Ethical dilemmas of a civil servant by Anil Swarup

"What is ethics? How important is ethics in the context of governance? What are the challenges that hinders an officer's pursuit of ethical conduct? Does it pay to remain ethical while the unethical, seemingly, rules the roost? Is it worth paying the price of being ethical? These questions are but refrains of the thought process of every civil servant: new and seasoned. These questions cloud his judgment. And also affect his productivity. For some unlucky few, these questions may even bring forth a lifetime of torment. Even more unfortunate are those whose conscience never raises these questions. What makes matters worse is the absence of any well-defined, legally tenable, and universally acceptable model code of conduct for officers that defines ethics. Coupled with political vendetta this spells the perfect recipe for disaster for them. This book is an attempt to contextualise a framework that will help civil servants make a learned decision in the face of the aforementioned questions. It is an aid to help them find their moral compass."