Understanding the fundamental values that underpin civil services is crucial not just for exams like UPSC, but for building a truly ethical and impactful career in public life.
Why Values Matter in Public Service
At their core, human values are fundamental feelings and beliefs that guide us. They help individuals and communities live harmoniously and find happiness. These values define our relationships with others and help us correctly define our life’s purpose.
For anyone aspiring to or serving in civil service, these values are especially vital. They ensure that decisions are made for the collective good, rather than being swayed by personal gain or superficial measures like ‘profile value’ or ‘brand value’. Upholding human values adds a unique ‘premiumness’ that benefits both the individual civil servant and society at large.
Universal Human Values: The Ethical Compass
The Foundation of Ethical Conduct
Ethical conduct is built upon universal human values. These are timeless principles that remain constant across different cultures and times. Examples include promise, trust, love, non-violence, compassion, empathy, service, and truth.
While some values might seem to change with time or place, these are typically just derivatives—expressions of fundamental values adapted to specific contexts. The core, universal human values themselves never waver. When in doubt, always refer back to these foundational principles.
Building Blocks of a Caring Civil Servant
So, how do these values manifest in practice? It begins with something as simple as the weight of a promise. When promises are consistently kept, trust is built. This trust forms a strong foundation where actions and intentions are no longer questioned.
From trust springs a caring personality. Care involves recognizing one’s responsibility to others, both known and unknown. For a civil servant, this means understanding that many people depend on their decisions and actions. This awareness naturally leads to impartiality in decision-making.
Consider the recent pandemic: it highlighted the critical role of promise, trust, care, and objectivity. Objectivity is key; it means duties outweigh personal rights and prejudices. It helps minimize biases based on caste, class, religion, or personal inclinations, allowing a civil servant to focus entirely on their responsibilities and serve without bias. This sense of belonging to responsibilities fosters steadfast relationships essential for effective governance.
Beyond these, universal values like empathy, compassion, the spirit of service, commitment, and courage also play a crucial role. They reinforce objectivity, non-partisanship, tolerance, and perseverance. When all these universal human values are integrated, they form what is known as Integrity – a truly holistic and essential value for public service.
Values in Action: Ethical Governance
At its heart, governance is about making decisions. Ethical governance, then, is about making ethical decisions. The presence of these cardinal values guides civil servants toward choices that are fair, just, and beneficial for all.
A civil servant’s ethical alignment—in their private life, professional conduct, and public image—is ultimately based on the question, “What kind of person are they?” Values like promise, trust, and care are foundational to this personal integrity, which then extends to and shapes their professional and public persona, aligning every aspect of their service.
- Universal human values are the unchanging bedrock of ethical civil service.
- Values like promise and trust are foundational, leading to care and impartiality.
- Objectivity helps civil servants overcome biases and prioritize duties.
- Integrity is the culmination of all universal human values in public life.
These foundational values are indispensable for any civil servant striving for ethical decision-making and serving the public good. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series to explore more aspects of civil service ethics.
