Code of Ethics for Civil Servants

Code of Ethics for Civil Servants

Code of Ethics for Civil Servants

Committee on Prevention of Corruption (`Santhanam Committee'-1964). Our civil service system has a tradition of attitudes and achievements which sets examples to be emulated by current and prospective civil servants. Promoting the norms of `right conduct' cannot be enforced through a rigid mindless enforcement of laws and rules. Committee on Prevention of Corruption (`Santhanam Committee'-1964). Draft `Public Service Bill' now under consideration of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions:

  • Allegiance to the various ideals enshrined in the preamble to the Constitution
  • Apolitical functioning
  • Good governance for betterment of the people to be the primary goal of civil service
  • Duty to act objectively and impartially
  • Accountability and transparency in decision-making
  • Maintenance of highest ethical standards
  • Merit with equitable representation to be the criteria in selection of civil servants consistent
  • Ensuring economy and avoidance of wastage in expenditure
  • Provision of healthy and congenial work environment
  • Communication, consultation and cooperation in performance of functions.

The draft Bill also envisages a Public Service Code and a Public Service Management Code laying down more specic duties and responsibilities.

 

ARC Recommends:

  • Public Service Values' towards which all public servants should aspire, should be defined and made applicable to all tiers of Government
  • Any transgression of these values should be treated as misconduct, inviting punishment.
  • Conflict of interest should be comprehensively covered in the Code of Ethics and in the Code of Conduct for officers.

Code of Ethics for Regulators

The prescription and enforcement of Codes of Conduct for different sections of society is generally through internal regulatory mechanisms.  Guilds are the oldest example of such as mechanism.  A guild was an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards.

The last century has seen the emergence of a large number of professions, especially in what is today termed as the services sector.  These professions initially organized themselves into different types of associations in order to pursue common objectives and also to evolve acceptable norms of behavior and mechanisms to enforce them.  In some cases, such mechanisms have been provided statutory backing.

The Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), prescribes that the Council may prescribe standards of professional conduct and etiquette and a Code of Ethics for medical practitioners.

The Advocates Act, 1961 incorporates the functions of the Bar Council of India, which include laying down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.

The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 stipulates the creation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Indian for regulation of the profession of chartered accountancy in India.  The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and the Schedules to the Act also set out the acceptable forms of behavior of members of the profession.

The Press Council of Indian functions under the Press Council Act, 1978.  It is a statutory, quasi-judicial body, which acts as a watchdog of the press.  It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press respectively.

The objects and functions of the Council include laying down a code of conduct for newspapers, news agencies and journalists in accordance with high professional standards.

The Institution of Engineers (incorporated under the Royal Charter, 1935) has prescribed a ‘Code of Ethics for Corporate Members.’

Apart from internal regulators, there is another category of regulators, which may be termed as ‘External Regulators’.

An example of an external regulator is the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), which is a statutory body, established for proper planning &co-ordinated development of the technical education system throughout the country.  The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the State Power Regulatory Authorities are some other examples.

Decline in ethical values in the professions has adversely impacted on the governance of the country and is an important reason for increasing corruption in public life. The role of external regulators would also increase as government’s functions are thrown open. In such cases, prescribing ethical norms for the regulators themselves as well as for the service providers would become essential. Even more important would be evolution of objective, transparent and fair decision making processes and enforcement mechanisms.

Institutional Framework for preventing corruption

The working of many of these anti-corruption bodies leaves much to be desired.