GS Paper IV 2019 · Q1 (Section A)
2 parts · 10 marks and 150 words each Probity in governance X-Ray · Core #10Q1(a) 10 marks · 150 words · answered on its own
What are the basic principles of public life ? Illustrate any three of these with suitable examples.
Approach · directive: “what are; illustrate with examples (any three)”
What it asks · State the basic principles of public life, then bring any three of them alive with real, suitable examples.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- State the basic principles of public life
- Illustrate any three of them with suitable examples
Open with · Public life means holding office, power or public money in trust for others; the UK's Nolan Committee (1995) distilled its ethics into seven principles, the first being that holders of public office act solely in terms of the public interest.
Cover
- A table groups the seven Nolan principles by what they govern: motive (selflessness, integrity), method (objectivity, openness) and answerability (accountability, honesty, leadership).
- Objectivity: T. N. Seshan as Chief Election Commissioner, enforcing spending limits and exposing politicians' illicit use of public resources for electioneering.
- Accountability: Lal Bahadur Shastri's resignation as Railway Minister in November 1956 after the Ariyalur rail accident.
- Openness: the RTI Act, 2005 and the Supreme Court's 2019 ruling that, as a public authority, it includes the office of the Chief Justice of India.
Close with · Dr Rajendra Prasad (Constituent Assembly, November 1949): men of character and integrity can make the best even of a defective Constitution; rules list principles, only people live them.
Add value (verified)
- Nolan principles (UK Committee on Standards in Public Life, 1995): selflessness means acting solely in the public interest; integrity means accepting no obligation that could improperly influence one's work and seeking no private gain for self, family or friends.The Seven Principles of Public Life — GOV.UK, Committee on Standards in Public Life ↗“Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. 1.2 Integrity Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.”
- Nolan principles: objectivity means acting and deciding impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias; accountability means answering to the public and submitting to the scrutiny necessary to ensure it.The Seven Principles of Public Life — GOV.UK, Committee on Standards in Public Life ↗“Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. 1.4 Accountability Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.”
- As Chief Election Commissioner, T. N. Seshan enforced spending limits, required candidates to account for their expenses, and exposed politicians who made illicit use of public resources for electioneering (Magsaysay citation, 1996).Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation — T. N. Seshan (former Chief Election Commissioner), 1996 Award for Government Service, citation ↗“He enforced spending limits and required contestants to submit full accounts of their expenses for scrutiny by independent government inspectors. He exposed politicians who made illicit use of public resources for electioneering and prohibited election-eve bonanzas for government workers.”
- CPIO, Supreme Court v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (13 November 2019): the Supreme Court, a public authority under the RTI Act, necessarily includes the office of the Chief Justice of India and the judges, which is not a separate public authority.CPIO, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, Supreme Court of India, judgment of 13 November 2019 — Indian Kanoon ↗“The Supreme Court of India, which is a ‘public authority’, would necessarily include the office of the Chief Justice of India and the judges in view of Article 124 of the Constitution. The office of the Chief Justice or for that matter the judges is not separate from the Supreme Court, and is part and parcel of the Supreme Court as a body, authority and institution.”
- Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly (26 November 1949): if those elected are capable men of character and integrity, they can make the best even of a defective Constitution; if not, the Constitution cannot help the country.Constituent Assembly Debates, 26 November 1949, closing address of the President, Dr Rajendra Prasad — constitutionofindia.net ↗“If the people who are elected are capable and men of character and integrity, they would be able to make the best even of a defective Constitution. If they are lacking in these, the Constitution cannot help the country.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 205words · Minimalist IAS
Public life means holding office, power or public money in trust for others. The UK's Nolan Committee (1995) distilled its ethics into seven principles, the first being that holders of public office 'should act solely in terms of the public interest'.
The basic principles of public life
| What they govern | Principles | What they ask |
|---|---|---|
| Motive | Selflessness, integrity | Public interest; no improper obligation |
| Method | Objectivity, openness | Merit, evidence, lawful disclosure |
| Answerability | Accountability, honesty, leadership | Scrutiny, truth, personal example |
Three principles illustrated
- Objectivity: as Chief Election Commissioner, T. N. Seshan enforced spending limits and exposed politicians who made illicit use of public resources for electioneering, applying one rule to the mighty and the weak alike.
- Accountability: Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned as Railway Minister in November 1956 after the Ariyalur rail accident, owning a failure he had not personally caused.
- Openness: the RTI Act, 2005 reached even the highest court; in 2019 the Supreme Court held that, as a public authority, it 'would necessarily include the office of the Chief Justice of India'.
Rules can list such principles; only people can live them. Dr Rajendra Prasad told the Constituent Assembly in November 1949 that men 'of character and integrity' could 'make the best even of a defective Constitution'.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
Q1(b) 10 marks · 150 words · answered on its own
What do you understand by the term ‘public servant’ ? Reflect on the expected role of public servant.
Approach · directive: “what do you understand by; reflect on”
What it asks · Explain who a public servant is, in law and in spirit, and reflect on the role a public servant is expected to play.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain what the term 'public servant' means
- Reflect on the expected role of a public servant
Open with · In law, a public servant is anyone who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty (Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988); ethically, 'servant' is the job description, power held in trust for citizens.
Cover
- A hub of four expected roles: guardian of the Constitution, impartial executor, steward of public funds and protector of the vulnerable.
- Guardian and steward: the All India Services (Conduct) Rules on upholding the supremacy of the Constitution and deciding solely in public interest.
- Impartial executor: Max Weber's administration by formal codes, sine ira et studio, without anger or passion, kept humane.
- Protector of the vulnerable: over a million people evacuated within 36 hours before Cyclone Phailin struck Odisha in 2013.
Close with · Since then, Mission Karmayogi (2020) has sought a citizen centric civil service, shifting the focus from Rule based training to Role based training.
Add value (verified)
- Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, Section 2(c): a public servant includes any person who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty, and office-bearers of registered co-operative societies receiving government aid.The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, Section 2(c) — Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Government of Tamil Nadu ↗“(viii) any person who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty; (ix) any person who is the president, secretary or other office-bearer of a registered co- operative society engaged in agriculture, industry, trade or banking, receiving or having received any financial aid from the Central Government or a State Government”
- Rule 3(2B) of the AIS (Conduct) Rules (2014) requires members to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values, maintain integrity, and take decisions solely in public interest using public resources efficiently and economically.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 ↗“(i) commit himself to and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values; (ii) defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of State, public order, decency and morality; (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;”
- Weber: modern law and administration rule in strict accordance with systematic formal codes and sine ira et studio, that is, without anger or passion (SEP).Max Weber — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ↗“modern law and administration also rule in strict accordance with the systematic formal codes and sine ira et studio , that is, “without anger or passion.””
- Cyclone Phailin (2013): the Government of Odisha and OSDMA evacuated over 1 million people within 36 hours before landfall, one of the largest emergency evacuations in a record timeframe.Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment: Cyclone Phailin in Odisha 2013 (Government of Odisha, World Bank and ADB) — World Bank Open Knowledge Repository ↗“The government of Odisha and OSDMA had commenced preparatory activities by immediately dispatching emergency assistance and evacuating people. Over 1 million people were evacuated within 36 hours preceding the landfall of Cyclone Phailin, which is one of the largest emergency evacuations carried out within a record timeframe.”
- Mission Karmayogi (approved 2 September 2020) aims at a citizen centric civil service and shifts the focus from rule based training to role based training.Government announces comprehensive Civil Services reforms programme (Mission Karmayogi) — PIB, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, 2 September 2020 ↗“The fundamental focus of the reform is the creation of a ‘citizen centric civil service’ capable of creating and delivering services conducive to economic growth and public welfare. Accordingly, Mission Karmayogi shifts the focus from “Rule based training to Role based training”.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper IV — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 221words · Minimalist IAS
In law, a public servant is anyone 'who holds an office by virtue of which he is authorised or required to perform any public duty' (Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988), a net wide enough to cover even office-bearers of government-aided co-operatives.
Ethically, 'servant' is the job description: public power is held in trust for citizens, who remain its masters.
The expected role of a public servant
Public servant: Guardian of the Constitution; Impartial executor; Steward of public funds; Protector of the vulnerable
- Guardian of the Constitution: the All India Services (Conduct) Rules ask officers to uphold 'the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values', even against convenient orders.
- Impartial executor: for Max Weber, modern administration rules by formal codes sine ira et studio, 'without anger or passion'; yet impartiality must not harden into indifference to the person in the queue.
- Steward of public funds: the same rules require decisions 'solely in public interest' and the efficient, economical use of public resources.
- Protector of the vulnerable: before Cyclone Phailin struck Odisha in 2013, officials evacuated over a million people within 36 hours, one of the largest emergency evacuations in record time.
Since then, Mission Karmayogi (2020) has sought a 'citizen centric civil service', shifting the focus 'from Rule based training to Role based training': the servant is defined by role, not rule.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
