Professional Documents
Culture Documents
S IV
Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil
Service &Dedication to Public Service
INDEX
SECTION A
SECTION B
SECTION C
SECTION D
SECTION E
SECTION F
SECTION G
SECTION H
SECTION I
SECTION J
SECTION K
SECTION L
SECTION M
SECTION N
SECTION O
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INTRODUCTION
CONSTITUTIONAL VALUES
CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS
APTITUDE & FOUNDATIONAL VALUES FOR CIVIL
SERVANTS
VARIOUS COMMITTEES RECOMMENDATION
CODE OF ETHICS
INTEGRITY
IMPARTIALITY & NON PARTISANSHIP
OBJECTIVITY
DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE
EMPATHY,TOLERANCE& COMPASSION TOWARDS THE
WAEKER SECTION
NEED FOR REFORMS
SUGGESTED REFORMS
ANALYSIS
WORKS CITED
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SECTION A: INTRODUCTION
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others
-Mahatma Gandhi
Governance is a term that is widely used in public debate these days & is seen as a solution, to
many problems if not all, that beset the country like corruption, poor delivery of public services,
law & order etc. Governance is the act of governing through decision making& leadership
processes. In the modern Nation-States generally these processes are administered by the
Government. It entails interaction between government & other actors of the social sphere. In a
Parliamentary democracy like India, the ultimate responsibility for running the administration
lies with the elected representatives of the people which are the ministers.
As a handful of elected representatives cannot be expected to deal with all the levels of
administration of the country, the power has been delegated to civil servants, who then supports
the government in developing and implementing its policies as well as service delivery i.e. the
executive decisions are implemented by the Civil Servants.
The Civil Services is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the country & refers to the
permanent bureaucracy of the Government. While the provision of adult franchise & electoral
democracy provides an enabling environment for the practice of democratic governance, it is the
quality of peoplewho must have not only the required skills and knowledge, but also the right
values which would include integrity, commitment to public service and above all, commitment
to the ideals and philosophy embodied in the Constitution.
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Sovereignty- It essentially means the people of country are sovereign & elect their
representatives to govern them in the best possible manner.
Socialism- It means ownership of means of production belongs to the people as a whole
which indicate distributive justice.
Secularism- State should not discriminate negatively or positively towards any religion
Democracy- Rule by people
Republic- It means that supreme power lies in the body of citizens. Head of the state is
elected & not a hereditary institution likes the monarchy.
Justice- Social, economic & political. Which essentially means the society progress
together without any sections left unattended to & rule of law prevail throughout the
country.
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Equality- of status & opportunity seeks to empower the marginalized sections of the
society with certain affirmative action.
Fraternity- means common brotherhood of all Indians, assuring the dignity of all
individuals.
Preamble clearly states that the people of India are sovereign & theconstitution confers the right
on every citizen of India to exercise adult franchise to elect their representatives to govern them.
These representatives then are expected to work towards upholding the spirit & values of the
constitution & give to its people their right to equality, justice & a democratic government &
make this country liberated from the inequality, injustice to people, poverty & many of the ills
that haunt the country in its face even today, thuscreate an independent nation in the true sense!
All India Services Its members serve both the union & the State
Central Civil Services- Its members serve only the central government.
State Civil Services- Its members serve only the respective state government.
Following are the acts & legislations for the civil services:
1) Art 309- This Article empowers the Parliament or the State Legislature to make laws to
regulate the recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services
in connection with the affairs of the Union or the State respectively.
2) Art 312- This Article empowers the Parliament to make laws to create one or more allIndia services (including an all India judicial services) & to regulate the recruitment and
conditions of their service.
IAS & IPS are services deemed to be created by parliament under this article.
Constitution 42nd Amendment Act 1976- It made provisions for constituting an
All India Judicial Services, which has not yet been formed.
3) All India Services Act 1951 An Act which empowers the Central Government to make
rule & regulate the recruitment & conditions of service of person appointed, to the AIS
(viz. Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services & Indian Forest Services)
after consultation with the Governments of the States concerned (including the State of
Jammu and Kashmir)
Key objectives of creating AIS were:
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4) The Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1964 To maintain integrity in public
service the conduct rules were notified in 1964, which stipulate certain guidelines for the
Civil servant to perform the duty with full devotion; perform the task assigned in a set
time frame; shall discharge their duty in a courteous manner & shall not adopt dilatory
tactics in their dealings with the public & the likes that are uncalled for like accepting
bribe etc, from a civil servant.
5) The All India Services Conduct Rules 1968- To maintain integrity in public service the
conduct rules were notified in 1964, which stipulate certain guidelines for the Civil
servant to perform the duty with full devotion; perform the task assigned in a set time
frame; shall discharge their duty in a courteous manner & shall not adopt dilatory tactics
in their dealings with the public & the likes that are uncalled for like accepting bribe etc,
from a civil servant.
Though we have Code of Conduct Rules enumerated in the Central Civil Services
Conduct Rules 1964 & All India Services Conduct Rules 1968 for the Civil
Servants in the form of certain guidelines to follow while discharging of ones
duty, however they do not lay down the values & morals in the form of a Code of
Ethics, that they should imbibe in their persona to do justice with public service.
6) Code of Ethics, 1997 It was the first initiative to introduce the code of ethics for public
servants in India, which was considered a step towards better governance. The salient
features of the code were as follows:
A public servant should:
The code was considered by a group of ministers but was not issued as code of ethics for public
servants unfortunately.
7) Draft Public Service Bill, 2007- Again in 2007 Department of personnel drafted Public
Service Bill. It extends to the whole of India & state. It envisages a moral behavior from
the civil servants & enumerates certain values which should guide the Public Servants in
the discharge of their functions which are as follows:
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The bill is still under consideration. However it tries to fulfill too many objectives apart from a
code of ethic like norms for appointments to public services etc. Thus it might get difficult to
gain consensus on all such issues & pass this bill.
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aptitude or intelligence to adapt themselves & a set of values to yield valuable outcomes that can
improve the life of her citizens.
Today India needs Civil servants with following qualities:
1) Need for specialization: As the functions of Government has diversified, selection for
senior management posts in functional areas and outside functional areas should be done
on the basis of area of specialization. Generally retired civil servants are appointed in
various senior positions which require domain expertise which they neither possess nor
are motivated enough to learn at that stage of their career in most of the cases.
Uttrakhand flood case: In a recent case of Uttrakhand flood in june 2013 due to
cloud burst & heavy rain, authorities in Uttarakhand seemed clueless about how
to handle the situation as disaster management was a new concept to them & it
took time for them to understand how to work in that situation by when a lot of
damage have had happened. If there had been personnel with a prior
specialization in that domain or with proper training, a lot of damage could have
been prevented.
2) Leadership: A leader is one who steps up in times of crisis & is able to think and act
creatively in difficult situations & is able to inspire subordinates to perform & achieve the
goal.
As per the Alagh committee report 2001, the scheme of examination for entry into
civil services should do away with optional papers & rather include test to judge
aptitude & leadership qualities of candidates.
3) He should be willing to assume responsibility & be able to deal with diverse problems of
the country.
4) He should be a good listener who is influential with people to convince them of the
benefits of government programs if required & also motivate & involve them in decision
making.
5) Capacity to use institutional resources to achieve the goals targeted towards a better
society.
6) Avoid using their authority & privileges for their own good.
7) Should welcome reports of troublesome things without getting accustomed to the luxuries
& powers, becoming an end in themselves. They should be ready for any reforms
essential for efficient public service which is often not the case.
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Aptitude & leadership test may be introduced for selection & that domain
assignments should be introduced for the civil servants for acquisition of skills
required.
As no competitive examination can be a proof against unsuitable candidates for the
public service, the committee recommended invoking the probation rules to weed out
such officers. Also a performance review after 15 yrs of service is recommended to
remove such officers.
Code of Ethics should be laid down for the civil servants for imbue the values of
integrity, merit & excellence in public service.
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To discharge official duties with competence and accountability; care and diligence;
responsibility, honesty; without discrimination and in accordance with the law
To ensure effective management, professional growth and leadership development
To avoid misuse of official position or information and using the public moneys with
utmost care and economy
Function with the objective to serve as instruments of good governance and to provide
services for the betterment of the public at large
In the recent case of Durga Shakti Nagpal, her decision to demolish the wall however
constructed illegally, without the order of the executive in a communally sensitive area
could prove to be perilous.
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DOs
Carry out your responsibilities in a way that is fair, just and equitable and reflects the
Civil Service commitment to equality and diversity.
Serve the Government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of your ability in a
way which maintains political impartiality and is in line with the requirements of this
Code, no matter what your own political beliefs are;
Act in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of Ministers, while at the same
time ensuring that you will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom
you may be required to serve in some future Government; and
Comply with any restrictions that have been laid down on your political activities.
DONTs
Though we expect the civil servant to be impartial in their service to the nation however
unfortunately, it is the age of corruption and nepotism. The cases of civil servants losing the
principles of neutrality and rule of law are growing. At the same time, political climate is not
favoring strong and stable government. Thus the role and responsibility of civil service will
grow. Need of the hour is to keep the civil services insulated from politicization of the services!
SECTION I: OBJECTIVITY
Objectivity essentially means basing your ideas & decisions on empirical evidences & a rigorous
analysis of the issue at hand. A Civil servant should be open minded, impartial, guided by
evidence & should not let any set of pre conceived notions affect his duty or professional
conduct.
A civil servant is expected to do the following while maintaining objectivity:
DOs
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Provide information and advice, including advice to Ministers, on the basis of the
evidence, and accurately present the options and facts;
Take decisions on the merits of the case; and
Take due account of expert and professional advice.
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DONTs
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It is well known that economic growth & prosperity in India has generally bypassed a large
number of marginalized and disadvantaged people.Moreover access to basic services & access to
justice depend upon the basic principle that people are aware of their rights, educated enough to
avail those & empowered enough to challenge the authorities in case the justice is being
denied.Which is often not the case & therefore majority of weaker section of the society even
though covered in government programs & schemes on paper, not able to enjoy even the most
basic & fundamental rights in the country!
On top of that many government programs are plagued by corruption, leakages and error in
selection of the claimant, delays, poor allocation & little accountability.
It is therefore imperative to inculcate a strong sense of values like empathy, tolerance &
compassion towards the weaker section, amongst the civil servants, so that we can move closer
towards the dream of an egalitarian society as enshrined in our constitution.
Empathy-It is about understanding another persons condition from their perspective. Simply put
empathy means putting yourself in their shoes & feel what they must be feeling in the
circumstances they are faced with.
There are many destitute in our country, living on pavement, subways etc which do not
know any other home to go & are denied basic rights & services as they cant be given
citizenship because of lack of permanent residence!
Tolerance- It is a fair, objective & permissive attitude towards those whose opinion, practices,
race, religion, gender, or economic status etc differ from ones own.
Compassion- It is a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another which
include the desire to alleviate it.
If governance is important to citizens, it is more important to the weaker section of the society
which includes women & children, poor people, minorities & the disadvantaged. The rest who
are well to do can find their way around poor governance as they are likely to be a part of it.
However it is the weaker section of the society that depends upon governance arrangements for
availing primary services like health, education, shelter & livelihood opportunities.
Thus an improvement in the attitude & conduct of service towards the common man &
especially towards the weak & marginalized is necessary for the task of building a strong nation.
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2) The authority & accountability for meeting certain goals in public administration should
be clearly defined.
3) Political executive should also have conduct rules so that the honest civil servant is not
being harassed for doing what is ethically & morally right.
4) There should be proper training in ethics awareness and also for development of essential
skill for ethical analysis and moral judgment in situations of dilemma for the civil
servants.
5) Though training can impart certain skills in an individual & can make them learn certain
basic values necessary to deliver public services however training cannot completely let
them unlearn their values they have learnt throughout their life. It is therefore necessary
to make drastic changes in the way civil servants are recruited.Rather than testing them
on a rigorous written examination, it should try to judge them on their passion to serve
the nation, qualities like leadershipetc& the values that guide these men/women. Which
could be done by introducing a field based assessment by putting them in real time
situation for some period or making it mandatory before applying for such a position.
Following are some of the recent reforms in the civil services:
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UPSC brought about changes in the Prelims stage of the Civil Services Examination in
2011 by abolishing the optional subject paper and introducing Civil Services Aptitude
Test (CSAT). Further changes were made in the Mains stage of the exam from 2013 by
abolishing one optional subject & expanding the extent of General studies papers.
In 2011, the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) created a proposal to retire
and remove incompetent, inefficient and unproductive All India Service officers after 15
years of service. The proposal has been accepted and rule 16(3) of the All India Services
Rules of 1958 was amended in 2012. As per which central government in consultation
with the state government concerned can retire a member of the services with a 3 months
notice.
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SECTION N: ANALYSIS
Indian civil services have a long history & have evolved over all these years. It has been found
that certain human values & ethics are imperative to do justice to the role & responsibilities of a
civil servant. These values have also find place in various rules including the Code of Conduct
Rules. However values like compassion, integrity, dedication etc cant be taught to an adult
through training of few months. These are the values that an individual learn through the process
of socialization while growing up, which is influenced by his/her family, institutions & the
various leaders & prominent figures he/she come across through various media. We need to
inculcate a strong sense of national pride, a feeling of public service & integrity in the people of
the society at large which is a long term process.
It is evident that States, governments and public services are in a period of transition. There are
fast changes happening on social, political, economic & technological level. We are moving
towards a consumer society where people join even the most noble profession like that of a civil
service to achieve their own materialistic goals. However Constructive internal criticism can
provide with a mechanism of rewarding or punishing a behavior deviant or in compliance with a
set standard.
A civil servant is expected to possess the values and ethics of the highest level that support good
governance & ensure the achievement of highest possible standard in all that they do. There is an
urgent need to reinvent & reinvest in the civil services to ensure it meets the ethical standards it
desire else it could very soon lead to a state of anarchy.
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