Summary

Ethics Class 01 - Jatin Gupta

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE (05:05 PM)

TOPICS UNDER ETHICS IN GOVERNANCE (05:11 PM)

Syllabus Points:
Dimensions of ethical governance
Code of ethics and code of conduct
Probity in governance
Corruption and its related issues.
Public service delivery
Utilization of public funds.
Corporate governance.
Rules, regulations, and Laws in ethical decision making
Ethics in International relations.
Sources for Ethics in Governance:
UPSC PYQs 2013 onwards.
Class Notes.
Toppers copies for reference. (Available on the VISION IAS Platform)
VISION IAS Value Addition Material for Ethics.
Ethics in Governance Report (Second Administrative Reforms Commission)
Lexicon book
For Examples, refer to the PM Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, Padma Awards, Indian Express Awards for Governance, Better India Website, Current Affairs, etc.

VALUES (05:47 PM)

Values:
Values are intrinsic beliefs of an individual or a group that guide and motivate one's behaviour, attitude, and actions.
Every individual or community has a different set of values to which he or she gives importance some of the values are considered universal in nature and are held in high regard by different communities across the world.
For Example, Truthfulness, Honesty, Courage, Helpfulness, and Compassion.
Spatial and Temporal differences in Values:
Values vary spatially and temporally.
For Example, It may not be wrong to wear an undergarment printed with the national flag of the United States of America. Still, it may be considered as objectionable and disrespectful in India.
Generally people are predisposed to adopt the values they are raised with.
They also believe that those values are 'Right' because they are the values of their particular culture and may not necessarily apply to other cultures.
Ethical decision-making often involves 'Weighing values against each other' and choosing which values should be elevated.

FOUNDATIONAL VALUES OF CIVIL SERVICES (06:02 PM)

Foundational values are those values and principles that form the very basis of the functioning of any organisation.
In other words, They form the core identity of an organization.
They permeate the entire work culture of the organization from the top to the bottom.
They are usually determined by the leadership of the organization and guide the internal and external behaviour of that organization.
For Example, The discipline and punctuality of the Indian Armed forces, the employee centricity of the TATA's, Innovation, and risk-taking for Google.

SOURCES OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES TO CIVIL SERVICES (06:19 PM)

SIGNIFICANCE OF FOUNDATIONAL VALUES TO THE CIVIL SERVICES (6:52 PM)

Civil servants enjoy wide 'discretionary powers' and by following the foundational values they can limit the misuse of these powers at the expense of the public interest.
By following and adopting the foundational values, we can reestablish the lost trust between the government and the citizens.
They can help in ensuring uniformity and consistency in the decision-making and the actions of the civil servants.
Civil servants often face ethical dilemmas during the course of their work and relying on foundational values can help them in resolving these dilemmas in a speedy and effective manner.
Laying down the foundational values and following them diligently can help in achieving the desired objectives of the civil services and the idea of good governance.
Often in society people have preconceived notions and values and civil servants must know how to overcome them by prioritizing the public interest. In such circumstances foundational values become handy.

SYMPATHY, EMPATHY, AND COMPASSION (7:09 PM)

'Sympathy' refers to a situation where an individual recognizes the pain and suffering of other individuals'
Empathy on the other hand is putting oneself in the shoes of others as if it is one's pain.
In Empathy an individual engages himself cognitively rather than only recognizing the pain superficially.
Compassion means taking action to relieve the pain and suffering an individual is experiencing.
Compassion is a four-step process:
1) Being aware of someone's feelings or suffering.
2) To be moved emotionally by someone's suffering or feelings.
3) Developing a desire to resolve someone's suffering.
4) Taking necessary steps to resolve someone's suffering.
Compassion shows the 'highest level of kindness' when a person is ready to endure pain for the sake of others.
It requires a person to be self-aware and attentive to the needs of others and to be committed to the same.
Quote: Dalai Lama says "Love and Compassion are necessities and not luxuries and without them, humanity can not survive."

SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPASSION IN CIVIL SERVICES (7:22 PM)

All the other values are meaningless without 'Compassion'
In fact, The very purpose of the civil service is to 'relieve the pain and suffering of others' which can not be achieved without compassion.
To maintain the people's trust showing empathy and compassion is of utmost importance.
We are often victims of stereotypes in society which can prevent us from effectively helping others, Such a situation may be overcome by inculcating empathy and compassion.
Over a period of time civil servants become armchair advisors such attitudes can be kept in check by inculcating empathy and compassion.
It can provide a purpose to go any length to address the problems of people.
It can play a crucial role in ensuring citizen-centric administration.

INCULCATING COMPASSION IN CIVIL SERVANTS (7:42 PM)

Organizing regular field visits for civil servants.
Cultivating interests in the culture of others through activities such as Bharat Darshan, India Day, etc.
Organizing role-play activities such as the one conducted at the National Police Academy.
Organizing activities such as 'Janta Darbar' to get a first-hand perspective of the problems of the people.
Organizing sensitivity training for civil servants throughout the course of their careers.

OBJECTIVITY (07:50 PM)

Objectivity refers to making decisions on the basis of facts and figures and not as per an individual's preconceived notions and prejudices.
It means not getting influenced by personal feelings and opinions.
The opposite of objectivity is subjectivity, which means making decisions on the basis of one's biases.
Lacking objectivity may often result in wrong policy decisions and justification of the same would become very difficult.

TOPIC FOR THE NEXT CLASS: FOUNDATIONAL VALUES FOR CIVIL SERVICES (To be Continued...)