Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems; Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions

Ethics in administration refers to the application of moral values and principles in the functioning of public institutions and civil servants. It forms the bedrock of good governance, rule of law, and public trust.

Major Components of Ethics in Public Administration

Keywords	Examples
1. Integrity	Ashok Khemka, IAS officer, exposed land scams despite repeated transfers.
2. Objectivity and Neutrality	TN Seshan’s impartial electoral reforms as CEC reflected administrative neutrality in a highly politicised domain.
3. Transparency	Digital land records and e-governance portals like Bhoomi (Karnataka) reduce discretion and increase public access.
4. Accountability	Use of Social Audit in MGNREGA to hold officials accountable for funds spent.
5. Citizen-Centric Administration	Jan Sunwai in Rajasthan enabled villagers to publicly question local officials—driven by civil society efforts like MKSS.
6. Efficiency and Equity	Digital India campaign combines efficiency with last-mile inclusion.
7. Justice Delivery	DLSA (District Legal Services Authority) and Lok Adalats provide speedy justice to poor litigants.
8. Rule of Law and Non-Arbitrariness	Supreme Court’s suo motu actions during COVID-19 ensured migrants' rights when executive actions fell short.
9. Inclusiveness and Social Sensitivity	The Vishakha Guidelines mandated safe workplaces for women, establishing ethical responsibility and legal accountability for preventing sexual harassment.

Problems in Ethics in Administration

"The real issue is not the lack of laws but the lack of ethical conduct." -  2nd ARC

Keywords	Examples
1. Political Interference and Arbitrary Transfers	Ashok Khemka was transferred over 50 times for exposing corruption in land deals.
2. Erosion of Integrity and Rise of Cronyism	Vyapam Scam (MP) – involvement of officials in recruitment fraud reveals institutional collapse of ethics.
3. Lack of Accountability and Transparency	The death of whistleblower Satyendra Dubey in the National Highway scam reflects inadequate protection for honest officers.
4. Empathy and Citizen-Centric Approach Missing	Denial of ration and pension in Jharkhand due to Aadhaar failures led to starvation deaths, indicating poor empathetic governance.
5. Ineffective Ethical Infrastructure	Delay in operationalising institutions like Lokpal.
6. Decline in Public Trust	The Commonwealth Games Scam (2010) exposed large-scale corruption involving bureaucrats and contractors, leading to public outrage and loss of trust in administrative integrity.

Resolving problems in Administrative ethics

“A country’s greatness lies in its moral values, not just its economic growth.”

Keywords	Examples
1. Administrative Stability	In states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, fixed tenure rules for IAS officers helped reduce interference.
2. Institutionalise Ethics Infrastructure	"Ethics in Governance" recommended setting up Ethics Commissions and codifying values.
3. Citizen-Centric Governance	Sevottam model in Himachal Pradesh integrated citizen charters and grievance redress systems for better service delivery.
4. Recognition of Ethical Leadership	Annual Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration recognize ethical innovations in governance.
5. Community-based accountability	Mandatory Social Audit in government schemes.
6. Adopt Sweden’s Transparency Model	Public access to official documents promotes openness

Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government Institutions

An ethical dilemma arises when a public servant faces a situation in which moral values conflict, making it difficult to determine the right course of action.

Keywords	Examples
1. Conflict Between Personal and Professional Values	A woman officer tasked with conducting evictions of illegal slums may feel morally conflicted when families with children are rendered homeless, despite the legal mandate.
2. Pressure from Political Executives	In Sand Mining cases in Uttar Pradesh, honest officers like Durga Shakti Nagpal faced suspension for acting against a politically connected mafia, despite following the rule of law.
3. Grey Areas in Law	In land acquisition cases, deciding between industrial development and the displacement of impoverished villagers poses significant ethical challenges.
4. Public Interest vs. Organisational Loyalty	An internal auditor in a government bank discovers large NPAs hidden by senior management. Reporting the fraud may damage the bank's reputation, but it upholds accountability.
5. Resource Scarcity and Prioritisation of Benefits	During natural disasters, officials must decide whether to prioritise rescue in densely populated urban areas or isolated rural villages—both equally affected.

Methods to Resolve Ethical Dilemmas in Public Administration

"The time is always right to do what is right." – Martin Luther King Jr.

Keywords	Examples
1. Rule-Based Approach	Referring to established codes, such as the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules or the Code of Ethics, helps guide action.
2. Utilitarian Approach	A health officer deciding vaccine distribution prioritises frontline workers and the elderly—even if VIPs demand early access—serving public interest over privilege.
3. Virtue Ethics- Moral Reasoning and Conscience-Based Decision	During the 2015 Chennai floods, an IAS officer chose to divert official vehicles and manpower to rescue stranded civilians instead of continuing a VIP convoy arrangement. This decision, though unofficial, reflected compassion and moral courage rooted in public service ethics.
4. Consultative Approach	A probationary IAS officer posted as SDM consults the District Collector before taking disciplinary action against a politically connected official, ensuring procedural correctness.
5. Constitutional Morality	A District Magistrate refusing to conduct religious profiling during welfare scheme implementation upheld secularism and equality before law, as mandated by the Constitution (Article 14 and 15).