OPEN SESSION
UPSC GS Mains
3 Years PYQ’s (2021-2023)
Ethics in Public Administration & Probity in Governance
Ethics: Theory
By
➔ Shri. Krishan Mohan, IAS (Retd.)
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UPSC 2021
Identify ten essential values that are needed to be an
effective public servant. Describe the ways and means to
prevent non-ethical behaviour in the pubic servants.
(Answer in 150 words)
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UPSC 2021
Approach:
Introduction: Public service is a noble profession, demanding noble conduct from those who serve.
Ten Essential Values: Integrity, Compassion, Efficiency, Neutrality, Objectivity,
Accountability, Transparency, Anonymity, Impartiality, Empathy
Preventing Non-Ethical Behaviour:
● Descriptive Method:
○ Code of Conduct: Clearly defines acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
○ Example: The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
● Normative Method:
○ Code of Ethics: Provides guiding principles for good behavior and governance.
● Procedural Methods:
○ Service Training and Department Attachments
○ Strengthening Anti-Corruption Laws
○ Reforms in CVC and CBI
Conclusion: Adherence to constitutional values and personal conscience guides public servants towards ethical behavior.
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UPSC 2021
Should impartial and being non-partisan be considered as
indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant?
Discuss with illustrations. (Answer in 150 words)
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UPSC 2021
Approach:
Introduction: A successful civil servant adheres to core civil service values, strengthening public trust and effectively delivering
public services.
Impartiality:
● Definition: Principle of justice, not favoring one person or group over another.
● Importance: Decisions are based on objective standards, free from bias.
○ Example: In land acquisition, decisions must consider all affected parties equally as per the Land Acquisition Act.
Non-Partisanship:
● Definition: Political neutrality, not influenced by any political party.
● Importance: Ensures civil servants serve all political executives equally.
○ Example: During elections, DMs ensure free and fair conduct without supporting any political party.
Conclusion:
Impartiality and non-partisanship are crucial for public trust and effective governance. Other values like integrity, honesty, and
empathy also support a successful civil service career.
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UPSC 2021
Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance
of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix.
(Answer in 150 words)
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UPSC 2021
Introduction: Civil servants are crucial for policy implementation in a country. Evaluating their performance through ethical traits
ensures accountability and effectiveness in governance.
Five Ethical Traits:
1. Financial Integrity:
○ Justification: Ensures transparency and accountability, reducing corruption. Parameters include the number of
corruption complaints, adherence to laws, and regulations.
2. Moral Integrity:
○ Justification: Civil servants must act in the public interest, avoiding personal gain. This trait ensures trust and proper
use of public service positions.
3. Attitude Towards Weaker Sections:
○ Justification: Reflects compassion and empathy. Parameters include accessibility, field visits, and responsiveness to
the needs of marginalized communities.
4. Decision-Making Ability:
○ Justification: Indicates presence of mind, crisis resolution, and conflict management. Evaluates track record of
decisions and adherence to protocols.
5. Ownership of Responsibilities:
○ Justification: Reflects accountability and courage to uphold public interest over private gains. Ensures civil servants
are responsible for their actions and decisions.
Conclusion: Evaluating civil servants based on these ethical traits ensures a fair, realistic, and credible assessment, reflecting their
responsibilities and promoting effective governance.
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UPSC 2022
Wisdom lies in knowing what to reckon with and what to overlook. An
officer being engrossed with the periphery, ignoring the core issues
before him, is no rare in the bureaucracy. Do you agree that such
preoccupation of an administrator leads to travesty of justice to the
cause of effective service delivery and good governance? Critically
evaluate. (Answer in 150 words) 10
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UPSC 2022
Approach:
Introduction: Civil services exist to serve the public interest. The complexity of modern bureaucracy often leads to
officers focusing on peripheral issues, ignoring core problems.
Arguments:
● Means become an end: Excessive adherence to rules can deny services, e.g., Aadhar glitches in PDS
affecting food distribution.
● Outcome vs. output: Focus on enrolment over education quality, highlighted by ASER reports.
● Faulty policy making: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s focus on toilet construction over behavioral change.
Counterarguments:
● Rules ensure corruption-free and fair governance.
● Infrastructure like schools and sanitary facilities are foundational.
Conclusion: Officers must balance adhering to rules with focusing on core issues, using emotional intelligence and
principles of fairness, justice, and integrity to ensure effective service delivery and good governance.
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UPSC 2023
‘Probity is essential for an effective system of governance and
socio-economic development.’ Discuss.
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‘Probity is essential for an effective system of governance and socio-economic development.’
Discuss.
Approach :
Introduction: Probity Definition: Adherence to strong moral principles, crucial for transparent and ethical governance.
Importance in Effective Governance
● Legitimacy of the system: Builds trust and system credibility. Eg: TN Cadre IAS, U. Sagayam's asset disclosure
enhancing public trust.
● Objectivity: Ensures fairness and independence. Eg: Sanjiv Chaturvedi's anti-corruption stance at AIIMS.
● Checks and Balances: Prevents power misuse. Eg: T.N. Seshan curbing electoral malpractices.
● Reduced Bureaucratic Politicization: Limits favoritism, enhancing governance efficiency.
Impact on Socio-Economic Development
● Inclusive Growth: Fair resource allocation. Eg: Direct Benefit Transfer reaching marginalized communities.
● Investor Confidence: Corruption-free, transparent environment. Eg: India's improved Ease of Doing Business
ranking leading to higher forex reserves.
● Resource Utilization: Minimizes wastage and corruption. Eg: Aadhaar-linked PDS reducing leakages.
● Social Justice and Equity: Fair policy implementation.
Conclusion: Probity is fundamental in governance, driving socio-economic development, fostering a cycle of prosperity
and equity.
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UPSC 2022
Write short notes on the following in 30 words each :
(i) Constitutional morality
(ii) Conflict of interest
(iii) Probity in public life
(iv) Challenges of digitalization
(v) Devotion to duty
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UPSC 2022
Approach
a) Constitutional Morality:
● Adherence to core principles of the constitution in a democracy.
● Includes commitment to an inclusive and democratic political process.
● Involves satisfying both individual and collective societal interests.
● Governed by the moral implications embedded within a constitution.
b) Conflict of Interest:
● Arises when an official's private interests conflict with their public duty.
● Examples:
○ Personal interests conflicting with professional responsibilities.
○ Authority positions conflicting between organizations.
● Example: Delhi MLAs as parliamentary secretaries.
c) Probity in Public Life:
● Goes beyond avoiding corruption to promoting values like accountability, impartiality, transparency, and rule of law.
● Essential for effective governance and socio-economic development.
● Lack of probity widens inequality and can lead to social unrest.
● Importance highlighted by organizations like Transparency International.
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(iv) Challenges of digitization:
● Virtual dominance: Most of our interpersonal interactions have shifted online, including chats, messengers, and social media.
● Biased Policing:AI tools used for predicting criminal behavior have shown varying outcomes based on race, leading to criticism
of biased predictive policing.
● Digital divide: Digitization has widened the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not.
● Cyberbullying: Challenges include erosion of values due to peer influence on social media and issues like cyberbullying arising
from unregulated digital content.
(v) Devotion to duty:
● Moral principle guiding decisions in fulfilling responsibilities to family, employers, and country.
Civil Servant's Duty:
● All India Service Conduct Rules, 1968 mandate absolute integrity and devotion to duty.
● Decisions should prioritize public interest and ensure efficient use of public resources.
Citizen's Duty:
• Constitution of India expects every citizen to uphold national unity and integrity through their duties.
• Family Member's Duty (Grihastha):Individuals have a duty to protect and support their family in all circumstances.
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UPSC 2022
The Rules and Regulations provided to all the civil servants are
same, yet there is difference in the performance. Positive minded
officers are able to interpret the Rules and Regulations in favour of
the case and achieve success, whereas negative minded officers are
unable to achieve goals by interpreting the same Rules and
Regulations against the case. Discuss with illustrations. (Answer in
150 words) 10
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UPSC 2022
Approach:
Introduction:
● Uniform Rules and Regulations: Civil servants receive the same guidelines.
● Mindset Impact: Positive-minded officers achieve success, while negative-minded officers struggle
with the same rules.
Body of the answer:
1. Positive-Minded Officers
● Armstrong Pame: Crowdfunded road construction in Manipur.
● T.N. Seshan: Enforced electoral rules for free and fair elections.
● Prashant Nair: Launched ‘Operation Sulaimani’ free food program in Kozhikode.
2. Negative-Minded Officers
● Aadhaar Issues: Denial of ration card, leading to hunger.
● RTI Loopholes: PIO denying information, undermining transparency.
● Swachh Bharat Mission: Focus on toilet construction without promoting behavioral change.
Conclusion: Performance Variance stems from mindset and rule interpretation. Therefore, rules to serve
public interest should be followed and interpreted while upholding integrity, impartiality, and fairness for
effective governance.
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UPSC 2023
Is conscience a more reliable guide when compared to laws, rules
and regulations in the context of ethical decision-making?
Discuss.
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Is conscience a more reliable guide when compared to laws, rules and regulations in the context of
ethical decision-making? Discuss.
Approach :
Introduction on Ethical Decision-Making: Balancing moral principles, societal impact, and individual consequences.
Role of Conscience in Ethical Decision-Making
● Flexibility: Adapts to situational nuances. Eg: Law enforcement authorities using conscience to address immediate
issues.
● Ethics vs. Law: Fills gaps in evolving legal frameworks.
● Emotional Regulation: Conscience leverages emotions to ensure adherence to social norms.
● Values and Virtues: Emphasizes compassion and empathy, aiding vulnerable populations.
Role of Laws, Rules, and Regulations in Ethical Decision-Making
● Greater Good: Prioritizes societal benefits.
● Accountability: Ensures answerability and ethical compliance.
● Bias Mitigation: Promotes impartiality and fairness.
● Preventing Harmful outcomes : Reminds duty to avoid harmful actions. Eg: Obeying Speed limits protects
community.
Conclusion: Effective ethical decision-making combines external rules and internal conscience for legally compliant, morally just
choices benefiting society.
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UPSC 2022
What do you understand by term ‘good governance’? How
far recent initiatives in terms of e-Governance steps taken by
the State have helped the beneficiaries? Discuss with
suitable examples. (Answer in 150 words) 10
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UPSC 2022
Approach:
Introduction: Good governance is the process whereby public institutions conduct public affairs and manage
public resources in a manner that promotes the rule of law and the realization of human rights (civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights).
Following are the traits:
❏ · Transparent
❏ · Responsive
❏ · Rule of law.
❏ · Accountable
❏ · Participative
❏ · Consensus oriented
❏ · Equitable and inclusive
❏ · Effective and efficient
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…………….contd
Initiatives and extent of efficacy:
• Aadhaar or Unique Identification Number: It has brought transparency, and has helped in reducing leakages of
government subsidies and eliminating inclusion and exclusion errors.
• Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN): based on Geo reference is provided to each land parcel. This
would reduce litigations and fraudulent sales of land and would help in getting credits.
• Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS): It aims to develop a national database of crime and
criminals. By now all 16,347 police stations in India have implemented CCTNS. It is now being integrated with
e-courts, e-prisons, e-forensics and e-prosecution to create Inter-operable Criminal Justice System for efficient
court management by 2025-26.
India's e-governance projects face significant challenges despite their broad objectives:
● Many citizens cannot benefit due to applications being unavailable in local languages.
● Remote areas lack network connectivity, hindering access.
● Affordability is an issue given low per capita income.
● IT literacy rates are low, posing a barrier to digital adoption.
● Data theft incidents have raised concerns about security.
Conclusion: The cost of establishing and maintaining nationwide services is substantial. Effective e-governance requires
addressing these challenges to ensure accessibility for all citizens.
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UPSC 2021
An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an
absolute must in every sphere of public service, including
judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical
conduct. Elaborate. (Answer in 150 words)
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UPSC 2021
Introduction: A social audit (SA) is where beneficiaries assess and monitor government operations, using findings to demand
accountability. SA was first made statutory in MGNREGA, 2005.
Ensuring Performance, Accountability, and Ethical Conduct:
● Promotes Transparency: Full access to information curbs corruption and promotes ethical conduct.
● Improves Governance: Enhances citizen participation and responsibility.
● Boosts Democracy: Ensures direct participation in decision-making.
● Enhances Efficiency: Identifies gaps, saves resources, and improves program efficacy.
● Addresses Shortcomings: Registers grievances and systemic issues for improvement.
● Improves Professionalism: Maintains proper records and accounts.
Social Audit and Judiciary:
● Judiciary is independent but not autonomous.
● Social audit can improve judiciary performance, accountability, and ethical conduct by addressing administrative aspects
(case pendency, delayed justice, vacancies, etc.) and issues like contempt of court.
Conclusion:
An independent, empowered social audit mechanism is essential for ensuring performance, accountability, and ethical conduct in
all public services, including the judiciary.
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UPSC 2023
Explain the term social capital. How does it enhance good
governance?
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Explain the term social capital. How does it enhance good governance?
Approach :
Introduction on Social Capital: The network of social relations, trust, and norms benefiting communities and individuals.
Enhancing Good Governance
● Accountability: Broadens government accountability to all citizens, fostering public-interested behavior and
political participation.
● Convergence on Issues: Facilitates consensus in polarized settings, enabling dispute resolution.
● Innovative Policymaking: Spurs innovative solutions to community and state challenges.
● Service Delivery: Improves local service efficiency through community involvement. Eg: Women’s Self-Help Groups
in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
● Rule Compliance: Shapes citizen expectations, reducing enforcement needs and resource allocation for
governance.
Conclusion: Social capital, with its trust and cohesive elements, is crucial in enhancing economic, social, and political
opportunities, significantly contributing to good governance.
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UPSC 2022
Whistle blower, who reports corruption and illegal activities,
wrongdoing and misconduct to the concerned authorities, runs
the risk of being exposed to grave danger, physical harm and
victimization by the vested interests, accused persons and his
team. What policy measures would you suggest to strengthen
protection mechanism to safeguard the whistle blower?
(Answer in 150 words) 10
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UPSC 2022
Introduction: Whistle-blowers are crucial in exposing illegal, immoral, and unsafe activities within organizations. Protecting them is essential to
maintain transparency and encourage reporting misconduct.
Policy Measures:
● Strengthen the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014:
○ Operationalize the Act to ensure protection.
○ Extend coverage to private sector employees.
○ Allow anonymous complaints to protect identities, similar to Slovakia and Australia.
● Amend the Companies Act, 2013:
○ Include mechanisms to protect whistle-blowers in listed entities.
○ Balance protection with measures against frivolous complaints.
● Effective Investigation Mechanisms:
○ Ensure impartial and fair investigation processes.
● Anti-Retaliation Policies:
○ Implement sanctions against retaliation, as seen in the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive.
○ Provide legal remedies and compensation for whistle-blowers.
● Increase Awareness:
○ Promote whistle-blower policies in workplaces.
○ Foster a supportive environment for reporting wrongdoing.
Conclusion: Implementing these measures will create a safer environment for whistle-blowers, enhancing transparency and accountability in
organizations.
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UPSC 2023
In the context of work environment, differentiate between
‘coercion’ and ‘undue influence’ with suitable examples.
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In the context of work environment, differentiate between ‘coercion’ and ‘undue influence’ with suitable
examples.
Approach :
● Introduction
○ Work Environment: Combination of physical and non-physical elements affecting job performance.
○ Impact: Positive environment enhances productivity; toxic elements like coercion and undue influence hinder it.
● Coercion vs. Undue Influence
Criteria Coercion Undue Influence
Definition Use of force or threats against will. Manipulating or exploiting someone’s trust or dependency.
Eg: Manager threats Eg: Promotion Suggestion
Nature Direct and explicit Indirect and subtle.
Eg: Disciplinary Action Eg: Subtle Pressure
Motive Intimidation for specific outcomes Exploiting trust/authority to influence decisions.
Eg: Project Deadline Threats Eg: Career Advancement Implication
● Conclusion: Promoting Ethical Practices for a Healthy Work Environment.
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UPSC 2021
“Integrity is a value that empowers the human being.”
Justify with suitable illustration. (Answer in 150
words)
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UPSC 2021
Introduction: Integrity means the ability of an individual to remain consistent and committed to personal and professional values,
characterized by honesty and strong moral principles, even when unobserved.
Empowerment through Integrity:
● Family Life:
○ Integrity builds children's character, teaching honesty and readiness for future challenges.
○ Example: Parents who model moderate reactions help children avoid lying to stay out of trouble.
● Public Life:
○ Integrity fosters good manners, appreciation, and strong social relations.
○ Example: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's acknowledgment of others' contributions, as mentioned by his personal secretary H.
Sheridon.
● Professional Life:
○ Integrity builds trust, responsibility, and career advancement through honesty and professionalism.
○ Example: Ratan Tata's reputation for integrity made him a trusted household name in India.
● Public Services:
○ Integrity ensures civil servants prioritize public interest over personal gain, adhering to ethical codes.
○ Example: T.N. Seshan's integrity as the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India, leading to electoral reforms and
transparency.
Conclusion: Living with integrity empowers individuals by instilling strong moral principles and consistent commitment, serving as
foundational pillars for future success and nobility.
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Thank You
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