Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix.
Identify five ethical traits on which one can plot the performance of a civil servant. Justify their inclusion in the matrix.
Integrity forms the cornerstone of ethical governance, as emphasized by Mahatma Gandhi's principle that means must justify ends in public administration.
Five Essential Ethical Traits for Civil Servant Performance Assessment
• Integrity and Honesty: Foundation of public trust requiring truthfulness in all administrative actions. IAS officer Ashok Khemka's consistent stance against land scams demonstrates unwavering commitment to truth. RTI Act 2005 implementation depends on honest information disclosure by civil servants.
• Impartiality and Objectivity: Ensures equal treatment regardless of personal biases or external pressures. Article 14's equality principle mandates neutral service delivery. UPSC's merit-based selection reflects this trait's importance in governance.
• Accountability and Transparency: Creates responsive governance through clear responsibility mechanisms. Central Vigilance Commission monitors ensure administrative accountability. Digital India initiatives like e-governance platforms enhance transparent service delivery.
• Compassion and Empathy: Enables human-centered policy implementation addressing citizen welfare. Armstrong Pame's road construction initiative in Manipur exemplifies empathetic governance. Jan Aushadhi Scheme reflects compassionate healthcare delivery.
• Professional Competence and Dedication: Ensures effective policy execution through skilled administration. E. Sreedharan's metro projects demonstrate technical excellence combined with ethical leadership. Mission Karmayogi focuses on continuous capacity building for enhanced competence.
Justification for Matrix Inclusion
• Measurable Impact: These traits directly correlate with Sustainable Development Goals achievement and citizen satisfaction indices. Good Governance Index incorporates similar parameters for state performance evaluation.
• Constitutional Alignment: Article 311 emphasizes conduct standards while Directive Principles require welfare-oriented administration. All India Services Conduct Rules reflect these ethical expectations.
• Global Best Practices: OECD governance frameworks and Singapore's civil service model emphasize similar ethical dimensions. New Zealand's public service ethics framework validates this comprehensive approach.
• Stakeholder Trust: Transparency International's corruption perception rankings demonstrate how these traits influence national credibility and administrative effectiveness.
This pentagonal ethical framework provides comprehensive assessment methodology, ensuring Aristotelian virtue ethics integration with contemporary governance demands while maintaining Kautilya's Arthashastra principles of righteous administration.
Answer Length
Model answers may exceed the word limit for better clarity and depth. Use them as a guide, but always frame your final answer within the exam’s prescribed limit.
Ethics: Theory PYQs from 2021
- 10 MarksView Answer
“Integrity is a value that empowers the human being’’. Justify with suitable illustration.
- 10 MarksView Answer
An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including the judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability and ethical conduct. Elaborate.
- 10 MarksView Answer
Should impartial and being non-partisan be considered indispensable qualities to make a successful civil servant? Discuss with illustrations.
- 10 MarksView Answer
“Refugees should not be turned back to the country where they would face prosecution or human rights violation.” Examine the statement with reference to the ethical dimension being violated by the nation claiming to be democratic with an open society.
- 10 MarksView Answer
In case of a crisis of conscience does emotional intelligence help to overcome the same without compromising the ethical and moral stand that you are likely to follow? Critically examine.
- 10 MarksView Answer
Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of human being. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant?
In just 60 sec
Evaluate your handwritten answer
- Get detailed feedback
- Model Answer after evaluation
Model Answers by Subject
Crack UPSC with your
Personal AI Mentor
An AI-powered ecosystem to learn, practice, and evaluate with discipline


