Lecture : 2

Foundational Values of Civil Services (Contd…)

Summary

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Recap of Lecture - 1 : Foundational Values of Civil Services

● Values
● Foundational Values of Civil Services
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○ Meaning gm
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○ Sources kh
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○ Significance f o r pra
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○ Examples O

■ Empathy and Sympathy

■ Compassion and ways to inculcate in Civil Servants
■ Objectivity and its significance

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 Courage and Fearlessness

● It refers to the ability to take decisions and actions and stick to one's
values and principles despite a possibility of unfavourable outcomes.
● According to Nelson Mandela, "Courage is not the absence m
of fear but the
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triumph over it" ail
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● Courage is the first of human qualities because vkh
u nit guarantees adherence
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to other values. It helps individuals in takingr pra ethically correct decisions
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however tough the situations and theOncircumstances.

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 Importance of Courage for Civil Services
● It helps them 'to stay firm on their core values' and principles irrespective of
hardships.
● Civil servants often make unpopular decisions and only courage can help them in
making the decisions. m
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● The courage shown by Mr. T.N. Seshan has been important a
gm for having free & fair
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elections. u nt2
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● Courage is important to ensure a well-functioning n
pra society as Napoleon had once
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said "The world suffers a lot not because ly fof the violence of the bad but
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because of the silence of the good"

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 Ways to inculcate Courage in Civil Servants

● Implementing a 'Strong Whistleblower law' so that the wrongdoing

within the government is exposed without fear of repercussions.
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● Making the process of appointment, posting and transfers a i l. co apolitical
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nature by establishing mechanisms such as uant2Civil 5@ Services Board.
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● Recognizing and 'rewarding the acts rof pr a n av
courage' shown by civil
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servants. ly f
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 Dedication to Public Service

● It refers to 'commitment, passion and a personal urge to do something for

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the public good' without any external stimulus or force.ail.co
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● In other words, it refers to internalising the causentof @
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good. n av
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● Dedication and commitment are often confusedly f o with each other but dedication
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refers to the highest form of commitment where a person is 'willing to go
beyond the call of duty'
● Commitment on the other hand is more of an obligation fulfilled by a person as
a part of his duties. It can be hence said that Dedication = Commitment +
Passion.

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 Importance of Dedication to Public Service

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● A Civil servant's job is 24*7 and a person can a i
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gm sustain in such a
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job only if one is dedicated to the causeavof k public service.
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● It was due to dedication that Armstrong
n ly f or Pame went for crowd-
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funding for road construction after there was lack of official funds.

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 Ways to inculcate Dedication in Civil Servants

● 'Rewards and recognition' to the best-performing officers to create

inspiration for others. l. co
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● 'Organizing regular training sessions' and providing @
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field visits to sensitise the civil servants towards a vkh the challenges faced by
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the citizens. ly f
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● Inspiring the young civil servants through anecdotes, examples and
stories of exemplary civil servants from the past.

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 Common Queries

● How does the government make sure everyone follows the rules in different
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departments? i l. co
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● Can you share examples of how the government uses nt2
5@ surveys and data tools
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to get better information? kh
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r pra
● Why is it important for people to speak up o
ly f when something is wrong in society?
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● How can the government ensure fairness in appointing and moving civil
servants without political influence?
● What's the meaning of dedication compared to commitment in public service?
● How do training sessions and field visits help civil servants understand the
challenges faced by citizens?

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UPSC PYQ’s : Theoretical Questions

● Apart from intellectual competency and moral qualities, empathy and compassion are some of
the other vital attributes that facilitate the civil servants to be more competent in tackling the
crucial issues or taking critical decisions. Explain with suitable illustrations. m
(UPSC CSE 2022)
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● Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding. ail Those that
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persevere will see the light, sooner or later” – Swami Vivekananda 5@ (150 words) (UPSC CSE
u nt2
2021) kh
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● Examine the relevance of the following in the context f o r pof civil service: (a) Transparency (b)
l y
Accountability (c) Fairness and justice (d) Courage On of conviction (e) Spirit of service. (UPSC
CSE 2017)
● What do you understand by the following terms in the context of public service? (5 terms x 3
marks each: a) Integrity b) Perseverance c) Spirit of service d) Commitment e) Courage of
conviction f) Personal opinion. (UPSC CSE 2013)

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UPSC PYQ’s : Case Studies

CASE STUDY : Disillusioned UPSC topper (UPSC CSE : 2014)

Rameshwar successfully cleared the prestigious civil services examination and was excited about the
opportunity that he would get through the civil services to serve the country. However, m soon after joining the
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services, he realized that things are not as rosy as he had imagined. gm
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He found a number of malpractices prevailing in the department assigned hu k to him. For example, funds under
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various schemes and grants were being misappropriated. The a
profficial facilities were frequently being used for
f or
personal needs by the officers and staff. After some time,ly
On he noticed that the process of recruiting the staff was
also not up to the mark. Prospective candidates were required to write an examination in which a lot of cheating
was going on. Some candidates were provided external help in the examination. Rameshwar brought these
incidents to the notice of his seniors. However, he was advised to keep his eyes, ears and mouth shut, and
ignore all these things which were taking place with the connivance of the higher-ups. Rameshwar felt highly
disillusioned and uncomfortable. He comes to you seeking your advice.

Indicate various options that you think are available in this situation. How would you help him to evaluate these
options and choose the most appropriate path to be adopted? 250 words (20 Marks).
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UPSC PYQ’s : Case Studies

CASE STUDY: IPS Officer vs Drug Mafia (UPSC CSE 2019)

In one of the districts of a frontier state, narcotics menace has been rampant. This has
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resulted in money laundering, mushrooming of poppy farming, a arms smuggling and near
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stalling of education. The system is on the verge of collapse. 5@ The situation has been
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further worsened by unconfirmed reports that local vkh
apoliticians, as well as some senior
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police officers, are providing surreptitious patronage to the drug mafia. At that point of
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time a woman police officer, known for her skills in handling such situations is appointed
as superintendent of police to bring the situation to normalcy.

If you are the same police officer, identify the various dimensions of the crisis. Based on
your understanding, suggest measures to deal with the crisis. (250 words) (20 marks)

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UPSC PYQ’s : Case Studies
CASE STUDY : Handling the illegal Sand Mining Mafia (UPSC CSE : 2021):

Sunil is a young civil servant and has a reputation for his competence, integrity, dedication and relentlessness in pursuit of difficult and onerous
jobs. Considering his profile, he was picked up by his bosses to handle a very challenging and sensitive assignment. He was posted in a tribal-
dominated district notorious for illegal sand mining. Excavating sand from river belts and transporting it through trucks and selling them in the
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black market was rampant. This illegal sand mining mafia was operating with the support of local functionaries and tribal musclemen who in turn
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were bribing selected poor tribals and had kept the tribals under fear and intimidation. a
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Sunil being a sharp and energetic officer immediately grasped the ground realities anduthet25
n modus operandi followed by the mafia through their
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devious and dubious mechanism. On making inquiries, he gathered that some of their av own office employees are in hand and glove with them and
have developed close unholy nexus. Sunil initiated stringent action against themp ranand started conducting raids on their illegal operations of the
y for in the past had taken such strong steps against the mafia. Some of
movement of trucks filled with sand. The mafia got rattled as not many officers
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the office employees who were allegedly close to the mafia informed Othem that the officer is determined to clean up the mafia’s illegal sand mining
operations in that district and may cause them irreparable damage.

The mafia turned hostile and launched a counter-offensive. The tribal musclemen and mafia started threatening him with dire consequences. His
family (wife and old mother) were stalked and were under virtual surveillance and thus causing mental torture, agony and stress to all of them. The
matter assumed serious proportions when a muscleman came to his office and threatened him to stop raids etc., otherwise, his fate will not be
different than some of his predecessors (ten years back one officer was killed by the mafia)
a) Identify the different options available to Sunil in attending this situation
b) Critically evaluate each of the options listed by you.
c) Which of the above, do you think, would be most appropriate for Sunil to adopt and why?

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 m
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