ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 27th May. Click Here for more information.
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Topic 1: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; the role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Key concepts: What are values, ethics, morals – Moral relativism/ subjectivism: Variability of ethics and values across time and space – Moral objectivism – Constitutional morality – Determinants of ethicality: end result, intention, circumstances and other factors – Consequences of ethics for individual and society – Supernaturalism, Divine command theory and God based ethics – Subjectivism – Emotivism -Virtue ethics -Deontology – Consequentialism – Intuitionism – Theoretical Dimensions: Normative/ Prescriptive Ethics, Descriptive Ethics, Meta-Ethics, Applied ethics – Ethics for different types of relationship – Human Values: kindness, mercy, justice, love, empathy etc – Lessons from great leaders – Lessons from reformers – Lessons from administrators – Importance of value inculcation – Process of value inculcation – Source of values – Role of the family – How family imparts values? : Strength and Problems – Role of the educational institute – How education imparts values?: strengths and problems – Role of Society – How society imparts values?: strengths and weakness – Doctrine of double effect – Slippery slope doctrine – Environmental ethics – Bioethics – Media ethics.
Topic 2: Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
Key concepts: Belief, opinion and attitude, Attitude Content: CAB Model – Structure of attitude: one-dimensional perspective and two-dimensional perspective – Functions of attitude: ego defensive, value expression, knowledge, need satisfaction – Attitude guiding and influencing behaviour – Behaviour guiding and influencing behaviour – Moral attitude – Political attitudes: Factors determining political attitude, types of political attitude – Cognitive dissonance – Social influence – Persuasion – Manipulation- Propaganda – Bureaucratic attitude – Democratic attitude – Attitude towards women, caste, religions – Stereotypes and prejudices.
Topic 3: Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
Key concepts: Aptitude – Aptitude vs. attitude – Foundational values – Integrity – Impartiality and Non-Partisanship – Neutrality – Objectivity – Dedication and commitment- Tolerance –
Sympathy, Empathy and compassion – Trustworthiness – Perseverance – Honesty – Significance of foundational values for civil servant – Nolan Principles of Public life: Selflessness, Accountability, Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity, Openness, leadership.
Topic 4: Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Key concepts: Concepts: emotions, mood, feeling – Emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, relationship management – Mayer and Salovey – Daniel Goleman – Models of Emotional Intelligence – Utilities and application in administration and governance – Improving Emotional Intelligence.
Topic 5: Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world
Key concepts: Western Thinkers and Philosophers: Socrates – Plato – Aristotle – Deontology: Immanuel Kant and his categorical imperatives – Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham and JS Mill – Social Contract – John Rawls: Justice as Fairness; Indian Thinkers and Philosophers: Mahatma Gandhi – Jawahar Lal Nehru – Raja Ram Mohan Roy – Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar – Swami Vivekanand – Amartya Sen – Saint Teresa
Topic 6: Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Key concepts: Administrative Ethics: status and problem – Draft Public Service Bill – Professional and ethical competence – Importance of Administrative ethics – Administrative ethics in India – Suggestions for creating strong ethical framework for administration – Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions – Resolving ethical concerns and dilemmas – Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance – Difference between laws, rules and regulations – Law and ethics: relation – Limitation of law as source of ethical guidance – Voice of conscience and crisis of conscience – Accountability and Responsibility – Ethical issues in international relations and funding – Just war theory – Corporate governance – Compassionate capitalism – Corporate Governance in India – Companies Act 2013 – Mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility – Clause 49 – Ethical management and management of ethics.
Topic 7: Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Key concepts: Concept of public service and public interest – Spirit of service – Governance and public administration – governance, good governance and ethical governance – Philosophical basis of governance and probity – Courage of conviction – Politicization of bureaucracy – Code of conduct and code of ethics – Information sharing and transparency in government – Right to Information: importance, issues and suggestions – Citizen’s charter: Citizen’s charter movement, importance, issues and suggestion – Sevottam mode – Work culture: in private and public institutions – Quality of service delivery Utilization of public fund – Corruption – e-governance.
Topic 8: Case study on above issues.
