“Civil servants are expected to act as the conscience keepers of society. Discuss in the light of ethical governance.”

The moral integrity of government is upheld in large part by civil servants. They are supposed to make choices based on justice, equity, and empathy since they are custodians of constitutional principles. Being conscience guardians entails making sure that, especially in politically difficult situations, the exercise of governmental authority is morally upright and consistent with the interests of the general public.

Transparency, accountability, and administrative responsiveness are highly valued in ethical governance. Civil officials bridge the gap between justice and the law when they act with moral conviction. Officers like E. Sreedharan and Ashok Khemka have demonstrated how integrity builds institutional trust. Effective public administration must be based on ethical behavior, according to the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).

However, political meddling, bureaucratic rigidity, and the absence of protection for honest officials typically impede ethical operation. Reforms must institutionalize whistleblower protection, provide tenure security, and encourage value-based training in order to improve ethical governance.

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