Answer: A code of ethics is a set of guidelines issued by an organization to its workers and management to help them conduct their actions in accordance with the primary values and ethical standards of the organization. The fundamental tenets of a code of ethics and values in civil services include integrity, empathy, objectivity, transparency, and professional competency, among others. There is no single code of ethics for civil servants in India. However, there are several conduct rules such as the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, All India Services (Conduct) Rules, etc., which prescribe allegiance to the Constitution, apolitical functioning, and objective decision-making. Several committees like the Santhanam Committee, Hota Committee, etc. have recommended a code of ethics for Civil Services in India. The Government of India also brought a Bill in the Parliament, which prescribed values that a civil servant should exhibit. A legally enforceable code of ethics is expected to bring the following changes in civil services:

• Improve service delivery:
  • By helping in discharging official duties with competence and accountability; care and diligence; responsibility, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality; without discrimination, and in accordance with the law.
  • By ensuring effective management, professional growth, and leadership development.
  • By avoiding misuse of official positions or information and using public money with utmost care and economy.
  • By ensuring that the civil servants serve as instruments of good governance provide services for the betterment of the public at large and protect the interest of the poor, underprivileged, and weaker sections.
• Avoid corruption
  • By complementing penal provisions for instances of misuse of funds and official positions.
  • By avoiding nepotism, and favoritism and instilling a sense of righteousness in civil servants.
  • It will help in strengthening the ethical framework in the civil servant and more specifically principle of transparency which is considered a disinfectant against corruption.
• Apart from these, a legally enforceable code of ethics will bind a civil servant to display ethical values associated with civil services such as probity, compassion, empathy, neutrality, etc.

However, to further strengthen the ethical framework, it is equally necessary that the non-observance of these rules by civil servants is met with penal provisions. Given India’s past experience with the Citizens’ Charter, it can be safely presumed that a Code of Ethics that does not punish for its violation will not be successful. In this regard, the 2nd ARC fervently pitched for a Code of Ethics and related reporting systems to keep track of the ethical conduct of a civil servant. Accordingly, the ethical conduct of civil servants should be directly linked with their annual performance review report. Along with this, strengthening the ethical framework will go a long way in ushering in ‘good governance’.