail time, and community service time. Laws must also be equitable in how they distribute responsibilities and benefits. The purpose of the law is to protect the general welfare, not private gain. A law must be announced to the general public or published before anyone can be expected to abide by it. If the lawmaker does not publish or publicize a law, citizens will not be aware that it exists; therefore the legislator cannot expect obedience. Rules are made by firms and individuals. Rules are codes of conduct that are designed for specific situations, similar to customs but have immense importance because there is usually a punishment related with them. Rules are more flexible and have fewer consequences. Rules are strategies that are provided to maintain smooth functioning of an organization and to maintain peace and harmony among its people. Rules are personal in nature, and they are often attuned as the conditions of the home change. Rules assist people learn to prepare for living in society. Fundamentally, Rules are judicial legal findings as in a judge's ruling on a case. It is the legal principle or principles established in a legal dispute. Rules are a less formal set of guidelines which has little or no consequences depending on the person that is imposing them. Rules are also applied by the person that is making the rule. Regulations are both a technique of monitoring and enforcing laws and a written instrument that aids in law enforcement. Typically, the administration develops regulations to guarantee that the laws are followed. In most circumstances, the law provides a basic structure for dealing with a particular issue. Regulations are meant to offer a precise and sophisticated structure for putting the legislation into action. They frequently aid in the elucidation of legislation, but not always efficiently. A regulation is a legal standard with the goal of shaping imperfection-related behaviour. The executive branch normally makes regulations through several departments, including the departments of state, agriculture, treasury, etc. Rules and regulations are comparable in that regulations add more detail to a specific law that has been established by a legislative body. The regulation establishes or restricts a right, establishes or restricts an obligation, or assigns a responsibility. There are many different kinds of regulation, including governmental authority-issued legal limits and multiparty contracts. The executive typically establishes regulations to ensure that laws are followed to the letter. Typically, laws offer a framework for tackling a topic. The purpose of regulations is to provide a complex and thorough framework for implementing the laws. Conscience has the ability to make a practical choice regarding the morality of a past or future action. It is something that, rather than being the outcome of a rational deduction, can be influenced by one's upbringing, social class, religion, or culture. Because it applies the law or norm to specific behaviours, conscience is broader than law. Conscience is the intrinsic intuitive capacity to discriminate between right and wrong. “Inner Voice” is important especially in democracy as it has various participants such as citizens, NGOs, corporates to be administered by the politicians who are elected by them only. But at individual level, every person has conscience which assists them to take important decision. Thus it can act as strong tool to evade away the individual self-centred thinking. Political Level: Conscience can help to lesson corruption, nepotism and profit seeking behaviour. Thus provoke them to act in benevolence of society at large and uphold the constitution principles. At each and every decision they should keep in mind that they were elected to serve the citizens and not to serve their own needs and greed. Bureaucratic Level: The crisis of conscience is important whether to just mere follow the orders from superior’s v/s to follow the right path of judgement. The intrinsic voice of serving the nation maintaining highest standards of honesty and probity is important as they are link between citizens and political figures. Citizen Level: Collective and individual conscience of inhabitants is very important because it describes the existing society conditions such as keeping surrounding clean, actively contributing in elections, dissent to undemocratic principles. Therefore adhering to it will also control mass prejudice such as riots and lynching of offenders. Secular perspectives of the conscience advocate the statement that the conscience is not a reliable guide to ethical decision making as it determines that there is subjectivity within moral values due to individual experiences and nurture. Ethical decision-making help people to make the correct decisions when it comes to moral judgement. However, the secular approaches do not provide a precise method of understanding what the right path is. Conscience is central to our identity and a component in the moral decision-making process; however, failing to acknowledge and accept that conscientious judgments can be seriously erroneous due to their relativistic nature may only promote situations in which one's conscience is manipulated by others to provide unjustified justifications for non-virtuous and selfish acts. Conscience may be considered as ethically blind and possibly dangerous to both the person and humanity as a whole in the absence of adequate external, altruistic, normative justification. 11.7    Self-Check Exercise a.    What is Law, Rule and Regulations b.    Define Conscience 11.8    Summary Ethical guidance is a multi-dimensional construct, drawing from laws, rules, regulations, and individual consciousness. The integration of these sources provides a comprehensive framework for ethical behaviour in various contexts, fostering a sense of responsibility, accountability, and shared values within society. Laws, rules, regulations and conscience frequently serve as a frame of reference for making decisions and might not be suitable for direct application to a particular circumstance. Public servants must be able to make moral judgements as well as follow the rules. Morality also depends on the action's object, circumstances, and goal. Rules cannot be mechanically applied by public servants. They must recognize circumstances that have moral ramifications and consider all available options. 11.9    Glossary Conscience: a person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour Morality: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour. NGO: Non Government Organisation 11.10    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 11.2, 11.3, 11.4               b. See 11.5 11.11    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. 11.12    Terminal Questions 1.    Define Law, Rule, Regulations and Conscience. 2.    How laws, rules, regulations and conscience are considered as sources of ethical guidance? Elaborate. CHAPTER 12 Accountability and Ethical Governance Structure 12.0        Learning Objectives 12.1          Introduction 12.2        What is Accountability? 12.3        Types of Accountability 12.4       Ethical Governance 12.5        Ethical Issues in Indian Governance 12.6        Self-Check Exercise 12.7       Summary 12.8        Glossary 12.9       Answer to Self-Check Exercise 12.10      Suggested Reading 12.11       Terminal Questions 1 2.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    About accountability and its types •    regarding ethical governance •    Issues in Indian governance 12.1    Introduction Ethics and accountability are important elements for modern government as in majority of the nations there is a severe crisis of legitimacy. Progressively, it has been realized that performance management alone will not resolve this crisis period. Inhabitants also expect from politicians and public servants ethical responsible behaviour. Devolution and decentralisation processes have enhanced the responsibility of public officers. The increase of transparency and openness and the service orientation of public organisations have challenged the traditional values of discretion and equality before the rule. The increasing interaction between the public and the private sector has raised the demand of integrity. With these developments, it is vital to appraise the ethical system, or reversibly, the traditional values of the public service can question some actual evolutions in government. As a facet of governance, it has been central to debates related to problems in the public sector, non-profit and private (corporate) and individual contexts. Broadly speaking, accountability exists when there is a relationship where an individual or body, and the performance of tasks or functions by that individual or body, are subject to another’s oversight, direction or request that they provide information or justification for their actions. In the arena of ethics, accountability is answerability, enforcement, blameworthiness, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. Answerability is elucidated as the obligation of the government, its agencies and public officials to provide information about their decisions and actions and to justify them to the public and those institutions of accountability tasked with providing oversight. Enforcement proposes that the public or the institution responsible for accountability can sanction the offending party or remedy the breaching behaviour. It can be contended that accountability is the fundamental requirement for preventing the abuse of power and for ensuring that power is directed towards the achievement of efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and transparency. Open, transparent and accountable government is an imperative prerequisite for community-oriented public service delivery because without it covert unethical behaviour will result. 12.2    What is Accountability? Accountability is a fundamental principle in ethics, governance, and personal conduct, referring to the obligation of individuals, organizations, or governments to take responsibility for their actions, decisions, and policies. It involves being answerable to stakeholders for fulfilling duties, achieving objectives, and adhering to ethical and legal standards. Accountability ensures transparency, promotes trust, and enhances the effectiveness and integrity of actions and decisions. Accountability refers to the process as well as norms that make decision makers answerable to ones for whom decisions are taken i.e., the decision maker and the beneficiary. The recent emphasis on revolutionised democracy seeking increased accountability from the government has brought into focus its need and importance in Governance and government functioning. Accountability mechanisms-in functioning of the State has been engaging attention of the civil society, academicians and lawmakers in general and international financial institutions and donors in particular. In this context, accountability institutions assume importance and form the core of any good governance mechanism helping in bridging the gap between the stakeholders and the decision makers. Need for Accountability Promotes Transparency: Accountability requires actions and decisions to be open and transparent, allowing stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness and honesty of those in positions of responsibility. For example, in India, the Right to Information Act, 2005, has been a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in government operations, enabling citizens to seek information about government activities. Builds Trust: When officials and institutions are accountable, it builds public trust. For instance, the successful implementation of the Aadhaar project, which involves collecting biometric and demographic data of residents, required a high level of trust from the public, which was largely achieved through stringent accountability and privacy measures. Ensures Responsibility: Accountability ensures that individuals and organizations are responsible for their actions. In the corporate sector, the Companies Act, 2013, introduced several provisions to enhance accountability, including the requirement for corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, which obligate companies to take responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of their operations. Improves Decision Making: Accountability mechanisms such as audits, performance evaluations, and feedback loops help in improving decision-making processes. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India plays a crucial role in auditing government expenditures, ensuring that funds are used efficiently and for the intended purposes. Protects Rights: Accountability is crucial for the protection of rights and the prevention of abuse of power. The establishment of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India is an example of an accountability mechanism designed to protect human rights and investigate violations. Enhances Performance: Accountability standards and measures can lead to better performance by setting clear expectations, monitoring progress, and addressing issues proactively. The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India, for example, required a high level of accountability from various stakeholders, including the government, businesses, and consumers, to ensure its successful rollout and operation. Fosters Ethical Conduct: By holding individuals and organizations to account for their actions, accountability encourages ethical conduct and deters misconduct. The Prevention of Corruption Act, which has been amended to bring more transparency and accountability in government dealings, serves as a deterrent against corruption in India. Advantages of Accountability in Governance Democratic governance: The accountability to the citizens is a fundamental principle of democratic governance. It is not limited to accountability to seniors in hierarchy only as part of chain of command but also the stakeholders including citizens and civil society. It may stem out of legal requirements or may be determined by the moral and ethical framework of the organization. Answerability: Accountability as an answerability component to justify the action and an enforcement component that is to take action in cases where an act of omission or commission is established. Remedial measures: It provides for remedial measures including punishment in case of deviations from norms. Public confidence: Accountability helps in improving public confidence in government performance. Accountability is important for good governance. Appraising the ongoing effectiveness of public officials or public bodies ensures that they are performing to their full potential, providing value for money in the provision of public services, instilling confidence in the government and being responsive to the community they are meant to be serving. 12.3    Types of Accountability The notion of accountability can be classified according to the type of accountability exercised and/ or the person, group or institution the public official answers to. Horizontal vs. Vertical Accountability: The predominant interpretation is that institutions of accountability, such as parliament and the judiciary, provide horizontal accountability, or the capacity of a network of relatively autonomous powers that can call into question, and eventually punish, improper ways of discharging the responsibilities of a given official. It can be put in another way, that horizontal accountability is the capacity of state institutions to check abuses by other public agencies and branches of government, or the requirement for agencies to report sideways. Whereas, vertical accountability is the means through which residents, mass media and civil society seek to enforce standards of good performance on officials. While parliament is typically considered as a key institution in constructs of horizontal accountability, it is also important in vertical accountability. Citizens and civil society groups can look for the support of elected representatives to redress grievances and intervene in the case of inappropriate or inadequate action by government. Additionally, through the use of public hearings, committee investigations and public petitioning, parliament can provide a vehicle for public voice and a means through which citizens and civic groups can question government and seek parliamentary sanctioning where suitable. Political versus Legal Accountability: Parliament and the judiciary act as horizontal constitutional checks on the power of the executive. The role of these two institutions can be further described in that parliament holds the executive politically accountable, whilst the judiciary holds the executive legally accountable. Parliament is a political institution, while the judiciary can only adjudicate on legal issues. Together, they provide continuing oversight in order to keep the government accountable throughout its term in office. They may also be aided by other institutions, such as supreme audit institutions, anti-corruption commissions, regulatory offices and human rights institutes. These secondary “autonomous institutions of accountability” are typically designed to be independent of the executive; in the case of supreme audit institutions, anti-corruption commissions and regulatory offices they often report to parliament while in the cases of supreme audit institutions and human rights institutes, they may be part of the judiciary. Social Accountability: Social accountability is an approach towards building accountability that relies on public engagement, namely a situation whereby ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations partake directly or indirectly in exacting accountability. Such accountability is termed as society driven horizontal accountability. The term social accountability is a misnomer since it is not meant to refer to a specific type of accountability, but rather to a particular approach (or set of mechanisms) for exacting accountability. Mechanisms of social accountability can be originated and supported by the state, citizens or both, but very often they are demand driven and operate from the bottom-up. Financial accountability is rather critical for the overall functioning of the government. The budget is passed by the Parliament allocating specific sums of money to different ministries and departments to implement the schemes and projects. The Executive has full authority and freedom to formulate, design and implement the schemes and projects for development and welfare of the citizens of the country. 12.4    Ethical Governance Ethical governance is a way of governing which infuses high standards of moral values and behaviour in the governance process. For example, a bureaucrat is bound to serve the people that come to his office, but he couldn’t be penalized if he doesn’t make provisions for a glass of water to an elderly couple who might be tired after waiting too long in the queue. Those will be the ethics of public service and altruism that will make him do that. Similarly, an official should allow disbursal of Public Distribution System (PDS) ration to beneficiaries particularly for women and senior citizens, even if there is a failure of Aadhaar identification due to mismatch of biometric data. It is important to understand that denial of such services may cost a person his life. Hence, compassion and human dignity forms the basis of ethical governance. Ethical governance is the much-needed approach for establishing trust and mutual cooperation between citizens and public servants. Ethical governance means governance based on a certain value premise, which is also “good”. For example, probity, integrity, compassion, empathy, responsibility, social justice etc. without which ethical issues can’t be upheld. Probity would ensure that the sole purpose of administration is public interest, thereby devoid of any wrongdoing. Responsibility, not merely accountability, ensures the inculcation of internal accountability for every act of omission or commission in the form of judgement based on one’s conscience. If this is attained then there would be no question of corruption. In order for a nation to compete globally, eliminating corruption is not just a moral imperative, but also an economic necessity. Rule of law should be one of the most important elements of ethical governance in order to eliminate corruption and reduce bureaucratic delays. Rule of law checks arbitrariness in governance, thereby reducing chances of misusing discretion. 12.5    Ethical Issues in Indian Governance A Violation of Authority or Rank Position: Officials make actions that are out of their position, responsibilities and rights that, finally, cause damage to the interests of the state or certain citizens. Negligence: A public official either does not perform his professional responsibilities or performs them in a delinquent manner, causing damage to the state or community. Bribery: Corruption and bribery have become acceptable parts of society, lubricating the wheels of commerce. Complacency: There is a core of exceptionally hardworking, dedicated and conscientious officers, but they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the complacent, who are obsessed with status, rank, and emoluments and addicted to habits of personal luxury. Patronization: The post-retirement assignment of senior officers to Regulatory bodies and other important posts is largely done on patronage with no set guidelines. Administrative Secrecy: The purpose of administrative secrecy is to serve the public interest while maintaining private interests. Therefore, transparency is one of the most important virtues of ethical governance Nepotism: Neglecting the merit principle by appointing relatives or friends to public positions may degrade the quality of public services. 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. 12.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Accountability and its types b.    Ethical issues in Indian governance 12.7    Summary In administration, civil servants have a special responsibility because they are trusted with managing resources on behalf of the community, delivering services to the community and taking decisions that affect a citizen’s life. The civil servants have a pivotal role to ensure continuity and change in administration. However, they are dictated by the rules and procedures which are formulated taking their advice into account. It is the ‘rule of law’ rather than the ‘rule of man’ that is often blamed for widespread abuse of power and corruption among government officials. The community, therefore, must be able to trust the integrity of the civil service decision-making process. Civil executives are expected to uphold high standards of professionalism, responsiveness and impartiality. Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. Accountability is intended to make public officials answerable for their behaviour and responsive to the entity from which they derive their authority. Accountability also indicates establishing criteria to measure the performance of public officials, as well as oversight mechanisms to ensure that standards are met. In Its wideranging recommendations, second administrative reforms commission has suggested partial state funding of elections; tightening of anti-defection law and code of ethics for ministers, legislatures, judiciary and civil servants. 12.8    Glossary CAG: Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the apex authority responsible for external and internal audits of the expenses of the National and state governments. NHRC: The National Human Rights Commission or NHRC is a standalone entity of the Government of India with the mission of promoting and protecting human rights. It is a statutory body mentioned in the Constitution of India that was established in 1993 under the ‘Protection of Human Rights Act.’ This act was further amended in 2006. Probity: term used to describe the existence of strong ethical and moral norms inside the governance process. Honesty, accountability, integrity, compassion, and other positive traits make for excellent governance. 12.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 12.2, 12.3             b. See 12.5 12.10    Suggested Readings Ghere, R.K. & Frederickson, H. G. (Eds.) (2007) ethics in Public Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning. Hooja, R. (2008) Corruption, Ethics and accountability essays by an administrator. New Delhi IIPA. 12.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Explain the concept of accountability and its types. 2.    What is ethical governance and issues faced in Indian governance? CHAPTER 13 Probity in Governance: Concept of Public Service, Philosophical Basis of governance and Probity Structure | 13.0 | Learning Objectives | |---|---| | 13.1 | Introduction | | 13.2 | What is Probity? | | 13.3 | Historical Perspective of Probity | | 13.4 | Principles of Probity | | 13.5 | Philosophical basis of Governance and Probity | | 13.6 | Self-Check Exercise | | 13.7 | Summary | | 13.8 | Glossary | | 13.9 | Answer to Self-Check Exercise | | 13.10 | Suggested Reading | | 13.11 | Terminal Questions | 13.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    About probity and its historical concepts •    Principles of probity •    Philosophical basis of governance 13.1    Introduction The term public service carries different meanings. The first meaning of ‘public service’ is the sense of a public utility, i.e., it refers to the kind of services governments commonly provide electricity, healthcare, maintenance of law and order, urban and rural infrastructure, etc., where the prime criteria of success are availability, affordability and accessibility of services. In this connection, the delivery of public service means the goods and services offered by government institutions to the public, and it includes the interface between the citizen and administration. A public service is a service which is provided by government to people. Services are provided or supported by a government or its agencies. Public service is done to help people rather than to make a profit. A public service may sometimes have the characteristics of a public good which means being non-rival and non-excludable for consumption of citizens. Social activities that take place in public are referred to as public service. One must acknowledge the necessity of principles in public service while considering the fundamental tenets of public life. An ethical code serves as a guide to help public officials uphold the highest standards in their conduct. Public service encompasses all parts of daily life that the government delivers, such as health care, education, infrastructure, and law and order. 13.2    What is Probity? Probity originates from the latin word ‘probitas’, meaning good. Probity is confirmed integrity. It is usually regarded as being incorruptible. It is the quality of having strong moral principles and strictly following them, such as honesty, uprightness, transparency and incorruptibility. Probity in Governance is concerned with the propriety and character of various organs of the government as to whether these uphold the procedural uprightness, regardless of the individuals manning these institutions. It involves adopting an ethical and transparent approach, allowing the process to withstand scrutiny. Probity goes further than the avoidance of being dishonest because it is determined by intangibles like personal and societal values. Probity is defined as a complete and confirmed integrity having strong moral principles. It is strict adherence to a code of ethics based on undeviating honesty. Never resorting to illicit practices or cheating during an exam can be good examples of probity. Probity reflects the maximalist method of living, in which one upholds the greatest goals and beliefs, as opposed to merely refraining from engaging in unethical or corrupt actions in one’s personal and professional life. In a democracy, probity espouses the principles of equality before law and a respect for the rights and duties of leaders towards their citizens. Conversely, probity is a societal expectation which citizens demand from decision makers and all those who function as a part of the state’s apparatus. It is a shared belief that the adoption of standards like “accountability”, “transparency” and “responsiveness” will lead to clean and efficient governance. However, standards do not, by themselves, ensure ethical behaviour: which requires a robust culture of integrity and probity in public life. The crux of ethical behaviour does not lie only in standards, but in their adoption in action and in issuing sanctions against their violation. The need for probity in governance can be understood as follows: •    Legitimacy of the system: Foremost, it helps build up the legitimacy of the system, i.e. the state. It builds trusts in the institutions of the state and a belief that the actions of the state will be for welfare of the beneficiaries. •    Trust building through ethical outcomes: It leads to prudent and ethical outcomes and building of trust over time. •    Objectivity: It provides for an objective and independent view on the fairness of the process •    Checks and balances: It helps in checking the abuse and misuse of power by various organs of government such as magistracy, police and all other providers of public service e.g. PWD, health, education, etc. •    Equitable and sustainable development: It is an essential and vital requirement for an efficient and effective system of governance and for socio-economic development. •    To serve the constitutional cause: Probity in Governance is required to serve the motto of Constitution. i.e. to provide Social, Political and economic justice to all. It enhances faith in the governance. •    Reduced politicization of bureaucracy: It helps address nepotism, Favoritism, Political partisanship. Public reposes more trust in governance and therefore it facilitates participatory governance. It leads to avoidance of sub-optimal outcomes, corruption and poor perception. 13.3    Historical Perspective of Probity The concept of probity in governance has a long and varied history, with roots in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. In these societies, the idea of integrity and honesty in public life was highly valued, and philosophers such as Aristotle argued that good governance depended on the virtue and moral character of the rulers. Indian scriptures and other treatises, including the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Buddha Charita, Arthashastra, Panchatantra, Manusmriti, Kural, Shukra Niti, Kadambari, Raja Tarangani, and Hitopadesh, have extensively addressed the ethical issues of governance. Theoretical dogmas on ethical administration were also offered by Chinese thinkers such Lao Tse, Confucius, and Mencius. As civilizations developed and became more complex, the need for mechanisms to ensure probity in governance became more pressing. In the medieval period, for example, the Catholic Church played an important role in promoting ethical standards in public life, through the establishment of moral codes and the use of ex-communication as a means of punishing corrupt officials. In the modern era, the issue of probity in governance has become increasingly important, as the temptation for those in positions of power to abuse their authority for personal gain can be significant. This has led to the development of various mechanisms and practices to promote probity’s in public life, such as codes of conduct, transparency laws, and independent oversight bodies. One of the most significant developments in the history of probity in governance has been the emergence of democratic systems of government, in which the actions of those in positions of authority are subject to the scrutiny and oversight of the public and the media. This has helped to ensure that public officials are accountable for their actions and are held to high ethical standards. Overall, the history of probity in governance reflects a longstanding recognition of the importance of ethical standards in public life, and the need for mechanisms to ensure that those in positions of power act in the best interests of the community. While the specific practices and mechanisms used to promote probity have evolved over time, the underlying principles have remained largely constant, with a focus on accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. 13.4    Principles of Probity The Nolan Committee was established in the United Kingdom in 1994 to review standards of conduct in public life, with a focus on probity and integrity in governance. The committee’s recommendations, which were published in a series of reports between 1995 and 1997, included the identification of seven principles of public life that are designed to promote integrity and trust in the UK’s public institutions. These principles are known as the “Nolan Principles.” This can be read at par with the evolution of the Philosophical Basis of Governance and Probity. •    Selflessness: Public officials should act in the public interest and not for personal gain. •    Integrity: Public officials should not place themselves in situations where their honesty and impartiality could be called into question. •    Objectivity: Public officials should base their decisions on evidence and should not allow their personal views to influence their judgment. •    Accountability: Public officials should be accountable for their actions and should be prepared to justify their decisions. •    Openness: Public officials should be open and transparent in their actions and should be willing to provide information to the public. •    Honesty: Public officials should be truthful and honest in their dealings with the public and with their colleagues. •    Leadership: Public officials should exhibit strong leadership qualities and should strive to set a good example for others to follow. These principles are intended to provide guidance for the behaviour of public officials in the UK and are designed to ensure that those in positions of authority are held to high ethical standards. The Nolan Principles are widely recognized as an important benchmark for probity in public life and are used as a reference point for assessing the conduct of public officials in the UK. 13.5    Philosophical basis of Governance and Probity Probity helps in preserving the confidence of the public in the government and enhances the public trust in the governance system of the country. It helps maintain the integrity upright in the public service of the nation, which is the bedrock of the governance system. It helps in avoiding the potential if any for misconduct and corruption and also helps in ensuring compliance with the processes and accountability in the governance system. The philosophical foundations of governance and probity refer to the underlying principles and ideas that inform the way a society is governed, with a focus on ethical standards and the avoidance of corruption and abuse of power. These principles can vary widely, but some of the key philosophical foundations of governance and probity include: Indian scriptures and other treatises, including the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvad Gita, Buddha Charita, Arthashastra, Panchatantra, Manu smriti, Kural, Shukra Niti, Kadambari, Raja Tarangani, and Hitopadesh, have extensively addressed the ethical issues of governance. Immanuel Kant places the idea of obligation at the center of morality, arguing that humans are obligated to follow the categorical imperative to respect other rational beings with whom they come into contact out of awareness of their duty as rational beings. Kant believed that tackling the issues of moral philosophy would be equally successful if the same reasoning techniques were applied rigorously. The utilitarian perspective, which asserts that the maximization of pleasure for the largest number of people should be the standard of behaviour. According to Aristotle, virtues (including justice, kindness, and generosity) are propensities to act in ways that are advantageous to both the person who possesses them and the community of which they are a member. Overall, the philosophical basis of probity in governance is rooted in the belief that those in positions of authority have a moral obligation to act in the best interests of the community, and that they should be held to high ethical standards. This requires the promotion of principles such as accountability, transparency, and the rule of law, as well as the implementation of specific practices and mechanisms to ensure that these principles are upheld. 13.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Probity and its historical perspective b.    Philosophical basis of Governance and Probity 13.7    Summary Probity is maintained by formulating and implementing the code of conduct and adhering to the model code of conduct for the ministers, bureaucracy, civil society groups. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution’s (NCRWC) presented recommendations on how to uphold probity in governance, with a focus on the legal and procedural components of containing the corruption threat. Therefore, a prerequisite for an efficient and effective system of governance as well as for socio-economic growth is probity in governance. Lastly, participative democracy can be the best way forward as it is concerned with ensuring that citizens are provided the opportunity to directly participate and be involved in the decisions that affect their lives. 13.8    Glossary Arthashastra: is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy. NCRWC: National Commission to review the working of the Constitution (NCRWC) also known as JMNR Venkatachaliah Commission was set up by a resolution of the NDA Government of India led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 22 February 2000 for suggesting possible amendments to the Constitution of India. PWD: Public Works Department is an Indian government agency responsible for building and maintaining public services, such as public government construction, highways, bridges, public transportation, drinking water sources, etc. UK: United Kingdom 13.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 13.2, 13.3             b. See 13.5 13.10    Suggested Readings Arora, Ramesh K. (ed.) (2014) Ethics, Integrity and values in Public Service. New Delhi: New age International. Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Sheeran, P. J. (2006) Ethics in Public Administration – A Philosophical approach. Jaipur: Rawat. 13.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Explain the concept of probity and its historical perspective. 2.    What is the philosophical basis of governance and probity? CHAPTER 14 Information Sharing and Transparency in Government, Right toInformation Structure | 14.0 | Learning Objectives | |---|---| | 14.1 | Introduction | | 14.2 | What is Information Sharing? | | 14.3 | Transparency in Governance | | 14.4 | Right to Information | | 14.5 | Importance of Information Sharing and Transparency in Governance | | 14.6 | Self-Check Exercise | | 14.7 | Summary | | 14.8 | Glossary | | 14.9 | Answer to Self-Check Exercise | | 14.10 | Suggested Reading | | 14.11 | Terminal Questions | 14.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    About Information sharing in governance •    Transparency in governance •    Right to Information 14.1    Introduction Humans require information to complete a variety of tasks. Human rights are secured by the capacity to seek, receive, and disseminate information. Information sharing and transparency become significant in this context. Information sharing and transparency in government are fundamental principles that contribute to good governance, accountability, and public trust. Open and transparent governments are more effective in serving the needs of their citizens, fostering citizen engagement, and combating corruption. Information sharing and transparency in government refer to the practices and policies that ensure the public has access to government-held information, with the aim of fostering openness, accountability, and trust between the government and its citizens. This concept is a cornerstone of democratic governance and is crucial for the effective participation of citizens in the democratic process. It involves the dissemination of information about government activities, decisions, policies, and spending, without requiring a specific request from the public. 14.2    What is Information Sharing? Information is data that has been organized or classified and has some significant value for the recipient. Information is the processed data on which conclusions and responses are based. Information plays a key role in decision making. The significance of the decision making depends on the accuracy, completeness and timing of the information. Data is new oil and information is emulated by data processing. Information sharing is the voluntary act of making information available to others controlled by one entity. The interchange of data across multiple companies, individuals, and technology is referred to as information sharing. Wide distributed networks, intranets, cross-platform compatibility, application porting, and IP protocol standardization have all enabled a tremendous growth in global information interchange. Information sharing refers to the exchange of data among various governing bodies, organizations and the general public. Indian Parliament has also institutionalized this right by legislating the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005. Further, parliamentary debates are televised in India, government audit reports are published, and government positions on various policy issues are widely advertised through websites, radio and social media. Most recently, the government has launched the data.gov.in website to promote Open Data Government (ODG). Information refers to knowledge or data that is collected, stored, and processed in some way. It can be in the form of words, numbers, images, or any other representation that can be understood by a person or machine. Information is often used to make decisions, solve problems, or gain an understanding of something. Information sharing is the practice of making information available to multiple people or organizations. It can involve sharing data, knowledge, or expertise with others for a variety of purposes, such as improving decisionmaking, solving problems, or collaborating on a project. Global information exchange has greatly increased thanks to wide-spread networks, intranets, cross-platform interoperability, application porting, and standardization of the IP protocol. Open Data Initiatives: Governments can proactively release data in open formats, making it easily accessible to the public. Open data initiatives facilitate innovation, research, and the development of applications that benefit society. Freedom of Information Acts: Many countries have enacted Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, which grant citizens the right to access information held by the government. These laws promote transparency and empower citizens to hold the government accountable. Government Portals and Websites: Governments often maintain official portals and websites that provide information about policies, programs, services, and contact details. These platforms serve as centralized sources of information for citizens. Social Media and Online Platforms: Governments use social media and other online platforms to share information in real-time, connect with citizens, and address concerns. These channels also serve as tools for disseminating emergency information. Data Privacy and Security: While sharing information, governments must prioritize data privacy and security to protect citizens’ sensitive information. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures and respecting privacy rights contribute to responsible information sharing. 14.3    Transparency in Governance Transparency in governance refers to the practice of making government processes, information, and decision-making more open and accessible to the public. It involves the release of government data and documents, the use of open meetings and public forums, and the implementation of freedom of information laws, among other measures. The goal of increasing transparency in governance is to promote accountability, trust, and public participation in the democratic process. It allows citizens to better understand how their government operates and to hold it accountable for its actions. In addition, transparency can help to prevent corruption and abuse of power, as it allows for greater scrutiny of government activities. Benefits of transparency in governance: Improved accountability: Transparency allows citizens to hold their government accountable for its actions and decisions. Enhanced trust: Transparency can help to build trust between the government and the public, as it allows citizens to see how their government operates. Increased participation: Transparency can encourage greater public participation in the democratic process, as citizens can access information and have a say in decision-making. Reduced corruption: Transparency can help to prevent corruption and abuse of power, as it allows for greater scrutiny of government activities. There are several measures that governments can take to maintain transparency in information sharing: Participatory governance: Participatory governance refers to a process in which citizens are actively involved in the decision-making processes of their government. The goal of participatory governance is to increase the accountability, responsiveness, and transparency of government by allowing citizens to have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives. Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, social audits, etc. are some of the means to achieve the same. Implement freedom of information laws: These laws give citizens the right to access government information, subject to certain exemptions to protect sensitive information. The Right to Information Act 2005 is one such enabling provision. Establish open data initiatives: Governments can make data sets available to the public through open data portals, allowing citizens to access and use data on a wide range of topics. E.g., Open Government Data (OGD) Platform. Use open meetings and public forums: Governments can hold public meetings and forums to discuss and make decisions on important issues, allowing citizens to have a say in the process. Provide regular updates and progress reports: Governments can keep the public informed about their activities and decision-making by providing regular updates and progress reports. Use social media and other online platforms: Governments can use social media and other online platforms to share information and engage with the public. E-governance initiatives of the government aim at achieving this. Whistle-blowers Protection: Whistle-blower protection laws protect individuals who report misconduct or wrongdoing within their organization, encouraging transparency and accountability. Establish clear policies and procedures: Governments can establish clear policies and procedures for information sharing, including guidelines for handling sensitive information. Budget Transparency: Governments can enhance transparency by providing detailed information about public expenditures, budgets, and financial transactions. This helps citizens understand how public funds are allocated and spent. Public Consultation: Engaging citizens in decision-making processes through public consultations fosters transparency and inclusivity. Governments can seek public input on policies, projects, and legislative initiatives. Transparency in Procurement: Disclosing information about government procurement processes, contracts, and vendor details enhances transparency and helps prevent corruption. Online platforms may be used to publish procurement-related information. Public Reporting and Audits: Regularly publishing audit reports, financial statements, and performance evaluations enhances transparency. Independent oversight bodies contribute to accountability by reviewing government activities. Transparency in Legislative Processes: Making legislative processes more transparent, including live streaming of sessions, providing access to bills, and recording votes, ensures that citizens are informed about the decision-making processes of their representatives. Accessible Information for Persons with Disabilities: Ensuring that information is accessible to all, including persons with disabilities, promotes inclusivity and transparency. This involves providing information in accessible formats, such as Braille or electronic text. 14.4    Right to Information The right to information gained power when Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 providing everyone the right to seek, receive, information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The International Covenant on Civil and Political rights 1966 states that everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression, the freedom to seek and impart information and ideas of all kinds. According to Thomas Jefferson “Information is the currency of democracy,” and critical to the emergence and development of a vibrant civil society. However, with a view to set out a practical regime for the citizens to secure information as a matter of right, the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to Information Act, 2005. Genesis of RTI law started in 1986, through judgement of Supreme Court in Mr. Kulwal v/s Jaipur Municipal Corporation case, in which it directed that freedom of speech and expression provided under Article 19 of the Constitution clearly implies Right to Information, as without information the freedom of speech and expression cannot be fully used by the citizens. The RTI Act, 2005 did not create a new bureaucracy for implementing the law. Instead, it tasked and mandated officials in every office to change their attitude and duty from one of secrecy to one of sharing and openness. It carefully and deliberately empowered the Information Commission to be the highest authority in the country with the mandate to order any office in the country to provide information as per the provisions of the Act. And it empowered the Commission to fine any official who did not follow the mandate. Right to information has been seen as the key to strengthening participatory democracy and ushering in people centred governance. Access to information can empower the poor and the weaker sections of society to demand and get information about public policies and actions, thereby leading to their welfare. It showed an early promise by exposing wrongdoings at high places, such as in the organisation of the Commonwealth Games, and the allocation of 2G spectrum and coal blocks. Right to information opens up government’s records to public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the government does and how effectively, thus making the government more accountable. Improves decision making by public authority by removing unnecessary secrecy. Some provisions of Indian Evidence Act (Sections 123, 124, and 162) provide to hold the disclosure of documents. Under these provisions, head of department may refuse to provide information on affairs of state and only swearing that it is a state secret will entitle not to disclose the information. In a similar manner no public officer shall be compelled to disclose communications made to him in official confidence. The Atomic Energy Act, 1912 provides that it shall be an offence to disclose information restricted by the Central Government. The Central Civil Services Act provides a government servant not to communicate or part with any official documents except in accordance with a general or special order of government. The Official Secrets Act, 1923 provides that any government official can mark a document as confidential so as to prevent its publication. The OSA was enacted in 1923 by the British to keep certain kinds of information confidential, including, but not always limited to, information involving the affairs of state, diplomacy, national security, espionage, and other state secrets. Whenever there is a conflict between the two laws, the provisions of the RTI Act override those of the OSA. Section 22 of the RTI Act states that its provisions will have effect notwithstanding anything that is inconsistent with them in the OSA. Similarly, under Section 8(2) of the RTI Act, a public authority may allow access to information covered under the OSA, “if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interest”. The Right to Information Act was made to achieve social justice, transparency and to make accountable government but this act has not achieved its full objectives due to some impediments created due to systematic failures. As observed by Delhi High Court that misuse of the RTI Act has to be appropriately dealt with; otherwise the public would lose faith and confidence in this “sunshine Act”. 14.5    Importance of Information sharing and Transparency in Governance Promotes Accountability: Transparency ensures that government officials are answerable for their actions and decisions. It helps in scrutinizing public spending, policy decisions, and the conduct of elected officials and public servants, thereby reducing corruption and misuse of power. Enhances Public Trust: By openly sharing information, governments can build and maintain public trust. Transparency demonstrates to citizens that their government is working in their best interest, which is essential for the legitimacy of public authorities. Improves Decision Making: Public access to government information allows for a more informed citizenry. When citizens are well-informed, they can participate more effectively in public discourse and decision-making processes, leading to policies that better reflect the public’s needs and preferences. Facilitates Public Participation: Transparency is a prerequisite for meaningful public participation in governance. It enables citizens to engage in policy formulation, provide feedback on government services, and hold authorities accountable for their performance. Strengthens Democracy: At its core, democracy is about the participation of the people in their own governance. Transparency empowers citizens by providing them with the information they need to exercise their democratic rights, such as voting, advocacy, and public debate. Promotes Efficiency and Effectiveness: Openness can lead to better government performance. When government operations are transparent, it encourages efficiency, reduces waste, and helps in identifying areas for improvement. Public scrutiny can also drive governments to be more responsive and innovative. International Cooperation and Reputation: Transparent governments are more likely to gain the trust of international partners and investors. This can lead to better international relations, more foreign investment, and cooperation in global challenges. In many countries, the right to information is legally protected, recognizing the critical role of transparency in governance. For example, India enacted the Right to Information Act in 2005, which has been a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in government operations. Similarly, other countries have their own versions of freedom of information laws designed to facilitate access to government-held information by the public. 14.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Information Sharing b.    Right to Information 14.7    Summary The most important aspect of sustaining transparency and information sharing is removing communication barriers. Transparency and information sharing are crucial for increasing quality of life. Citizen’s support and participation in the management of public services is vital to maintaining openness and accountability. Transparency in information sharing is required for effective governance and the maintenance of governance efficacy. Transparency allows the public to see how their government is operating and to hold it accountable for its actions. This can help to prevent corruption and abuse of power, as it allows for greater scrutiny of government activities. Thus, it can facilitate collaboration and teamwork between different levels of government and between the government and the public. 14.8    Glossary E-Governance: E-Governance can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) for providing government services, exchange of information, transactions, integration of previously existing services and information portals. IP: Internet Protocols are a set of rules that governs the communication and exchange of data over the internet. Both the sender and receiver should follow the same protocols in order to communicate the data OSA: Official Secrets Act, 1923 (OSA) The OSA was enacted in 1923 by the British to keep certain kinds of information confidential. 14.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 14.2          b. See 14.5 14.10    Suggested Readings Arora, Ramesh K. (ed.) (2014) Ethics, Integrity and values in Public Service. New Delhi: New age International. Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors. Sheeran, P. J. (2006) Ethics in Public Administration – A Philosophical approach. Jaipur: Rawat. 14.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Explain information sharing and transparency in governance. 2.    What is Right to Information and explain its implementation? CHAPTER 15 Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct Structure 15.0        Learning Objectives 15.1          Introduction 15.2        Code of Ethics 15.3       Code of Conduct 15.4       Difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 15.5        Issues in implementation of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 15.6        Self-Check Exercise 15.7       Summary 15.8        Glossary 15.9       Answer to Self-Check Exercise 15.10      Suggested Reading 15.11       Terminal Questions 1 5.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    About Code of Ethics •    Code of Conduct •    Difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 15.1    Introduction In order to understand the tenets of the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, it is mandated to evaluate the existing debate on ethics. The definitions of ethics cannot be outlined in a single paradigm. To deconstruct the concept of Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics it is called for to evaluate the tenets of ethics and morality, branches of ethics, and implication of ethics on society, governance, and more importantly on public relation administrators. According to conduct laws, some specific activities are appropriate, while others are inappropriate. Both a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct are used to encourage employees to engage in certain types of behaviour. Code of ethics defines the minimum requirements for conduct, and behavioural expectations instead of specific activities. While code of conduct is designed to prevent certain types of behaviours like conflict of interest, self-dealing, bribery and inappropriate actions. Both Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct are similar as they are used in an attempt to encourage specific forms of behaviour by employees. Ethics guidelines attempt to provide guidance about values and choices to influence decision making. Conduct regulations assert that some specific actions are appropriate, others inappropriate. 15.2    Code of Ethics A code of ethics is primarily intended to provide direction for all decision-making and to establish a shared ethical foundation for all decisions. Additionally, it aids experts in understanding the steps that need to be taken by them. It is a set of rules intended to promote proper conduct among members of a certain group, association, or profession. The code is developed based on actions that the organizations want to prevent from occurring and happening rather than just based on the actions of past organizational and individual experiences. Robert Bowen has given two fundamental and significant functions of the code of ethics. The first purpose is the moral and professional standards of conduct. These will hold people accountable for performance and their dedication to honesty and obligation. The second purpose is to define professional behaviour to promote a sense of tolerance, pride, and responsibility among professionals. While writing a code of ethics, we should keep in mind that it should be written to a general audience. It is written in a clear yet specific language and should follow a logical order. A code of ethics is crucial for any sort of business as violations of ethics can lead to major problems with users, partners, or the government. It can lessen ambiguity and take individual opinions into account when establishing ethical norms. A code of ethics is primarily intended to serve as a general framework for all administrative decisions, providing direction for all decisions. The code should be such that it should be feasible. It must not be so difficult as to prohibit the ability to adhere to it. It should be enforceable. A code of ethics that is enforceable but serves no useful function is equivalent to laws without punishments. An individual will lose respect for the law if the law is not implemented in letter and spirit. This is even true for ethical codes as well. The failure to enforce the codes leads to a lack of respect for the codes and diminishes the integrity of the process and support for ethos. Always show respect to everyone you interact with, and do so to the degree that you would like to be shown respect in return. For example, since Atal Bihari Vajpayee accepted other people’s opinions, even those of opposition leaders, he was respected by all leaders, including those in the opposition. The code of ethics must also promote fairness and ensure that no one else’s rights are violated while making decisions. It may be unfair to hire hiring managers from one part of the state over applicants from another. It refers to making decisions consistently with high moral standards and honesty. For example, Rajni Sekhri Sibal, an IAS officer from Haryana. When the political establishment offered her a bribe to alter the outcomes of 3200 Junior Basic Training (JBT) instructors in 1999–2000, she firmly refused. The code of conduct serves as a decision-making guide and waiver of liability. It reduces the cognitive dissonance and stress associated with some of the decision-making processes. An official must select associates based only on merit, without regard to any factors that might serve his interests. A group’s decisions must be made in the interests of the greatest number of people possible, not just one particular group of people. For example, the Odd-Even program for Delhi Pollution inconvenienced vehicle owners but benefited Delhi’s population as a whole. The code of ethics includes taking accountability for organizational actions as well as accountability for the broader good. 15.3    Code of Conduct Code of conduct for Civil Servants is a set of guidelines or principles that explain the expected behaviour, ethics, and standards of conduct for those engaged in the civil service or public administration. The purpose of such a code is to maintain the integrity, professionalism, and accountability of government officials who hold crucial positions of public trust and responsibility. A code of conduct is a set of rules and behaviours that an individual must follow in order to conduct effective and ethical business. The Civil Service Code specifies the Civil Service’s underlying ideals as well as the standards of behaviour required of all public workers in preserving these values. The current set of ethical requirements in India are the Conduct Rules, which are included in the Central Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and comparable rules applying to members of the All India Services or workers of various State Governments. The conduct rules include broad criteria such as “maintaining integrity and absolute devotion to duty.” Code of Conduct consist of: •    Constitutional provisions: Articles 309-311. •    Conduct rules: Code of Civil services conduct rules 1964, Central services conduct rules 1964, All India services CR 2014, Indian penal code, official secret act, prevention of corruption act, India Act. Elements of Code of Conducts Compliance with all applicable laws: All codes of conduct should be in accordance with national legislation. If it is not identical to the law, it will be impossible to apply two distinct sets of legislation, one for ordinary citizens and the other for government officials. Define Unethical behaviour: Unethical behaviour should be carefully specified in the regulations since it offers public employees a clear direction as to what they must avoid. Conflict of Interest: The guidelines should include procedures to avoid conflicts of interest. Because, in most situations, public officials become the leader or CEO of many government institutions. In that circumstance, it is vital to outline how a government worker should act in such positions. The prohibited actions should be clearly defined: Restricted activities are those that a government worker should avoid undertaking while on the job. A public servant, for example, cannot accept financial assistance from others if it interferes with the servant's responsibilities. Confidentiality: In order to fulfil his or her duties efficiently, it is sometimes necessary to keep some secrets. These might be departmental or law and order-related. As a result, the public servant must preserve some level of secrecy while doing their duties, and this must be established in the code of conduct and code of ethics. Public resources should be used effectively and responsibly by civil Servants. They must avoid misusing or wasting public cash and assets. Non-discrimination: Civil Servants must follow non-discrimination principles and treat all persons equally and with respect, regardless of colour, gender, religion, or socioeconomic background. A code of conduct for civil servants is a collection of principles or rules that define the expected behaviour, ethics, and standards of behaviour for people in civil service or public administration. The Code of Conduct for Civil Servants is critical in maintaining ethical behaviour, establishing public confidence, and preserving the civil service's integrity and accountability. It serves as a basis for professional behaviour, informs decision-making, and supports the highest ethical and professional standards within the civil service. 15.4    Difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct help the institutions in regulating the day to day business efficiently. While code of conduct is something that states organized values, code of ethics is used to observe ethical norms and gives a foundation to rules of conduct. Codes of Ethics are referred to as Values, which behaves like the Constitution with general principles to guide behaviour, outlining a set of principles that affect decision-making. Code of ethics would include the principles of integrity, impartiality, commitment to public service, accountability, devotion to duty, exemplary behaviour etc. It defines the minimum requirements for conduct, and behavioural expectations instead of specific activities. When faced with ethical dilemmas or debatable situations, what’s articulated in the Code of Ethics can help guide decision making. Code of ethics helps members in understanding what is right or wrong. The codes are disclosed publicly and hence addressed to the interested parties to know the way the company does business. E.g. Civil servants are committed to public services. The Code of Ethics will state that decisions of the public servant should be guided by larger common good and to choose the most beneficial solution for the community. It is a set of rules, standards, principles and values outlining the expected behaviour for the members of an organisation. These are legally enforceable which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of those working in the public service. These are designed to prevent certain types of behaviours like conflict of interest, self-dealing, bribery and inappropriate actions. The Code of Conduct outlines specific behaviours that are required or prohibited as a condition of ongoing employment. E.g. code of conducts include guidelines on acceptance of gifts by government servants and specific behaviour regulating codes (class I officer shall not permit son or daughter to take employment with a company with which she has official dealings’ or ‘acquiring immovable property with previous knowledge of prescribed authority’ and so on). | | Code of Ethics | Code of Conduct | |---|---|---| | 1 | It is general and broad in nature. | It is specific and narrow in range. | | 2 | It governs decision making. | It governs actions. | | 3 | It is focused on values and principles. | It is focused on compliance and rules etc | | 4 | It is publicly available and addressed to anyone with an interest in an institution's activities. | It is generally addressed to and intended for employees alone. | | 5 | They are wide-ranging and non-specific, enable employees to make independent judgments about the most appropriate course of action. | They generally require little judgment; One has to obey or incur a penalty, and the code provides a fairly clear set of expectations about which actions are required, acceptable or prohibited. | 15.5    Issues in implementation of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct It is possible that not all people from the same socioeconomic origins can adhere to the same ethical standards. For preventive reasons, a police officer might not wish to detain people with his past or comparable backgrounds. Organizations and government agencies today must find creative answers to several problems. Some of which may not be morally correct. A police officer may not be considered morally righteous for using his spies to provide him with information about prospective terrorist suspects. It is limited to the imagination of the individuals as the behaviours cannot be guided by any set of rules. It should come from within the organizations and the individuals. Public service is a profession that should be governed by a set of rules which do not come from reading a specific code. In rare situations, they might occasionally impair rational decision-making. It might not be wise to uphold moral principles amid a riot or inter-communal conflict. According to utilitarian principles, a specific person may be impacted for the sake of the greater good. A person may be detained as a preventive measure if there is reason to believe they may cause trouble later. Lastly and an integral part of the Code of Conduct is justice. Any formulation and execution of policies and decisions should reflect the tenets of equality, equity, inclusiveness, and impartiality. A public administrator should make sure no special treatment is delivered based on power, status, gender, class & caste, or wealth which will be against his personal morality and against the Code of Ethics. 15.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct b.    Difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 15.7    Summary Code of Conduct originates from the code of ethics, and it converts the rules into specific guidelines that must be followed by the members of the organization. Both can serve as a guide to handle situations like avoiding conflict of interest, protecting the organization's assets, antibribery and corruption and improving work culture ethics. There is a need to set up appropriate institutional mechanisms to promote and enforce the values and code of conduct and to evaluate the extent to which they are incorporated and upheld throughout any organization. The Code of conduct for civil servants does not have a statement of values which should guide the civil servants in the discharge of their duties. There is an urgent need that a Code of Ethics be drawn up for civil servants incorporating the core values of integrity, merit and excellence in public service as recommended by Hota Committee report 2004. 15.8    Glossary Confidentiality: the state of keeping or being kept secret or private. Honesty: Quality of being free of deceit; truthful and sincere. 15.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 15.2, 15.3             b. See 15.4 15.10    Suggested Readings Bhargva, R. (2006) Politics and Ethics of Indian Constitution. New Delhi: OUP. Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. Hooja, R. (2008) Corruption, Ethics and accountability essays by an administrator. New Delhi IIPA. 15.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Elaborate the difference between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct. 2.    What are the issue in implementation of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct? CHAPTER 16 Human Values – Lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, administrators Structure 16.0        Learning Objectives 16.1          Introduction 16.2       Reformers 16.3        Leaders 16.4        Administrators 16.5        Other Prominent Civil Servants 16.6        Self-Check Exercise 16.7       Summary 16.8        Glossary 16.9       Answer to Self-Check Exercise 16.10      Suggested Reading 16.11       Terminal Questions 16.0 Learning Objectives After going through this lesson the students will be able to know •    About lessons from lives of leaders and administrators •    Human values from lives of great reformers 16.1    Introduction Values can be defined as those things that are valued by someone. In other words, values are what are considered important by an individual or an organization. Examples include courage, honesty, freedom, innovation etc. Value denotes the degree of importance of something (or even an action). It helps in determining what actions are best to do. Values are the beliefs of an individual or a social group about what is held important. That motivates people to act one way or another. “Equal rights for all”, “Merit above all else”, “Dignity of labour” etc. are representatives of values. These have a major influence on a person’s behaviour and attitude. Values are ideals of someone (or a group) about what is good or bad (or desirable or undesirable). Ethics is all about reasoning how to do the right action. Values motivate, while morals and ethics constrain. Generally, people are predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their particular culture. For example, if making money is a value cherished by a society (most societies cherish that value), and if the society is not that bothered about how that money is made, that can lead to unethical practices. Ethical decision-making often involves weighing values against each other and choosing which values to elevate. Personal Values are important for individual wellbeing. Personal values are those beliefs we hold most dear. They can be desirable goals that motivate our actions and guide us through our lives. Values often weave into our personalities and define who we are. They become a part of us and influence our decisions and actions. Examples of personal values are selfrespect, comfortable life, freedom etc. Social Values are important for other people’s wellbeing. Social values are principles, norms, and standards that guide the actions and behaviour of individuals and groups within a society. They are based on universal values that are inherent to the human condition, and create a sense of social cohesion, order, and belonging. Examples of social values are equality, social justice, national security, world peace etc. 16.2    Reformers The 19th century in India witnessed the emergence of remarkable socio-religious reform leaders who spearheaded significant changes in society. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, and Sayyid Ahmed Khan and females like Savitribai Phule, Pandita Ramabai, Sister Nivedita etc were prominent figures who championed social justice, rationality, and progress. They passionately challenged outdated customs and practices, such as Sati, child marriage, and discrimination against women. These reformers advocated for widow remarriage, women's education, and the promotion of critical thinking. Through their efforts and socio-religious movements like the Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj, they laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and enlightened India, fostering ideals of social equality, education, and religious tolerance that continue to resonate in the country's cultural fabric. People in India have always been vocal when they notice something is wrong. There are countless accounts of social reforms in India. There are people whose entire lives have been devoted to advancing society. They have had a clear sense of their mission and vision. These people came to be known as “Social Reformers”. A broad term used to describe movements started by members of a community with the intention of changing their society is social reform. These changes frequently focus on fairness and how a society currently functions by committing injustices against certain groups. A reform movement is a type of social movement that favours gradual change in particular facets of society rather than quick or radical change. A reform movement is distinct from social movements that are more radical, like revolutions. Raja Ram Mohan Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born in 1774 in Hooghly district, Bengal Presidency. He got married at the age of nine and later served the East India Company as a clerk. He learned Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. He also took up English, which greatly influenced his spiritual and religious beliefs. Social Reforms: He is also known as the Father of the ‘Indian Renaissance’. During the late 18th century, Bengal society was burdened with customs like child marriage, polygamy, and the brutal practice of Sati. Raja Ram Mohan Roy abhorred Sati and raised his voice against it. In 1830, he went to the UK as a Mughal ambassador to protect the ban on Sati by Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829. He was a champion of women's rights, working to abolish Sati and advocating against child marriage and polygamy. He also opposed the rigid caste divisions of his time. Educational Reforms: Raja Ram Mohan Roy appreciated English literature and recognised the need for scientific and rational education that was lacking in traditional Indian texts. To address this, he advocated for an English Education System in India, with subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Botany. His educational initiatives included co-founding Hindu College in 1817, which became a prestigious institution, and establishing the Anglo-Vedic School in 1822 and the Vedanta College in 1826. Religious Contributions: Ram Mohan Roy strongly opposed unnecessary ceremonialism and idolatry advocated by priests. He played a key role in reorganising the Atmiya Sabha (1815) into the Brahma Sabha, a precursor to the Brahmo Samaj (1828). This new movement emphasised monotheism, independence from scriptures, and renunciation of the caste system. Journalistic Contributions: A supporter of free speech, Ram Mohan Roy fought for the rights of the vernacular press, advocating their freedom to publish without government interference. He established newspapers ‘Mirat-ul-Akhbar’ in Persian and ‘Sambad Kaumudi’ in Bengali. Protested against press control: He asserted that newspapers should remain free and the truth should not be suppressed based on government preferences. Swami Dayanand Saraswati He founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 to steer Hinduism away from fictitious beliefs. The Arya Samaj’s principles included love, righteousness, justice, dispelling ignorance (Avidya), and promoting knowledge (Vidya). It encouraged followers to question beliefs and rituals that were not aligned with Vedic principles. Social Reforms: The Arya Samaj actively advocated for widow remarriage and women's education, seeking to eliminate discriminatory practices and provide equal opportunities for women. Dayanand stressed the importance of education for both men and women in fostering social progress. Revivalism: Dayanand propounded the idea of “Suddhi”, that the individuals who had converted to other religions, should reconvert to Hinduism. However, the Movement was started later in the 1920s, by the Arya Samajists and other orthodox Hindus. Dayanand's disciples established the Dayanand Anglo Vedic College Trust and Management Society after his death in 1883, further promoting Vedic knowledge through educational institutions like DAV schools. Sayyid Ahmed Khan Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) was a leading Muslim social reformer. He was deeply impressed by modern scientific thought and dedicated his life to reconciling it with Islam. He declared the Quran as the sole authoritative work for Islam, considering all other Islamic writings as secondary. He interpreted the Quran in the light of contemporary rationalism and science. Throughout his life, Sayyid Ahmad Khan opposed blind obedience to tradition, dependence on custom, and irrationalism. He urged people to develop critical thinking and freedom of thought, emphasising that civilised life requires freedom of thought. Promoting modern education remained his primary goal, leading to the establishment of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875, which later became the Aligarh Muslim University. Social Reforms: Khan advocated for progressive social changes in Islam. He urged Muslims to abandon medieval customs and thoughts. He particularly emphasised raising the status of women in society, advocating for the removal of purdah and promoting education among women. He also criticised practices like polygamy and easy divorce. Political Thought: In the initial phase, he stood for the Hindu-Muslim unity and was nationalistic in his point of view. In his later years, he discouraged his followers from participating in the national movement started by Congress. He felt that more populated and educated Hindus would dominate over the less numerous and less educated Muslims. Sayyid Ahmad Khan's reformist zeal left a lasting impact on Muslim society, encouraging them to embrace modern education, critical thinking, and progressive social changes. Savitribai Phule A well-known social reformer, educator, and poet of India, Savitribai Phule played a crucial role in the education and empowerment of women. Establishment of Girl's School: In 1848, Jyotirao and Savitribai opened India’s first girls school in Pune. Savitribai became the first lady teacher in India. Education for the Oppressed: In addition to the girls' school, Jyotirao and Savitribai also started schools for children from the Mang and Mahar castes, who were considered untouchables. Mahila Seva Mandal: Savitribai started the Mahila Seva Mandal in 1852, aiming to raise awareness among women about their rights, dignity, and social issues. Satya Shodak Samaj: She was also associated with a social reform society called ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’ founded by Jyotiba Phule. Pandita Ramabai Saraswati Ramabai, a prominent advocate for women’s rights and a social reformer, was the only woman in the male-dominated world of gender reforms. Ramabai travelled extensively in Bengal, addressing women’s education and emancipation, drawing on mythological figures of educated and independent women. In 1882, she established Arya Mahila Samaj at Poona to educate the women and save them from child marriage and other evil customs. She established a home for high-caste Hindu widows and appealed to the Hunter Commission (1882) for women's training in teaching and medicine, enabling them to serve others. 16.3    Leaders Leadership is the foundation of all human achievements so far. Most of what we have accomplished over the years would have been impossible without the necessary direction of our visionary leaders. Most of us would like to think that leadership is a behavioural quality possessed by a few rare individuals who have been gifted with it. In reality, leadership is not a quality but a necessity. Ordinary individuals when driven by extraordinary vision and purpose, start exhibiting behavioural traits that can influence, inspire and lead others which we collectively call Leadership. A leader is a person who spearheads an organization to lead it towards the intended direction. However, he is someone who does more than just lead people. He has to be driven by the right motivation and make a positive impact on not just the organization but also the people around them. An ethical leader plays a transformational and charismatic role in an organization. Ethical leadership raises the morale of the people when the chips are down. People know the cause they are behind and can trust the leader. Ethical leadership is like a deep-rooted tree. When the roots are solid, the stress and tensions of daily business are like the wind on a stable tree. People usually feel the roots and know if they can rely on them and feel confident, or if they will have to keep their guard up. Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi is universally accepted as an exemplary model of ethical and moral life, with a rare blending of personal and public life, the principles and practices, the immediate and the eternal. He considered life to be an integrated whole, growing from ‘truth to truth’ every day in moral and spiritual status. Gandhi was a lawyer, nationalist, and anti-colonial activist. He led a non-violent mass movement against the British rule of India which ultimately resulted in Indian independence. He believed in a single standard of conduct founded on dharma of truth and nonviolence. He successfully led nonviolent struggles against racial discrimination, colonial rule, economic and social exploitation and moral degradation. Throughout his life, in his principles practices, and beliefs, he always held on to non-violence and simple living. He worked for the upliftment of untouchables and called them Harijan meaning the children of God. Many great world leaders like Nelson Mandela followed Gandhiji’s teachings and way of life. Hence, his impact on the global stage is still very profound. Swami Vivekananda He established Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, named after his Guru Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa. The institution did extensive educational and philanthropic work in India. He also represented India in the first Parliament of Religion held in Chicago (U.S.) in 1893. He used the Ramakrishna Mission for humanitarian relief and social work. The mission stands for religious and social reform. Vivekananda advocated the doctrine of service- the service of all beings. The service of jiva( living objects) is the worship of Shiva. Life itself is religion. By service, the Divine exists within man. Vivekananda was for using technology and modern science in the service of mankind. Guru Nanak Dev Guru Nanak Dev initiated inter-faith dialogue way back in the 16th century and had conversations with most of the religious denominations of his times. He strived towards building an egalitarian Society Even though India is an aspiring superpower, it’s caste hierarchy is still engraved in the societal order. Guru Nanak Dev's vision of a casteless society in which there is no caste hierarchy can help to establish an egalitarian society. He promoted social harmony in the spirit of equality began with clear recognition that there is no distinction between a Hindu and Muslim. For him, no country was foreign and no people were alien. Guru Nanak Dev argued that "How can women be inferior when they give birth to men?" According to him, "Women as well as men share the grace of God and are equally responsible for their actions to him.” Respect for women and gender equality is perhaps the most important lesson to be learnt from Guru Nanak Dev’s life. Guru Nanak Dev placed the motto of “kirat karo, naam japo and vand chhako” (work, worship and share) before his disciples. He stood for karma as the basis of dharma, and he transformed the idea of spiritualism into the ideology of social responsibility and social change. He suggested that we earn by honest labour and share the earnings with the needy. The selfless service to mankind known as “Seva” is central to the teaching of Sikhism. Rabindranath Tagore He was a major figure in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West, and he is widely regarded as modern India’s most outstanding creative artist. In his philosophy, ethical behaviour springs from a sense of divine harmony and love, not from a sense of caste duty. He also advocated for the coexistence of man and nature. Tagore was a firm believer in the synthesis of cultures, which is the blending of ideas from various cultures to create an ideal of a universal man. Tagore was a societarian in the sense that he considered society to be more important than the state. As a result, instead of criticising the government, he emphasised the importance of making constructive social efforts, which can only be accomplished if a person wishes for the common good and demonstrates social altruism. He sees freedom in a spiritual light. The process of self-realization illuminates the soul, which is the essence of freedom. Because those who rule and those who are ruled cannot realise dignity and human worth, political freedom is a precondition for spiritual freedom. Tagore advocated for a moral approach to politics, which he formulated and promoted. As he stated, nations can only be strong if the values of justice, purity, and freedom are faithfully practised. As a result, he refused to consider politics to be an immoral domain. Social and political activists found inspiration in his songs and messages. As a result, despite not being involved in the political struggle for independence, Tagore was revered as a seer of Indian liberty. He was regarded as an outstanding national figure of India in the West. 16.4    Administrators The role of civil services in a Democracy changed in India after the country gained independence from British rule. India inherited the legacy of the British, and Civil Services is one among them. During the British Raj, the role of Civil Services was regulatory in nature, i.e., in law and order enforcement and revenue administration, which changed after the formation of the new Government. Civil services are instrumental in playing an essential role in the Administration, formulation of policies, and implementation of democracy. The civil service forms an important section of the Executive among these three pillars. The Executive consists of ministers and civil servants. The ministers are temporary in a democracy as they are replaced and re-elected after a fixed period of time in a democracy. Still, the civil servants are the Executive permanent part. Thus, civil servants are the Government’s subdivisions and expert administrators in democracy. Administrator’s role in modern democracy •    Implementing Laws and Policies: Civil services are responsible for enforcing laws and executing policies framed by the Government. •    Policy Formulation: They are responsible for policy formulation by advising and providing necessary insights about the pros and cons to the ministers. •    Welfare Services: Advice on welfare schemes to be drafted and developed by the Government, including social security (pensions), the welfare of vulnerable sections of society and poverty alleviation, etc. •    Developmental Functions: Civil services lay down developmental plans for promoting agriculture in India on scientific lines, industrial sector, and services sector, including banking and trade functions, improving digital literacy, etc. •    Stabilizing Force: Governments are temporary, while civil service is permanent. The civil service offers stability even during political instability, maybe because of emergencies and during the Government’s fall. They provide continuity of services to people. •    Conduct Elections: The service conducts elections freely and fairly and empowers voters through voter education. •    Instruments of Social Change and Economic Development: Civil servants play the role of change agents. The policies, schemes, and plans they advise to the ministers help change people’s lives. •    Administrative Adjudication: The civil services head the tribunals and quasi-judicial bodies to settle disputes. Examples of Administrators from ancient to modern times Kautilaya Kautilaya’s thinking ideology embodies a sense of realism and practicality. It encourages individuals to acknowledge and understand the truths of life and society in order to surpass them and reach new levels of success. His insightful approach challenges conventional thinking and encourages individuals to question the norms and assumptions of society. By embracing these ideas, individuals can gain a positive and empowering mind-set, enabling them to navigate life's challenges and achieve their goals with wisdom and resilience. He is best known as the author of the political treatise Arthashastra and the collection of aphorisms Chanakya Neeti which he wrote as an instruction manual for the young Chandragupta on how to rule effectively. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including leadership, governance, administration, diplomacy, warfare, economics, personal development, and social conduct. It provides guidance on effective decision-making, maintaining integrity, understanding human nature, building and maintaining power, managing finances, and fostering good relationships. The teachings of Chanakya Neeti emphasize the importance of wisdom, knowledge, strategic thinking, ethical behavior, and the pursuit of excellence. Overall, it serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking guidance on various aspects of life, governance, and personal growth. Kautilya believed that treasury must always be protected from officials because no fish from the ocean can deny the fact it has consumed water from the ocean. So, both the work and character of the officials should be evaluated from time to time. Kautilya also believed that the happiness of a king lies in the happiness of his subjects. Present-day Civil Service functions on this very theory. According to Kautilya, King must employ spies who can expose irregularities in the administration from time to time. These spies must be rewarded for their work and their identities must be kept secret. This resembles the present-day ‘Whistle Blower’. Akbar Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, reigning from 1556 to 1605. The Mughal administrative machinery, which functioned throughout the Mughal rule, was introduced by Akbar. Akbar was a great administrator as well as a brave soldier, successful leader, and religious reformer. He implemented various reforms in all branches of government, whether central, provincial, revenue, military, or judicial. The Mansabdar was a military unit established by Akbar as part of the Mughal Empire's administrative system. Mansab is an Arabic word that means rank or position. The system determined a government official's and military general's rank and status. Every civil and military officer received a mansab, which determined their pay and allowances. A manasabadar is someone who has a mansab (which denotes a role) Mansabdar’s were military commanders, high civil and military officers, and provincial governors in Akbar's mansabdari system. Akbar’s major administrative units were the Subhah, the Pargana, and the Sarkar. Subah was the highest administrative unit, which was further subdivided into Sarkar. Sarkar (equivalent to district) was made up of a number of parganas, and a pargana was the collective administrative unit of a few villages. The faujdar and amalguzar were the sarkar's top officers. The faujdar was in charge of law and order, while the amalguzar was in charge of assessing and collecting land revenue. Akbar was an excellent administrator, and the administrative machinery he established remained in place throughout the Mughal period. By centralizing administration and incorporating non-Muslims (particularly Hindu Rajputs) into the empire's fabric, Akbar extended the Mughal dynasty's reach across the Indian subcontinent and consolidated the empire. Shivaji Shivaji was an outstanding administrator. He laid the groundwork for a solid administrative system. Shivaji was a fierce warrior who defied Mughal rule and conquests with Afzal Khan and Aurangzeb. The Maratha Empire of Shivaji extended from Maharashtra to Carnatic and Tamil Nadu. Shivaji’s dominion was divided into two sections: Mulk-i-qadim (ancient territory) or Swaraj (own kingdom), and an unspecified stretch of land that paid Chauth but was not subject to Shivaji’s authority. The Maratha Kingdom was known as Swarajya or Mulk-e-Kadim. To fortify the administration, Shivaji abolished the Jagir system and began paying his officers in cash. He provided land grants for schools and temples despite abolishing the Jagirdari system. The administrative system of the Marathas was very much influenced by the administrative system of the Mughals and the Deccani states (adopted by Malik Amber of Ahmednagar and Mahmud Gawan of Bahmani Kingdom). Sardar VallabhBhai Patel Sardar VallabhBhai Patel was fully aware of the danger posed to Indian unity by the possible intransigence of the rulers of the states. He took the following approach toward princely states. He appealed to the princes whose territories fell inside India to accede to the Indian Union in three subjects that affected the common interests of the country, namely, foreign relations, defense, and communications. He also threatened that he would not be able to restrain the impatient people of the states and that the government’s terms after 15 August would be stiffer. Hence, all states except Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Junagarh had signed an ‘instrument of accession’ with the Indian government, acknowledging central authority over defense, external affairs, and communication. Sardar Patel was of the opinion that we will not have a united India if we do not have a good all-India Service. Patel was clearly conscious of the fact that independent India needed ‘a steel frame to run its civil, military, and administrative bureaucracy. His faith in institutional mechanisms like having an organized command-based army and a systemized bureaucracy proved to be a blessing. Self-reliance was among the chief tenets of Patel’s economic philosophy. He wanted to see India industrialise quickly. The imperative was to reduce dependence on external resources. Patel guided the cooperative movements in Gujarat and helped in setting up of the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union which proved to be a game-changer for dairy farming throughout the country. 16.5    Other Prominent Civil Servants T.N. Seshan Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, aka, T.N. Seshan, who was the Chief Electoral Commissioner, could be said as the first person who gave a face to the EC and transformed everyday politics. High-end politicians were afraid of the EC, as they were not able to go on their usual business, with the EC watching over them. Still, the model code of conduct did not have any penalties nor were they authoritative. It was the CEC, who had to use the powers of the EC in a different way so as to enable a minimum requirement of the model code to be followed. He certainly shaped and moved a step forward towards the free and fair election. The tenure served by Seshan could be viewed as a season for changes and bold reforms. His opinionated reforms made him to be remarked as ‘legend’ and ‘source as inspiration’. He categorised nearly 150 electoral malpractices as a part of electoral reform. Armstrong Pame The first IAS officer from Zeme Tribe of the Naga People, Armstrong Pame is often referred as the ‘Miracle Man’ by the people of his town. After appearing and clearing the UPSC exam in 2008, Pame took over as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tousen in 2012. His accomplishments as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate included building a 100 km long motorable road to link Manipur with Nagaland and Assam. Pame invested money from his own pocket to build the road and very soon the project became a crowd-sourced venture, and which is why the road was named the ‘The People’s Road’. Aruna Sundararajan E-governance and women empowerment were her forte as the Kerala cadre IAS officer. While she served as the IT secretary of Kerala, she had a significant role to play in the development of e-governance in the state of Kerala. She was also the feminist torchbearer who headed the Kudumbashree project, which has created benchmarks in the field of women empowerment and has created significant employment opportunities for women. Anshul Mishra As the collector of Madurai, Anshul Mishra made some significant changes in the system. He took the charge in 2012, soon after which he launched a Facebook page to interact with the public and address their grievances. His tenure ended in 2013, but before that he successfully rectified a major chunk of the issues that needed immediate attention. Smitha Sabharwal Smitha took over as Municipal Commissioner of Warangal. One of her most notable initiatives was the ‘Fund your city’ scheme which was started with an aim of building more parks, pathways and traffic intersections and were managed through public-private partnerships. U. Sagayam His non-tolerant attitude towards corruption got him transferred 20 times in his 20-year tenure. Sagayam became the first civil servant who declared his assets. Under his leadership, extensive investigations were conducted on illegal mining of granite in Madurai and the findings brought many politicians and businessmen under the scanner. In addition, he seized as many as 5000 subsidized cylinders that were wrongly used in commercial places. Krishna Gopal Tiwari The first visually challenged collector of the country, Krishna Gopal Tiwari is an inspiration for many. Before taking over as the District collector of Umaria, MP, he served as CEO Zilla Panchayat in Hoshangabad and SDM in Berasia. He does not let his visual disability become a barrier and often visit construction sites to test the progress of the work with an iron rod. 16.6    Self-Check Exercise a.    Lives of Reformer and Leaders b.    Lives of Administrators 16.7    Summary We interpreted reformers as social, moral and religious reformers. These are transformational figures that reshape the moral values and worldview of the society. Administrators are interpreted as most able rulers from ancient, medieval and modern times. Human Values can be individual values which are linked with man’s bodily self, social self and spiritual self and can also be interpreted as universal values found in all societies, religions and periods. Human values can have another meaning as recognizing human rights. Humanism as a doctrine placed man at the centre of discussion in philosophy, morals and humanities. It focuses on human happiness, human concerns and human freedom and achievement. Human beings have to be treated as ends in themselves. 16.8    Glossary Aphorisms: a concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by a classical author Monothesim: the doctrine or belief that there is only one God. Polygamy: the practice or custom of having more than one wife 16.9    Answer to Self-Check Exercise a. See 15.2, 15.3             b. See 15.4 16.10    Suggested Readings Bhattacharya, Mohit (2007) Lok PrashasanKeNayeAyam. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and Distributors Chaturvedi, T. N. (eds.) (1996) Ethics in Public life. New Delhi IIPA. Sheeran, P. J. (2006) Ethics in Public Administration – A Philosophical approach. Jaipur: Rawat. 16.11    Terminal Questions 1.    Explain the human values learned from the lives of leaders and reformers. 2.    Elaborate some values derived from the lives of administrators. 142