Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
The Moral Compass of Administration
Integrity
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
Civil servants must act with integrity to maintain public trust, refusing corruption or bias.
Probity in Governance
Evidence of ethical behaviour in a particular process. It goes beyond mere honesty to strict adherence to a code of ethics.
Ensures procedural integrity, accountability, and transparency in public service.
Empathy
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Crucial for administrators to understand the grievances of the marginalized and vulnerable sections.
Emotional Intelligence
The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
Helps in stress management, conflict resolution, and leadership.
Attitude
A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.
A positive service-oriented attitude is essential for effective public administration.
Aptitude
A natural ability to do something. In civil services, it refers to the potential to acquire the skills necessary for the job.
While skills can be learned, aptitude determines the ease of learning and suitability for the role.
Objectivity
The state of being unbiased and based on observable facts rather than feelings or opinions.
Essential for fair decision-making, ensuring no favoritism or prejudice in administration.
Accountability
The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.
Cornerstone of democratic governance; ensures power is not misused.
Tolerance
The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour that one dislikes or disagrees with.
Critical in a diverse country like India to maintain social harmony.