UPSC Mains 2024 GS2 Q8 — Civil Service Ethics
The Doctrine of Democratic Governance makes it necessary that the public perception of the integrity and commitment of civil servants becomes absolutely positive. Discuss. (Answer in 150 words) 10
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Discuss
- Scope keywords
- Doctrine of Democratic Governancepublic perceptionintegrity and commitmentcivil servantsabsolutely positive
- Implicit sub-parts
- Establish the conceptual link between democratic legitimacy and the conduct of the permanent executive.
- Explain why 'perception' is as crucial as actual 'performance' in the context of public trust.
- Analyze how a negative perception of integrity (corruption) and commitment (red-tapism) undermines democratic outcomes.
- Suggest mechanisms or values required to shift public perception towards the 'absolutely positive' spectrum.
- Common pitfalls
- Treating this as a generic essay on civil service reforms without linking it to the 'Doctrine of Democratic Governance'.
- Focusing only on the 'integrity' (honesty) aspect while ignoring the 'commitment' (dedication to constitutional goals) aspect.
- Failing to address the word 'perception'; writing only about what civil servants do rather than how they are viewed by the citizenry.
- Neglecting to mention the impact of negative perception on citizen participation and the social contract.
- Dimensions required
- Ethical/MoralAdministrative/FunctionalConstitutional/LegalSocial/Psychological
- Marks allocation hint
Spend 30 words defining Democratic Governance and its reliance on public trust. Devote 80 words to the core argument: why integrity and commitment are the twin pillars that sustain this trust. Use the final 40 words to provide brief examples of reforms (like Sevottam or Citizen Charters) that improve perception.
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