In recent times, there has been an increasing concern in India to develop effective civil service ethics, codes of conduct, transparency measures, ethics and integrity systems and anti-corruption agencies. In view of this, there is a need being felt to focus on three specific areas, which are directly relevant to the problems of internalizing integrity and ethics in the civil services. These are as follows :
1. Anticipating specific threats to ethical standards and integrity in the civil services,
2. Strengthening the ethical competence of civil servants and
3. Developing administrative processes and practices which promote ethical values and integrity in civil services.
Suggest institutional measures to address the above three issues.
Approach · directive: “suggest”
What it asks · Institutional, not merely personal, measures, organised strictly under the three heads given (anticipating threats, building ethical competence, and processes that embed integrity), each briefly justified.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Suggest institutional measures for anticipating specific threats to ethical standards and integrity
- Suggest institutional measures for strengthening the ethical competence of civil servants
- Suggest institutional measures for administrative processes and practices that promote ethical values and integrity
Open with · Integrity cannot rest on individual virtue alone; it must be designed into rules, training and processes, as the Second ARC's Ethics in Governance report (2007) urged.
Cover
- Anticipating threats: periodic integrity risk assessment of vulnerable posts and processes (procurement, licensing, transfers), using vigilance data and complaint analytics to spot weak points early.
- Anticipating threats: conflict-of-interest declarations, annual asset disclosure, gift registers and post-retirement cooling-off rules, so risks are declared before they become misconduct.
- Ethical competence: compulsory, case-based ethics modules at induction and mid-career training, ethics mentors in departments, and integrity weighed in appraisal and promotion.
- Ethical competence: a values-based Code of Ethics alongside the rule-based Code of Conduct, as the Second ARC recommended, so officers reason rather than merely comply.
- Processes: transparency by design; e-governance, e-procurement, proactive RTI disclosure, citizens' charters and social audit reduce discretion and the opportunity for corruption.
- Processes: protected whistle-blower channels, time-bound vigilance and Lokpal/Lokayukta action, fixed tenures with a transparent transfer policy, and public recognition of honest officers.
- Culture: leaders set the ethical tone; regular ethics audits and grievance feedback keep these systems alive rather than ceremonial.
Close with · Rules deter, competence guides and processes remove temptation; only the three together turn integrity from a personal virtue into an institutional habit.
Add value (verified)
- Mission Karmayogi (NPCSCB), approved by the Cabinet on 2 September 2020, provides for a Capacity Building Commission to harmonise training standards across Central Training Institutions. Cabinet approves Mission Karmayogi, National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building — PMINDIA, 2 September 2020 ↗“Capacity Building Commission to harmonize training standards, create shared faculty and resources, and have supervisory role over all Central Training Institutions”
- Kautilya's Arthashastra: just as one cannot tell whether a fish moving under water is drinking, one cannot detect government servants taking money. Kautilya's Arthashastra, R. Shamasastry's English translation (Internet Archive) ↗“Just as fish moving under water cannot possibly be found out either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out (while) taking money (for themselves).”
- Rule 3(2B) of the AIS (Conduct) Rules (2014): take decisions solely in public interest, use public resources efficiently and economically, and declare private interests and resolve conflicts so as to protect the public interest. All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, Rule 3 as amended (incl. DoPT notification of 6.08.2014) — copy hosted by the High Court of Tripura ↗“(iii) maintain integrity in public service; (iv) take decisions solely in public interest and use or cause to use public resources efficiently, effectively and economically; (v) declare any private interests relating to his public duties and take steps to resolve any conflicts in a way that protects the public interest;”
- The 2nd ARC's 4th Report (Ethics in Governance) recommended that public service values be defined for all public servants and that whistle-blowers be protected, as summarised by Mizoram's personnel department. Presentation on the 2nd ARC and its recommendations (4th Report: Ethics in Governance) — Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Government of Mizoram ↗“Office of Ethics Commissioner suggested (A-nn) Office of Profit (A-nn) Public Service Values for all public servants should be defined (A) National Judicial Council (A) Sanction for prosecution (NA) Protection to whistle-blowers (A)”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 338 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
Integrity cannot rest on individual virtue alone. The 2nd ARC's Ethics in Governance report (2007) argued for designing it into rules, training and processes; the three areas map onto foresight, capability and design.
| Area | Key institutional measure | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Anticipating threats | Risk maps, disclosures, whistle-blowing | Prevention |
| Ethical competence | Code of Ethics, case-based training | Capability |
| Processes and practices | E-governance, fair postings, quick vigilance | Design |
1. Anticipating specific threats to ethical standards and integrity
- Why foresight: Kautilya warned that officials taking money are as hard to detect as a fish drinking under water, so risks must be foreseen, not discovered.
- Integrity risk assessment: periodic mapping of vulnerable posts and processes (procurement, licensing, land, transfers) using vigilance data, audit findings and complaint analytics.
- Disclosure regimes: annual asset returns, conflict-of-interest and gift registers, and post-retirement cooling-off. Rule 3(2B) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules (2014) already requires officers to declare private interests.
- Early warning: protected whistle-blower channels, which the 2nd ARC's 4th Report recommended, and exit interviews from sensitive posts.
2. Strengthening the ethical competence of civil servants
- Code of Ethics: a values-based code beside the rule-based conduct rules, as the ARC recommended, with public service values defined for all servants.
- Case-based training: dilemma modules at induction, mid-career and before sensitive postings; ethics mentors in departments.
- Shared platform: Mission Karmayogi (2020) provided for a Capacity Building Commission to harmonise training standards, a ready vehicle for ethics learning.
- Appraisal: integrity weighed in empanelment and promotion.
3. Administrative processes and practices that promote integrity
- Transparency by design: e-governance, e-procurement, proactive RTI disclosure, citizens' charters and social audits remove face-to-face discretion.
- Fair personnel processes: fixed tenure and a transparent transfer policy shield officers from punitive postings.
- Quick, credible accountability: time-bound vigilance and Lokpal or Lokayukta action, protection for good-faith decisions, and public recognition of honest officers.
- Ethical leadership: seniors set the tone; periodic ethics audits keep systems alive rather than ceremonial.
Foresight removes threats, competence guides choices and processes remove temptation. Only together do they turn integrity from a personal virtue into an institutional habit.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.