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Topic Value-Addition Keywords & Concepts

Applied Ethics Core Concepts & Keywords

●​ Ethical Trilemma – Situations with three conflicting moral
imperatives (e.g.,Whistleblowing vs. Loyalty vs. Law)
●​ Consequentialist Calculus – Weighing outcomes in policy
decisions (Utilitarianism)
●​ Deontological Dilemmas– Rule-based ethics vs. real-world
complexities (Kantian ethics)

Ethical Frameworks
●​ "Seven-Step Model" – Identify → Facts → Stakeholders →
Options → Principles → Consequences → Decision
●​ "Panchatantra Filter" – Traditional Indian wisdom for modern
dilemmas
●​ "Gandhian Trusteeship"– Wealth as societal trust

●​ Patagonia’s Earth Dividend: Company donated to environmental

trusts
●​ Kerala’s Carbon-Neutral Panchayats: Localized climate ethics

●​ The true test of civilization is not the census, but the kind of
people the country produces. – Emerson
●​ "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right
to do and what is right to do."– Potter Stewart

●​ Sterlite Plant Shutdown – Jobs vs. environmental health (TN

protests)
●​ NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak– Meritocracy vs. equality debate
●​ Electoral Bonds Scrapping – Transparency vs. donor privacy

Ethics in Private and Core Concepts & Key Differences

Public Sphere
Aspect Private sphere Public sphere

Primary Duty Personal/Family welfare Public interest (Salus

populi suprema lex)

Accountability Limited to stakeholders Transparent to citizens &

(family, business) institutions

Flexibility Subjective morality Rule-bound

(Constitution,Codes)

Examples Family decisions, Policy-making, law

business profits enforcement.
 Ethical Dilemmas
●​ Familial vs. Societal Duty– Caring for elderly parents vs. public
service.
●​ Corporate Profit vs. Social Responsibility – Patanjali’s
misleading ads vs. CSR initiatives
●​ Digital Privacy at Home – Monitoring children’s online activity
vs. their autonomy
●​ Rule of Law vs. Compassion – Strict traffic fines for poor vs.
discretionary relief
●​ Whistleblowing Dilemma

●​ Conflict of Interest– Politician’s family business winning govt

tenders (Adani-PPP projects debate)
●​ "Neutrality vs. Personal Beliefs" – Doctor refusing abortion due
to religious views (SC’s Suchita Srivastava judgment)
●​ "Social Media Dualism" – Private opinions vs. official discipline
(IRS officer’s tweets on policies)

Ethical Frameworks for Resolution

Framework Private Sphere Public Sphere

Utilitarianism Family happiness Greatest good for

maximized greatest number

Deontology Personal moral rules Constitutional oath

(e.g., honesty) adherence

Virtue Ethics Cultivating empathy, Impartiality, integrity

patience in service

●​ Gandhi’s Swaraj: Self-rule begins at home

●​ Ambedkar’s Constitutional Morality: Public ethics override caste
prejudices
●​ Infosys’s Governance Model: Private corporate ethics inspiring
public institutions
●​ In private life, be a saint; in public life, a warrior. – Swami
Vivekananda

Reform Approaches
●​ Dual Disclosure– Mandatory public declaration of private
interests (Lokpal Act)
●​ Ethical Firewalls– Separating family businesses from public
office (Singapore model)
●​ Citizen Ethics Audits – Social accountability for public figures
(Brazil’s "Ficha Limpa)

Consequence of ethics Positive Consequences of Ethical Governance.

●​ Institutional Trust & Social Capital
○​ Virtuous Cycle of Trust – Ethical systems → Public
confidence → Higher compliance (Example:
Scandinavian tax morale)
 ○​ Institutional Legitimacy – Courts/bureaucracy respected
when ethical (E.g., T.N. Seshan’s Election Commission)
●​ Economic Growth
○​ Ethical Dividend – Corruption-free systems attract FDI
(Singapore’s ranking in Ease of Doing Business)
○​ Transaction Cost Reduction– Transparency lowers
business risks (GST reduced inspector raj)
●​ Social Harmony
○​ Dignity Multiplier – Ethical policies empower
marginalized (SC’s Navtej Johar judgment uplifted
LGBTQ+)
○​ Conflict Prevention – Impartiality reduces unrest (Ethical
policing in Kerala vs. communal riots in others)

Negative Consequences of Unethical Practices

●​ "Tragedy of the Commons" – Resource plunder when ethics fail
(Illegal mining in Aravallis)
●​ "Gresham’s Law of Governance" – Bad ethics drive out good
officers (Honest IAS transfers)
●​ "Leakage Cascade"– PDS theft → Malnutrition
●​ "Investor Flight"
●​ "Partisan Bureaucracy" – Officers as political tools

Sector-Specific Consequences

Sector Ethical Practice Impact Unethical Practice

Impact

Healthcare Lower maternal mortality Fake medicines kill

(Kerala) 300,000/yr (WHO)

Judiciary Fast-track courts clear Judge-businessman nexus

backlog (P.P. Rao case)

Media Investigative journalism Paid news distorts

(Cobrapost) democracy

Psychological & Cultural Fallout

●​ Normalization of Deviance– Petty bribery becomes habit
(Chai-pani’ culture)
●​ Moral Numbness – Bystander effect in scandals (Silence on
wrestlers’ protest)
●​ Brain Drain – Talent migration due to unethical systems (IITians
to Silicon Valley)

●​ A nation’s GDP grows when its Moral GDP (Gross Decency

Product) rises.
●​ Ethics is the hidden infrastructure holding society together

EQ VS IQ Importance in Civil Services & Governance

 ●​ High IQ, Low EQ Pitfalls
○​ "Technocrat Trap" – Brilliant but insensitive officers
(Example: Apathetic disaster response)
○​ "Data Myopia" – Over-reliance on metrics ignoring
human costs (Demonetization suffering)
○​ "Bureaucratic Arrogance"– Dismissing public grievances
as irrational
●​ High EQ Advantages
○​ "Grassroots Connect"– Understanding citizen emotions
(Collector resolving protests via dialogue)
○​ "Crisis Leadership"– Calming panic during disasters (IAS
officers in Kerala floods)
○​ "Team Synergy" – Motivating staff beyond formal
hierarchy

Sector-Wise Applications

Sector IQ demands EQ demands

Policy-Making Data analysis, legal Stakeholder

drafting consultations

Disaster Management Logistics planning Victim trauma

handling

Police Forensic investigation Community policing

Article 311 (Dismissal safeguards) requires EQ to avoid misuse

Fundamental Duties (Art 51A) imply social-emotional responsibilities

Empathy and compassion Core Definitions & Differences

Aspect Empathy Compassion

Definition Understanding others' Action to alleviate

feelings suffering

Scope Emotional resonance Proactive help

(cognitive/affective) (behavioral)

Risk Burnout from emotional Paternalism if unchecked

overload

●​ Empathy: Carl Rogers (Therapeutic empathy), Simon

Baron-Cohen (Zero Degrees of Empathy)
●​ Compassion: Dalai Lama ("Compassion is necessity, not
luxury"), Martha Nussbaum (Political compassion)
 ●​ Importance in Public Service
○​ Policy Lens– Designing schemes with beneficiary
perspective (MGNREGA’s demand-driven work)
○​ "Listening Bureaucracy" – Grievance redressal with
emotional intelligence (CPGRAMS portal)
○​ "Cultural Competence"– Understanding tribal customs in
forest rights (FRA implementation)
○​ Dignity Restoration- Rehabilitation over punishment
○​ Inclusive Innovation- Kerala’s Compassionate Cities for
elderly

●​ Compassion Fatigue- Bureaucrats overwhelmed by endless

suffering
●​ Empathy Bias– Favoring vocal groups over silent sufferers
●​ Rule vs. Mercy– Strict traffic fines on poor vs. discretionary
relief

CARE" Framework for Public Servants:

●​ Community-first (Empathy)
●​ Action-oriented (Compassion)
●​ Resilience (Avoid burnout)
●​ Equity (Balance rule & mercy)

80%of successful welfare schemes (ASHA workers, Mid-Day Meals)

combine empathy (needs assessment) + compassion (delivery).

Terms keywords
Virtue Core Advanced Administrative
Keywords Keywords Terms

COURAGE Moral bravery Institutional Whistleblower

Fearlessness valour ,ethical shield laws,
dissent Courage quotient

HAPPINESS Well being Psychic Happiness

Satisfaction prosperity, Ombudsman,
Contentment emotional Wellness
infrastructure, budgeting
joyful
governance

FRUGALITY Thriftness Resource Zero based

Avoiding mindfulness , budgeting , lean
waste/ Fiscally public
lavishness / responsible administration
extravagance governance

LEADERSHIP Guidance Dharma based Mission

Stewardship governance , Karmayogi ,
Influence compassionate Whole of
 authority government
anticipatory approach
leadership Chanakyas
rajarshi.

HONESTY Truthfulness Radical Mandatory

Foster courage transparency , Disclosure
Truth based regimes , integrity
governance pacts
Jaina satya ,
lokpal act , kants
kingdom of ends.

VALUES Principal Constitutional Ethics training

Morals compass , modules , value
civilization based auditing
ethics , value
sensitive
design

ATTITUDE Mindset, Bureaucratic Change

Approach equanimity , management
C-A-B service protocols
components orientations
1.cognitive
2. Affective
3. Behavioral

INTERGRITY Wholeness , Incorruptible Section 7 of pca

Moral governance , act , probity risk
consistency holistic assessment .
Rectitude accountability
, karmic
governance

Accountability and ethical ●​ Procedural Integrity: Fair processes (Eg:Lateral Entry

governance. Transparency)
●​ Substantive Ethics: Outcome-based justice (Eg: EWS
Reservation)
●​ Moral Autonomy: Kautilya’s "Rajarshi" concept
●​ Conflict Resolution: Win-Win Negotiation
●​ Vertical Accountability: Citizen → Government (RTI, Social
Audits)
●​ Horizontal Accountability: Institutions checking each other
(CAG → Legislature)
●​ Diagonal Accountability: NGOs/Media as watchdogs (PAISA
Portal by Accountability Initiative)
●​ Grievance Redressal: CPGRAMS, Lokpal, Jan Sunwai
 ●​ 5P Model of Accountability -
○​ Political,Professional,Participatory,Performance,Publicity
●​ 3E Ethical Governance-
○​ Efficiency,Equity,Empathy

Corporate Governance ●​ Fiduciary Dharma – Moral duty beyond legal compliance

●​ "Trusteeship Model"– Gandhian concept of wealth as societal
trust
●​ "Triple Bottom Line" – People, planet, profit (Ethical balancing
act)

●​ Adam Smith: "Invisible hand"needs ethical constraints

●​ Ratan Tata: "Businesses must balance greed with good"

Dilemma Case Study Ethical Principle

Violated

Profit vs. WhatsApp-Facebook Kantian duty (user

Privacy data sharing consent)

Short-term vs. Boeing cover-up Utilitarianism (public

Long-term safety)

Shareholder vs. Patanjali’s misleading Virtue ethics

Stakeholder ads (truthfulness)

●​ Glass Cliff" Prevention: Gender quotas for crisis leadership

●​ "Ethical Audits": Beyond financial to moral impact

Conflict of interest ●​ "Dharma Sankat" – Ethical dilemma between duty and personal
gain (Indian ethos)
●​ "Real vs. Perceived COI" – Actual benefit vs. appearance of bias
(Judges’ recusal debates)
●​ "Structural COI"– Systemic incentives for misconduct (MLAs
holding mining licenses)

Key Sectors -
●​ Bureaucracy: Post-retirement jobs influencing decisions
●​ Judiciary: Relative appearing as lawyer in same court
●​ Media: Paid news during elections

●​ Cooling-Off Periods– 1-year gap for bureaucrats joining pvt

sector (Rule 26 of AIS Conduct Rules)
●​ "Public Disclosure"– MPs’ asset declarations under
Representation of People Act
●​ "Recusal Protocols"
Laws , regulations and Core Concepts & Interplay-
conscience as ethical
guidance Source Nature Strengths Limitations

Laws(Codified External, Clarity, Rigidity, moral

rules) enforceable uniformity gaps (e.g.,
death penalty
debate)

Regulations Sector-specific Technical Bureaucratic

(Detailed , operational precision red tape
directives)

Conscience Subjective, Adaptable, Cultural bias,

(Inner moral personal values-driven emotional
compass) sway

Key Thinkers:
●​ Kant: Laws must align with moral duty (Categorical Imperative)
●​ Gandhi: "There is a higher court than courts of justice: the court
of conscience."

Ethical frameworks for resolution

Conflict Scenario Legal Approach Conscience-Based

Resolution

Corporate Fraud SEBI penalties Whistleblowing

(Ethical courage)

Environmental Harm NGT fines Climate activism

(Moral duty) |

Healthcare Access Clinical rules Doctor’s discretion

(Compassion)

●​ The law is the witness and external deposit of our moral life.–
Oliver Wendell Holmes
●​ "Regulation without ethics is like a car without brakes." – Ratan
Tata

●​ Positive: Vishakha Guidelines (Judicial conscience filling legal

vacuum)
●​ Negative: Sterlite Plant protests (Legal permits vs. ethical
environmental concerns)

Challenges of corruption ●​ Weberian Bureaucracy to Babudom – Rule-bound systems

becoming red tape factories
●​ "Twin Pyramid Problem"– Petty bribery (bottom) + grand
corruption (top)
●​ "Silent Complicity" – Institutionalized "Chai-Pani" culture
 ●​ Process as Punishment" – Deliberate delays to extract bribes
(Example: Land registrations)
●​ Shadow Bureaucracy" – Middlemen controlling access (70%
rural schemes involve dalals)
●​ "Normalization of Deviance"– Small bribes seen as "facilitation
fees"
●​ "Moral Numbing" – Bystander effect in scandals (*Silence on
wrestlers' protest*)
●​ "Gresham’s Law of Governance" – Honest officers sidelined

●​ 3D Approach": Detection (AI audits) → Disclosure (public

dashboards) → Deterrence (fast courts)
●​ "Benami Confiscation" – Singapore-style asset seizure
●​ Ethics Education" – CBSE’s "Integrity Curriculum"

●​ Corruption is not just stealing money; it’s stealing democracy."–

Anna Hazare

Codes of ethics and code ●​ Kautilyan Threshold – Absolute power corrupts absolutely
of conduct. ●​ "Kantian Paradox" – Rules without exceptions breed loopholes
●​ "Gandhian Trusteeship"– Wealth as societal trust

●​ Moral Licensing– Corrupt acts justified by past good deeds

●​ "Bystander Effect"– Silent majority enabling graft.
●​ "Cognitive Dissonance"– "I’m honest but take small bribes"

●​ Institutionalized Hypocrisy – Gap between codes and practice

(Lokpal vacancy since 2020)
●​ "Toothless Vigilance"– CVC’s advisory role vs. punitive power
●​ "Elite Impunity"– 33% MPs with cases but 0% disqualifications
(ADR 2024)

Probity in Governance ●​ "Legalistic Corruption" – Rule-following without ethical intent.

●​ "Institutional Capture" – Regulatory bodies favoring corporates
●​ "Data Opacity"– Suppression of inconvenient audits (CAG
reports on Rafale withheld)

●​ Fiduciary Responsibility
●​ Doctrine of Public Trust
●​ Kautilyan Danda-Neeti
●​ NV Ramana’s "Judicial Probity"
●​ 2nd ARC’s "Citizen First"

●​ 3D Transparency"– Digital + Decentralized + Direct (e.g.,

Andhra’s Real-Time Governance)

Overlap of Probity-Rule of Law-Trust

Information sharing and ●​ Suo moto transparency(Mandatory self-disclosure)

transparency in ●​ Right to know(SC in SP Gupta v. UoI)
government ●​ Chilling effect(RTI activists' intimidation)
●​ Glass-box administration(Fully auditable systems)
●​ Third-party audits(CAG/Social audits)
 ●​ Algorithmic accountability(AI-driven oversight)
●​ Citizen scorecards(Bengaluru’s "I Change My City)

Veil of ignorance (Rawls)

Doctrine of public trust

Digital = Transparent

Kantian Ethics – Transparency as a moral duty

Rawls’ Justice Theory – Fairness requires openness.

Transparency → Accountability → Trust → Good Governance

Ethics in international ●​ Sovereignty vs. Human Rights (e.g., Syria).

relations. ●​ Developed vs. Developing Nations (Climate Justice,)
●​ War Ethics (Just War Theory vs. Pacifism).

●​ Realism: Power > Morality (e.g., Machiavelli, Morgenthau).

●​ Idealism: Ethics > Power (e.g., Kant’s "Perpetual Peace").

Panchsheel ,Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,Strategic Autonomy

Amartya Sen: "Justice beyond borders" in The Idea of Justice

Technology and ethical ●​ Yuval Harari: "Data is the new oil – and we’re the wells."
responsibility ●​ Elon Musk: "AI is far more dangerous than nukes."
●​ NITI Aayog: "AI must be #AIforAll – inclusive and ethical."

●​ Positive Examples
○​ Estonia’s Digital Governance
■​ 99% govt. services online with blockchain
security
○​ India’s UPI
■​ Financial inclusion without privacy violations
●​ Ethical Failures
○​ Facebook-Cambridge Analytica
■​ Data misuse for voter manipulation
○​ Twitter Files
■​ Censorship vs. free speech debates

●​ Precautionary Principle: EU’s strict GMO rules

●​ Right to Explanation: Demand transparency in AI decisions
(GDPR Article 22)

Tech growth vs lagging ethics.

Creativity vs Copyright Infringement

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