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Tarun Goyal

Tarun Goyal

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IAS ETHICS

June 4, 2022 by Tarun Goyal Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Buffet

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

Wealth Without Work

Pleasure Without Conscience

Knowledge Without Character

Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)

Science Without Humanity

Religion Without Sacrifice

Politics Without Principle

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

Let the conversation go on.

Let our free voices echo together to create a melodious song. 

Done!



A Smart Prison

A SMART PRISON

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: Swami Vivekananda

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: Swami Vivekananda

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