GS – IV paper of the civil services deals with Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude. When I gave the first attempt of UPSC CSE in 2017, I got only 83 marks in ethics paper. Here is my marksheet:
But when I gave CSE 2021, my marks jumped to 112 in Ethics paper. Here is my current marksheet:
What caused this jump in marks? To a great deal it was about thinking about the ordinary terms like honesty, integrity etc and having a clarity of thought. Since I am working for more than 3 years as a bureaucrat in the GOI, it further added perspective of public service in my thought.
This year, In CSE 2021, I have secured AIR 166 and so I thought of sharing my ethics notes which I gathered in my google docs just 2 weeks before exam to summarise the wandering thoughts in my head.
Note from Tarun
These notes are a result of thinking and I have not edited them. I have mentioned everything in very short as I made them for my own use. Pls use them in that spirit. But I think that these would be valuable for the IAS aspirants as clarity of these terms is often missing. I revised these notes even an hour before exam. Pls respect my intellectual property. : p
OBJECTIVITY
Taking decisions on merit without fear or favor.
Threats:
Discretion and subjectivity
Arbitrariness
Discrimination without intelligible differentia
Rule of law not rule by men (show me the person, I will show you the rule)
Perception error: hello error, stereotypes, prejudices
Absolutism
Concentration of power
Enablers:
Accountability
Transparency
Rules and codes and manuals
Empowerment of citizenry
Vigilant media and judiciary in democracy
Simplicity in regulations
Cut scope for discretion
Checks and balances
Data and information
Values to practice objectivity:
Integrity: no compromising influence
No conflict of interest
Spirit of enquiry
Scientific temper
Quest for truth
Selfless
No pecuniary or other interest
Neutral
Manifestations:
Neutrality
Non – partisanship
Impartial
Recent cases:
Racism and criminal justice: George Floyd incident
police: presume that dowry complaint or sc/st atrocity is a false implication
public: perception that all bureaucrats are corrupt
All politicians are illiterate
Climate change is a hoax
Advise by secretary to minister
Cultivate:
Aware of socialization influence
Accept that we do not know in advance
NEUTRALITY
Not taking sides of any interest group and not being biased for or against something or someone. See the things as they are objectively and do the right things as asked by call of duty.
Discharge constitutional obligation and duty.
Rise above narrow interests – religion, race, caste, gender, sex, region.
Objectivity enables neutrality
Seeing the bigger picture
Evaluating decision on national and public interest not for one’s narrow gains
Can’t be neutral if under allegiance of someone or in obligation
Protects independence and freedom of exercising power and decision
Credibility and trust to mediate
Eg: Sarkaria commission : governor to be outside state and not a political person so can be neutral.
Speaker in britain resigns from party
Judicial enquiries
Finance commission
Election commission
CAG
Targeting minority by law enforcement
Targeting immigrants
CS won’t make opinions in public on matters of public policy and politics.
Maintain anonymity and protect from media glare
Judiciary
CBI and ED and CBDT – not serve any interest group
Journalism and media to be neutral to bring truth
Regulators esp: TRAI and net neutrality, labour tribunals, CCI, NPPA, CDSCO and vaccines
Spine and steel nerves
pressures on institutions today – leadership of tall integrity
Bureaucrats and post retirement offers
Cooling off to join a private corporate after retirement
Judges cannot plead in any court
NHRC, CIC, UPSC etc can’t take any public office
Security of tenure
Independent budget, secretariat and office
Conflicting and competing interests in public policy – balance – participate – lobby but take decisions on merit.
When govt not seen neutral:
Crony capitalism charge
JIO tower breaking
Farm protests – trusts issue
Compromised institutions don’t inspire confidence in democracy.
Public servant: serve public not any particular interest group
No neutrality – no objectivity in policy formulation
CS won’t make opinions in public on matters of public policy and politics.
IMPARTIAL
Treating every person equally and fairly.
Neither favoring nor disfavouring any person or group over the other.
No unfair discrimination.
Your standards of conduct are the same for everyone.
Mandela: a man who keeps changing his standards depending on whom he is talking, such a man is not capable of leading a nation.
Rule of law
Journalism
No different treatment: rich or poor, male or female, caste, race, powerful or weak, religion, minority or majority.
Art 15
Art14
Apartheid and colonialism was negation of impartial.
racist , casteist, misogynist behaviour negates impartiality.
Handling of sexual harrassent allegation by the judiciary – seen to be impartial
Recusal from hearing by judges
NON – PARTISANSHIP
Impartial or unbiased behavior esp towards a political party.
Senior CS to serve the minister loyally irrespective of politics of the day.
Party in power vs opposition
Don’t serve by calculating the ideology of those in power.
Be neutral to politics
A CS is not supposed to see the impact of a decision on the voter base of the party in power or calculate electoral gains or be in the good books of ministers and be Yes Man to seek career favorszz. Don’t try to be the hand of opposition in policy advice. Give advice which is objective, independent, impartial and based on merit, facts to serve national and public interest in the framework of constitutional morality.
Be faithful in policy implementation and implementing cabinet decisions and don’t try to sabotage a govt as by law established. Serve the constitution and citizenry and don’t be a tool of the party in power.
CAG, ECI esp state commission, finance commission and CBI and Speaker and governor accused. EXPERTISE AND PROFESSIONALISM
ACCUSATIONS on ex CJI on accepting RS MP
Minister not to make illegitimate demand on bureaucrats
No post retirement card
So, schemes, fund disbursal, investment opportunity not skewed as to opposition rules states or not.
Eg: Aspirational district programme
Vaccine
GST commission
MoF fund release of css
HONESTY
Being truthful. Conduct free from lies and deceit.
Credibility
Trust
Ability to inspire confidence
To be a change agent
Financial honesty and propriety – public money
Entrusted power not used for illicit personal gains
Corruption prone department and projects
Charismatic leadership
Transformational leader – honest to dreams and vision
Secrecy and confidentiality
Dr kalam – nuclear weapon programme
Traitor –
Being an agent of some interest group
Not being loyal to call of duty
Diplomat turned spy
Professionals – doctors, lawyers, teachers, leaders
Witness
Financial frauds – PNB, Collusive frauds, Satyam
In corporate governance – tata vs volkswagen
Facebook not honest – frances haugen whistleblower
Calling a spade a spade
Insider trading
Dishonest conduct: intentions don’t match actions
INTEGRITY
Thoughts, words and deeds in sync.
Uncompromised value system
Honesty + values = integrity
Absorb pulls and pressures
Fortitude and courage
Competence + willingness + courage
Not put you in any obligation or influence which may create a conflict of interest or compromise your ability to stand up to the right values.
Political interference and pressure: when they were asked to bend, theycrawled.
Spineless bureaucracy
Financial, moral, intellectual, institutional integrity
Doing the right things even if politically incorrect.
Doing your deeds irrespective of the consequences
Eg
Socrates hanged for corrupting youth. Didn’t flew jail
Kalam: leader should lead with integrity and succeed with integrity
Bhagat singh: preached atheism and communism. Didnt prayed to god even in his last days. – intellectual integrity. Practicing what you preach.
MG called off NCM due to chauri chaura – moral integrity – doing right despite strong criticism
Professional integrity: a lawyer won’t deny a case merely because he thinks him to be guilty or public or media treat him as guilty
Intellectual integrity: a medical officer won’t make a false report of rape incident
A doctor won’t stop treat a terrorist (kasab incident)
Institutional integrity: we hanged a terrorist after following due process of law – justice system integrity
Vaccine approval after all procedures despite pressure of quick vaccine
Violation of integrity
Fake encounters
Radicalisation and propaganda in name of islam by fundamentalist and terrorist
Window dressing by a collector or accountant
Institutional checks and balances fail if leaders are not of integrity
Prism programme and big tech involvement
Selling personal data, cambridge analytica, despite promises of user privacy
Surveillance and informatisation
Glasgow: breaking promises by developed world on climate finance and tech
Honesty: being true to others
Integrity: being true to yourself
Doing the right thing even if no one is watching
Narayana Murthy – infosys refused to pay bribe to custom officials to import computer at a great loss
PROBITY
Adhering to highest ethical and moral standards in conduct.
A conduct which can openly be held for public scrutiny. Clean, righteous, exemplary and transparent.
Principles of public life: SIA LOOH (selfless integrity accountable leadership open objective honest)
Absence of corruption
Impartial enforcement of rule of law (NCRCW)
Much above merely following the letter of law.
Code of conduct and ethics
Code of ethical standards for judges in public life: aloofness, not close contact with members of bar, not sharing govt accommodation with wards who practice at bar
Ministers: stay in govt accommodation on visits,
Defections: should resign the party and seek fresh elections. Rather joining other parties
in opposition for ministership. Horse trading. Floor crossing.
Political parties giving tickets to people with not a clean record.
bureaucrats : not using favours to seek employment of relatives etc
Even conducting personal life in an honourable way
Clean character
SC: would you want a lifetime ban for elections of convicted in heinous crimes
Republican party senators against conduct of trump – probity
Parliamentarians taking kickbacks to raise a matter on the floor of house
Submitting oneself to legal and judicial process in allegations
Fugitive economic offenders
Dr ambedkar resigned from nehru cabinet when he did not agree to cabinet decision of UCC
Honest affidavits of asset and liability at nomination filing
Annual property returns
Maximum disclosures
Political leaders not making personal comments on each other
Leaders fixing interview questions in advance to avoid criticism
A corporate doing maximum disclosure in board report even beyond what law calls for
MNCs, NGOs, CVOs need probity
Making a policy for apparent public interest but to serve a particular interest group
Pegasus – make full disclosure
Following the democratic principles and ethics in spirit like following laws with proper scrutiny of the committees, participation and disclosure of policy in public.
Data breach allegations: big tech to come out and give all records not put in under carpet
L E J M corporate cvo NGO all follow probity.
Probity of judge is even more imp as public is required to put highest and unquestionable faith in judicial integrity as they do not have an accountability to the electorate as an executive has.
SELFLESSNESS
Always sacrifice or subordinate personal interest for public interest or public good.
Kalam : working on a missile programme even sacrificing all personal time.
Mandela: all youth in jail for the cause against apartheid and dignity and equality. He wanted nothing for him.
Freedom fighters of india.
Martin luther
Mother teresa: service of humanity
A dedicated but anonymous civil servant
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself to the service of others
Kailash satyarthi : nobel
Smt Tulsi Gowda: tribal environmentalist: encyclopedia of forest
Selfishness: only your interest at harm of others’ interest.
Big tech
Hate and violence selling media
Corruption
Criminalisation of politics
Doctors, university donations, clean air is paid
Land water air all paid
Co2 burning
Identify the good of yourself in the good of all.
Rising tide lifts all boats
Love
Good social security
Public trust in communities
Good governance
Climate
Compassion to weak
ACCOUNTABILITY
Answerable for exercising power, taking decisions and using resources.
Power is entrusted
Authority = responsibility
Accountability enforces responsibility
Answerable to those who are source of your authority
Trusteeship principle of power
Absolutism = corrupts
Power for public good
Minimise error in decision making
Justify decisions on file
Answer to 4C
Ministers to parliament
MP to people
Bureaucrats to ministers
Social audit
Jan sunwai
RJ RTI story and MGNREGA
Transparency i.e. prerequisite
Citizen charters
Enforceable codes
Coded manuals of rules
Hierarchy
Outcomes
APAR
Regulators and agencies like NCBC, NCST, NCST
Checks and balances
Regulators accountable to parliament
Democracy is about checks on power as about welfare
We the people: accountability ultimately flows to people
Media
Awakened citizen: dont vote for criminals, dont buy from corporates with weak governance and flouting environment, privacy, child labour or unethical tech giants,
Eg: make amazon pay and labour rights
BLM movement
Tax evasion and panama papers and resignations
Bureaucracy, long hierarchy, complex rules, clogged judiciary, weak rule of law shifts accountability
Prevents misuse of power
Public funds audit of public companies
Question hour, committees enquiry on pegasus, CAG, transparent budget, PAC – financial accountability
A/C for non performance – retire compulsory the dead wood
Independent press
Campaign for judicial accountability. Accountability goes hand in hand with independence. Judiciary out of Lokpal. Appointment, disciplinary action and in house procedures, suo motu contempt cases, misconduct and corruption.
Impeach or transfer
In house procedure
Accountable for work done, time to cases, adjournments, developing principles within judiciary, permanent committee of retired judges, social media and citizen journalist,
Autonomy comes with accountability eg university
Media accountability:
SROs, press council, BARC
Now Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
Professional bodies and regulators like NMC, UGC, NCW, NCPCR, ICAI, BCI.
Separation of power for accountability.
All pillars of democracy to be strong for ethical governance and accountability.
Eg: judiciary struck laxed labour laws in covid, on vaccine pricing and procurement
JPC probe in defense procurement, pegasus, privilege and ethics committee enquiry
Disqualification for defection and OOP
360 degree feedback
GRM
Social media and citizen vigil
LEADERSHIP
Inspire others to action.
Kalam:
Vision
Integrity
Courage to walk on uncharted path
Selfless: give success to team and absorb failures
Prof sATISH DHAWAN
Homi bhabha
Verghese kurien
MSS
Sam pitroda
TATA – oxygen carriers
MG non violent mass satyagraha
Mandela and reconciliation
Martin luther
Lincoln – slavery abolition and civil war
Lee kuan yew and singapore
George washington
Thomas jefferson
Dr Ambedkar
BOSE
Tilak – swaraj is my birthright
Raja rammohan
Vivekananda – spiritual unity
Patel
Jyotiba phule
Anasuya sarabhai
Women fighters
Team building
Risk taking
Agility
Digital
Innovative
Not status quoist
Aspirational districts
CS head many organisations ; CBI, ED, ECI, SEBI
OPENNESS & TRANSPARENCY
Pandora papers – transparency international articles
TORA
RTI
A culture and habit
Frances Haugen whistle on Facebook
Facebook, Google
Political party
Funding but electoral bonds
Affidavit of pending criminal cases and asset and liability
ADR efforts to publish
Voter awareness and informed choice
Not under RTI
funding from abroad
Criteria to give tickets
Open elections within
Executive
OSA
No system to declassify files like USA
RTI enabled to give old records even in section 8
Vol disclosure by ministries
Appointment and transfer and arbitrary
Legislators
Committee secret meetings unlike USA or UK
Public meetings
Live
Judiciary
Secret appointment
Not RTI
Media
Funding and investors
Corporatisation if media
Bureaucracy
Complex rules
Lack capability to RTI
IT
Procurement
PRAGATI
Gati shakti
Single window
Attitudes
Worship authorities and power
Demand openness
Corporates
Procedural and performance
Window dress
Law making and policy making and public consultation and open for public comments
Feedback and criticism
Subjecting actions and decisions open to public scrutiny and accepting the criticism and feedback.
Subjecting actions open to scrutiny by stakeholders and being accepting of feedback and criticism.
Disclosures and information sharing
GANDHI TALISMAN
“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?
Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away.” – One of the last notes left behind by Gandhi in 1948, expressing his deepest social thought
DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE
Motivated and energized to the cause of public service.
Willing to go the extra mile to secure public good and promote public interest.
Spirit of service
Voluntary commitment
Organic desire without external discipline or incentives
Enables sacrifice
Eg:
Innovation in governance
Problem solving attitude
Lead by example
Learning attitude and culture
India nuclear weapon programme
Supercomputer
Cryogenic
ISRO
Uri attack and motivated armed forces
Bureaucrats: not merely formally assigned job description but bring positive impact and change.
MSS
Verghese kurien
Patel
Vivekananda and Ramakrishna mission
MDM scheme started by district collector
BEED model of PMFBY
Livelihood college in chhattisgarh in tribals
Eklavya schools
PM – RPT – reform perform transform
Jan bhagidari – Assam malnutrition in district – buddy mother system
SBM toilets behaviour change
Change agents – sanitary pads
Relentless pursuit and perseverance
Vivekananda: decide a goal and make that your life. Arise awake and stop not…
Wipe out tears
EMPATHY
Ability to think from others’ perspective and understand their situation, interests and perception.
Listen more
Collaborate not compete
Mutuality of interests
Win win not win lose
Genuine care and concern for others’ interest
Meaningful social dialogue
Respect
Observe actions and behavior
Widen knowledge
Fruitful negotiations
Conflict handling
Problem solving
Decisions in stakeholders interests
Makes you compassionate
Reconcile your interest with common good
Be a part of larger humanity
Us not I
Sustainable solutions
Consultative policy
Stubble burning enforcement failed without understanding their concern to clear the field for next crop due to time taking costly labour
Poverty: capability and skills and not handing them money
FRA : tribal rights – reconciled with forest conservation laws
Asking a hungry stomach to wear a mask
Democracy: competing and conflicting interests and civil servant to mediate for common good.
Humane law enforcement: plastic ban without alternatives
SBM: it’s a religious issue and not financial issue
Farmer law and repeal
Nudge and behavioral economics based on empathy: default insurance on airplane ticket
Right to self determination of gender to transgender
Decriminalise suicide
Decriminalise homosexuality
Ending triple talaq
Sensitive to a rape survivor – humiliating medical examinaions, one stop centres – justice usha commission
Common man need a forum to complain- lokpal
Understand issues of small businessman – EODB and ease compliance amd ease of living
Empathic interventions – cashless ayushman bharat
So judiciary and legislature need empathy and feel the pulse of society
Dalai lama: so long as humanity, there are interests and there would be problems. But meaningful social dialogue to meet interests with respect and genuine concern for others.
COMPASSION FOR WEAKER SECTIONS
Talisman best guide
Being moved by the sufferings of someone and feeling motivated to alleviate their sufferings and pain.
Weaker: lack voice, agency, participation in governance, lack empowerment and capability and full participation in society, lack organization.
Women
Caste disability
Pwd : disability is not the problem, accessibility is.
Mental illness
Race
Tribals
Minority
Poverty
Refugees
Old aged
Children
Sexual minority
Transgender
Climate refugees
Migrants
Landless laborer
Developing country india
Socio economic transformation
Development process and conflicts
Development and extremism
Conflicts are inevitable
Populous
Imp that they feel that their interests are protected even if they don’t have full and equal participation
Success of democracy
Inclusive development
Sustainable
Reduce adverse effects of inequality
Ambedkar: remove social and economic inequality. Those who suffer..
Alienation
Migrants in covid: liberal ration, transportation, not penalizing for covid protocol violation, strive to protect their rights at work. SC quashed notification of GJ: strive for just and humane conditions at work
Civil society: adopting orphaned children
SC: ex gratia as per DM act
People doing black marketing of oxygen in COVID
Gurudwara – free oxygen to covid
Selflessness gives compassion
TOLERANCE
Acceptance and openness to differences.
Agreeing to disagree.
Race, caste, opinion, interests, perceptions, truths, religion, gender, sexual identity, cultures, way of life, eating and dressing habits.
Democracy
Diversity in india
No one national language, one religion, one culture, one way of life
Tolerance =) unity in diversity
Otherwise – civil wars, violence, hatred,
No empathy if no tolerance
Violence and discrimination against people from north east
Mob lynchings against minority groups
Condemnation for the poor
Radicalisation and jihad
Islamophobia
Xenophobia
Women enering all spheres- intolerant sexual harrassment – misogyny remarks
Dalit violence
Prejudices and stereotypes make us intolerant
Being open to diverse experiences
Destroys work culture in organizations
Leaders – conflict and polarization
Civil servant – not divisive – individual dignity in constitution
Role of social media – was supposed to make us hear diverse views but ended in echo chambers – hate sells.
SYMPATHY
Feeling sorry or pity for the circumstances of others to lend moral support.
A human has just two duties: see your good in all and then pursue that relentlessly no matter how the situations get or whether there is any reward. In the end , there is no reward. All will die. That’s why the process and the experiences you are going through is the reward. If you don’t enjoy it, there is nothing to enjoy at the end.
ATTITUDE
Settled way to look at things. /outlook/ mindset (growth vs fixed)
Relatively stable evaluative judgements.
About people, work, things, situations, self, life and its aspects.
3 elements:
C – information, data, objective facts and thinking. (I know gambling breeds greed and so loses peace. I never do). Voting strengthens democracy and so.. Climate change is happening and so I save paper, walk, cycle.
IEC, BCC, awareness, sensitisation – BBBP, drug addiction, women rights, child marriage, dowry – rely on free choices and will
A – emotions associated. Family killed by terrorists of a faith. I Hate that religion. USA after 9/11 – islamophobia. Hitler and genocide of jews – negative sentiments to distatorships. Colonised USA was liberated and so their constitution was about freedoms, liberty and happiness and strict SOP so no monarchy and only republic.
SBM and women dignity and family honor, attitude to intercaste marriage – honor killing, charity and voluntarism – positive emotions
B – when we behave in a particular way, we form an attitude accordingly to avoid cognitive dissonance. Use social media a lot – social media is good, makes us express, increase knowledge etc despite reality opposite. Colonial masters made Indians behave in subjugated ways like an inferior race. Indians – colonial mindset/attitude – power worship, unquestioned authority, Indians are inferior – inferiority complex. Swami Vivekanda created pride to break that attitude.
Smoking, not voting
Types:
Negative vs positive:
Thomas alva edison: 10000 ways that didn’t work
Stephen hawking: life even after chronic disability
Mandela: life imprisonment
Kiran bedi and tihar
Amul and verghese
Gandhi: with khadi, non violence we can win over colonial power
ISRO: Kalam: satellite 1979
Our nuclear weapon state
2008 USA civil nuclear agreement
Kalapani : still positive for freedom
Today
India can be 5 Tn
IR 4.0 we can lead
Reform bureaucracy
Problem solving: criminalisation of politics
Protestors: farmers, climate activists
Bureaucracy:
Change agent
Empathy
Hope of reform
Aspirational district
Corruption
Demanding young citizenry
Changing tech
Competition from private
Can do attitude
Data led governance
Changing old habits
Forgiving subordinates
POSHAN, JJM, SBM
Jan Andolan: when you have positive attitude to masses (moderates vs Gandhi)
Hope, optimism, motivation, drive, change agent, belief, confidence.
Democratic vs bureaucratic
Progressive vs regressive
Favorable vs unfavorable
Flexible vs rigid:
Rigid: prejudice and stereotype
Sanitation and godliness (shauchalaya vs devalya)
Women – grihalaxmi – cannot work in factories
SON preference – dudho nahao puto falo –
Religion and doctrines and finality
Jain: anekantavada
Caste: don’t cast their votes but vote their caste.
language
SC:
tribals : backward and poor: like white men burden –
Nasadiya sukta – rig veda – even he does not know.
Adi shankar: chandala as guru
Let the noble thoughts come to us from all directions
Learning culture
Sati
Widow marriage
Child marriage
Dowry
Untouchability
Inferiority complex
Racial dominance and apartheid
Homosexuality decriminal
Women in combat in army
Women in SC – attitude of glass ceiling
Women billionaire
Thoughts: what you think you become.
Thoughts make an attitude.
Attitude shapes thought process or perception process. Can distort or refine perception.
Rigid: attitude to pakistan negative. Won’t accept that people there are good. Less open to new information.
Labor : concept that management is exploitative. Railways PPP for growth but unions oppose saying that they will sell railways. NAM or multi alignment
Mistrusts attitude: farmers vs government
To the godman you worship. Won’t believe a court verdict that convicted them.
So what information you receive, how you process it and how you interpret is all coloured by attitude.
Attitude to current govt: hindutva politics and excludes minority: CAA bound to expel minorities. No good sense will prevail.
Govt can do no wrong: don’t listen to policy weakness like DEMO, lack of manufacturing growth.
Naxalism: power flows to the barrel of Gun not ballot.
See any election as a threat. Space to open dialogue shrinks
Behavior:
Pope: moral obligation to produce babies. So followers produce more and not be childfree.
Life is sacred: no euthanasia
Abortions
Marijuana and liquor
Corruption is sinful
Practical not ideal attitude: justify compromised means: corruption money and charity
Towards money: profit a bad word: crony
Inequality
poverty
Socialistic behave – skeptical to capitalism
nationalization
NAM behave
Sometimes, fence sitters
Attitude action gap
Addictions and habits – porn, intoxicants, drugs
Middle class no voting
Urban women LFPR down
Dowry
Child marriage
Pollution
So shift from IEC to Nudge and BCC
Auto choices – insurance, cookies accept on website – GDPR – cyber hygiene
Mandatory to do something: single use plastic ban, firecrackers ban, dowry ban etc.
MORAL ATTITUDE
Poverty and inequality
Population
Mercy killing
Capital punishment
Live in relations, divorce
Technology and unemployment, AI, ML
Biotech and GMO
Hunger vs food waste
Education – birthright or affordability
WMD, drone, nuclear, bioweapon, cyberweapon
Child free couples – selfish or choice
Mass resignation
IPR or free vaccine
Abortion
Same sex marriage
Sabarimala – equality or religion and culture
Triple talaq
Climate justice – right to develop
Porn
Drugs – decriminalized or legalized
POLITICAL ATTITUDE
State, nation, patriotism, governance, party
Marxism
Socialism
Capitalist state
Leviathan state
Left wing, right wing
Citizen engagement
Nationalism or globalism
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
You are an average of 5 people around you
Parents
Teachers
Peers
Religious leaders
Community leaders like Sarpanch
Mass media
Advertising
Corporate brands, celebrities,
Role models – organizational leaders
Peers and colleagues
Political leadership
Group norms
Position of trust or authority or message is convincing or makes emotional appeal to you => influenced
Charisma: buddha and angulimala
Gandhi and MSS – famine and agro scientist, Baba amte
I have a dream – martin luther
Vivekananda – brothers and sisters of America
Subconscious – socialization, indoctrination, brainwash
Conscious – active choice to watch a series, listen to leader
Negative:
Radicalisation – ISIS, Taliban
Lynchings – mob mentality, anonymity, diffusuion of accountability
Rat race
Culture and climate influence of society on businesses – culture of punctuality, meeting contract obligations, corruptions tolerance
Games – PUBG, blue whale
Children of impressionable age – juvenile crimes
Mewat – deviance theory and cybercrimes like Jamtara
Colonialism: brown englishman – influence of education
Positive:
Media: Gandhi – harishchandra and shravan kumar
Mother – gandhi – putlibai and ramcharitmanas
Kalam: priest of rameshwaram and father spiritual conversations
Phogat sisters, kalpana chawla.. Breaking gender stereotypes
India startup boom
Sarpanch role – no dowry etc
PERSUATION
Actively influencing someone’s choice.
In coercion we impose our will, in persuasion we modify.
Negotiation
Threat and reward
Carrot and stick
Change management model
Resistance to change
TINA – there is no alternative
Quantify the loss
Empathy – make them experience
Psyche – default option – USA organ donation
Princely state integration
Gandhi – satyagraha – africa
NGO
voluntarism enables a meaningful social dialogue and makes representative democracy more participative.
Civil society self reliance – COVID
Development deficit
Problem solving
Education to tribals – missionaries in British
Public health and social vaccine
Environment, biodiversity and wildlife
Voice against the vulnerable and weaker sections
Tribal rights – FRA
RTE
RTI – RJ
Kailash Satyarthi – children
Child labour
Electoral reforms – ADR
MKSS
Bandhua mukti morcha against relaxed laws in COVID
Petition. Org
Mental health
Transgender
Decriminalised suicide, mental illness
Today
Partner in development process:
Govt contracts like Social audit, beneficiary identification, rural awareness, BCC, IEC
Pressure groups
INGO and climate
WWF
IUCN
CI
Causative litigation: Farmer protests. Triple talaq, Sabarimala temple entry, mining in Niyamgiri in Odisha,
Watchdog against crony capitalism: CRZ Illegal mining
Non fulfillment of obligations to resettle and rehabilitate
NGO PRATHAM – education
Indexes
Global hunger index
Freedom house and V Dem –
Democracy index and flawed democracy
Press freedom index
Pollution
ADR
PUCL
Transparency International
Active partner with multilateral institutions like world bank, UN, Africa
Spiritual and charity and religious: Isha foundation, Art of living. Lot of trusts and Deras, Gurudwara and temple foundations, Wakf, faith based organization
Journalist groups
Retired civil servants
Issues
Foreign funding and stifling development in name of development- Sardar dam – NBA – Tehri- Sunderlal and Chipko , against mining, Neutrino observatory didn’t come up, metro in Mumbai
Social media disinformation and communal disharmony and incitement to offence – cow vigilant, mob lynchings,
Delhi riots and CAA protests
Money laundering and tax evasion
Media esp digital media and political debates influenced. Farm protests linked to the Khalistan movement. Campaign in Canada and UK and Pro Khalistan groups using farm protests as a tool for their ends
WTD
Easy compliance framework: FCRA 2020 restrictive
Dedicated ministry now cooperative ministry to be extended to voluntary sector
Better differentiation of purpose of NGO
Audit, accounting
Separate compliance for foreign funding
Accreditation and grading esp to award contracts
PIL Guidelines courts
What helping NGO
Social media
PIL
RTI
CC
Social audit
Globalization
Democracy
NGO- makes the development process inclusive, social just and ensures meaningful partnership so no one is left behind.
Checks and balance on arbitrary power of state
Monetary and evaluation of effectiveness of governance
Active civil society insurance against apathy, indifference and tyranny of state.
Protect civil liberties
Promote human freedoms
CONSCIENCE
Antaratma – inner moral compass – moral intuition – moral consciousness – definite moral judgment.
Collective conscience
Conscience of the constitution
Crisis of conscience
Divine? Always right?
Nuclear bombing of heroshima
Concentration camps
Nanking killings
Rwandan genocide
Colonizers – red indians
Slave trade
Apartheid and racial superiority
Why no crisis of conscience above?
Socialization
Morality of the time
Dead conformity to societal norms
India:
High moral consciousness in some individuals – reforms against conscience of many
Raja rammohan and Sati
Gandhi ostracized to go to england
Speaking truth to colonial power: tilak, maulana, gandhi, bhagat singh
Khap panch
Lynchings and dharam rakshak and gau rakshak
1857 – rifle and religion
What if conscience is against societal code or laws? How to exercise?
Gandhi – truth, non-violence
Ambedkar – constitutional methods, not to lose liberty
Martin luther- non violence only way – racial injustice in democracy
Violence and civil war – slavery in america – lincoln
Not listening to conscience:
Karan and bhishma in mahabharata
Economic deprivation and compulsions today
Inferiority complex – swami vivekananda
WTD?
Conscience = biological evolution * social and civilizational evolution * individual moral development
Scientific temper – reflective and independent conscience
Mean in self conceit and dead conformity
Education and open mind
Human rights
India: anekantavada, adi shankar – knowledge by alternate reality
LAWS & RULES AS SOURCE OF ETHICAL GUIDANCE
Authoritative pronouncement by the sovereign which all constituents are bound to follow. Modern democracy: enactments by sovereign law making bodies.
Rule by law vs rule of law
just , fair, reasonable, not arbitrary, constitutional, participatory and enables access to equal justice
Principles:
Right of self determination
Constitutional
Human rights
Geneva convention – POW
Outer space treaty – envoy of humankind
UNCLOS
Non – refoulement
Authoritarian govt
Democracy is about checks and balances
To protect liberties
Duty to oppose law if grievance that against rights
CAA, farm protests
Rule of law – cannot violate and take in own hands
ETHICAL ISSUES IN FUNDING
FATF – IMF – PAK
USA – TALIBAN – PAK
CHINA – NUCLEAR FUNDING TO PAK THEN KOREA
TERROR FINANCING
FCRA – NGO – NATIONAL SECURITY
ODA – AFRICA – NEW SCRAMBLE AND COLONIALISM
CHEQUE BOOK DIPLOMACY
DEBT TRAP
CLIMATE – FUND MANAGERS – NO TO FOSSILS, ONLY REN
SUPPLY CHAIN OF ORGANIZED CRIME, MONEY LAUNDER, CRYPTO
SANCTIONS – RUSSIA CRIMEA, IRAN NUCLEAR, CHINA FOR TAIWAN
STRENGTHENING MORAL VALUES IN GOVERNANCE
Nurture morality – value education – kalam
Recruitment – chose integrity – process fair – tests
Orientation and socialization – awareness, dilemma training, case study method
Work culture – no victimization
Ethical leadership – criminal politics
Electoral cleaning
Laws to empower and their knowledge – PCA, whistleblower
Ethical infra – 5Cs, lokpal, RTI, citizen charter, social audit
E-governance
Citizen and user participation and ownership
Media and awake civil society
Corporate governance
Reward and punish – sustain ethical culture – make sure perception is : honesty pays
RESOLVING ETHICAL CONCERNS IN PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS
Regulation – polluter pays
Contract enforce
Swift justice
Hot stove rule of discipline
Awarding govt contracts – no crony
Accreditation by third party
Public info and impacting brand equity
Profit or wealth maximization
Listing and transparency
Shareholder – MS against sexual harrassment
Employee – mass resignation against worker exploit, union and train
Audit institutions
Trusteeship, corporate sustainability, 3P
Supplier – wistron and apple case
Supply chain clean and blockchain
Ethics theory
Plato: Allegory of Cave
GANDHI ON WHAT IS TRUTH (From Mkgandhi.org)
Gandhi, satyagraha means “scrupulous regard for truth”. t is what the voice within tells you. This regard itself seems to be individual. Gandhi says that “no power on earth can make a person do a thing against his will”.nature self-evident. It shines clear as soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it. It appears that knowledge of truth has primarily moral and spiritual requirements, reasoning is secondary and cannot succeed without those primary conditions.devotee of Truth must always hold himself open to correction. One should primarily be honest to the self, Honesty or truthfulness appears to be a means to truth. his pursuit of truth that he discovered non-violence. non-violence is the surest method of discovering the truth
He says that there is nothing (morally) wrong in every man following Truth according to his rights.
In our endeavour to approach absolute truth we shall always have to be content with relative truth from time to time” “All progress”, Gandhi claims, “is gained through mistakes and their rectification”.
Gandhi believes that the world as a phenomena is changing every moment and is therefore unreal, yet it has something about it which persists and is therefore to that extent real. God is the purest essence. According to Gandhi, God is “that indefinable something which we all feel but which we do not know.Perfect Truth we can only visualize in our imagination. In the last resort one must depend on faith.According to Kant we cannot know “things-in-itself” and we know things only as “phenomena”. What remains constant is truth seeking.
GANDHI 7 SINS
GEETA
gyan, bhakti, karma yoga
Kama, krodha, raga, dvesha
Nishkam karma
HINDUISM
dharma, artha, kama, moksha
Law of karma
mahabharata
ramayana
BUDDHISM
4 truths
Middle path
Knowledge, faith, thought, livelihood, speech, effort, mindfulness, concentration
JAINISM
Satya, ahimsa, asteya, aparigraha, brahmacharya
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