Teaching ethics to aspiring civil servants: 

Teaching ethics to aspiring civil servants: 

Context

• The arrest of an Indian Police Service IPS officer for cheating during the civil services examination raises questions on future recruitments to the All India Services and the training of officers

What is the significance of civil services exams?  

• The Civil Service is an integral and key part of the Government. It supports the Government of the day in developing and implementing its policies, and in delivering public services.
• Civil servants are accountable to Ministers, who in turn are accountable to Parliament.
• A civil servant is appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and is expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Civil Services Code:

• ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests;
• ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open;
• ‘objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence; and
• ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well Governments of different political persuasions.
• These core values support good government and ensure the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.
• This in turn helps the Civil Service to gain and retain the respect of Ministers, Parliament, the public and its customers.

Why are ethics important in public administration?

• Ethics are the rules that define moral conduct according to the ideology of a specific group. Moreover, ethics in public administration are important for good business conduct based on the needs of a specific town, state or country.
• Ethics provide accountability between the public and the administration. Adhering to a code of ethics ensures that the public receives what it needs in a fair manner.
• It also gives the administration guidelines for integrity in their operations.
• That integrity, in turn, helps foster the trust of the community.
• By creating this atmosphere of trust, the administration helps the public understand that they are working with their best interests in mind.

What are the factors affecting the training of trainees?

• Supervisors in the State Police do not play the role required of them to train IPS probationers once they are assigned for field training after finishing the course at the NPA.
• Only a few senior officers take interest in instilling the right values in IPS trainees.
• This is not only because of sheer indolence and the low priority accorded to responsibility of monitoring training; it is also because of the declining moral standards of senior police officers themselves