Probity in Governance

What the official syllabus says

Main Written Examination, Paper VI: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude). The following broad areas will be covered:

• Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

Topics in detail

Probity: meaning

• Probity: uprightness and honesty in public dealings, going beyond the mere absence of corruption
• Probity, integrity and ethics compared
• Elements: honesty, fairness, transparency, accountability, avoiding conflicts of interest

Concept of public service

• Public service as service to the people, not a privilege of office
• Public servant as trustee of public power and money
• Public service ethos: citizen first, equity, courtesy, timeliness
• New Public Management (citizen as customer) and New Public Service (citizen as partner in governance)

Philosophical basis of governance and probity

• Rajdharma and Kautilya’s idea of the king’s duty to the welfare of subjects
• Plato’s philosopher-king; Aristotle on the good life and the State
• Social contract theories: government by consent
• Gandhian trusteeship and sarvodaya; Gandhi’s talisman
• Constitutional morality and the rule of law
• Good governance: participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus, equity, effectiveness, accountability

Information sharing and transparency in government

• Why transparency: reduces corruption, increases trust, enables participation
• Proactive disclosure; open data; e-governance and digital public records
• Limits: national security, privacy, commercial confidence, deliberative process
• Official Secrets Act 1923 and the debate on secrecy

Right to Information

• Right to Information Act 2005: right to information held by public authorities
• Section 4: proactive disclosure by public authorities
• Public Information Officers; reply within 30 days (48 hours where life or liberty is involved)
• Section 8: exemptions from disclosure
• Central and State Information Commissions; appeals and penalties
• RTI as a tool against corruption; misuse and frivolous applications; protection of RTI users
• Amendments: RTI (Amendment) Act 2019 on terms of Information Commissioners; changes to the personal-information exemption by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023

Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct

• Code of ethics: broad values and aspirations; code of conduct: specific do’s and don’ts
• Conduct rules for civil servants: gifts, assets, private trade, political activity, use of position
• Codes for ministers and legislators; codes in professions (medicine, law, media)
• Recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission on a code of ethics
• Limits of codes: enforcement and the gap with practice

Citizen’s Charters

• Meaning: a public statement of the standards of service an organisation promises citizens
• Origin in the United Kingdom (1991); adopted in India from 1997
• Contents: services, standards, time limits, grievance redress, obligations of citizens
• Weaknesses: lack of awareness, no legal backing, no penalty for failure
• Sevottam model for excellence in public service delivery
• Right to service laws, including Haryana’s, with time limits and penalties
• Grievance redress: CPGRAMS and state portals

Work culture

• Punctuality, discipline, teamwork, accountability for results
• Problems: hierarchy, file-pushing, fear of decision-making, absenteeism
• Improving work culture: leadership, recognition, training, technology, performance appraisal

Quality of service delivery

• Timeliness, accessibility, reliability, courtesy, equity
• Single-window systems, doorstep delivery, digital services, direct benefit transfer
• Feedback and social audit; outcome-based measurement

Utilization of public funds

• Public money as a trust: economy, efficiency and effectiveness
• Financial rules, procurement rules, e-procurement
• Audit: Comptroller and Auditor General, Public Accounts Committee
• Waste, leakages, cost and time overruns; outcome budgeting

Challenges of corruption

• Types: petty and grand corruption; collusive and coercive; political and bureaucratic
• Causes: discretion, monopoly, lack of accountability, low risk of punishment, social acceptance
• Effects on development, the poor, trust and investment
• Laws: Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (amended 2018, making bribe-giving an offence), Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2014
• Institutions: Central Vigilance Commission, Central Bureau of Investigation, Lokpal, state Lokayuktas and vigilance bodies
• International: United Nations Convention against Corruption
• Remedies: e-governance, simpler procedures, transparency, swift prosecution, ethical leadership, civic vigilance

Overlaps

General Studies II covers transparency, accountability, e-governance and citizens charters from the governance side; General Studies III covers money-laundering.