Mains Marathon

Approach:

• Begin by explaining the meaning of non-partisanship and its relevance to ethical neutrality in public service.
• Examine how civil servants must be accountable to the Constitution, not political interests, use relevant ethical reasoning,and examples.
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction:

Civil servants are bound not by loyalty to governments, but to the Constitution and public interest. Non-partisanship-a commitment to remain politically neutral-is central to maintaining ethical neutrality, which ensures fairness, impartiality, and integrity in public service. It protects governance from being influenced by political ideologies or partisan pressures.

Body:

• Non-partisanship: Non-partisanship ensures rule-based governance, safeguarding civil servants from being manipulated by ruling political interests.
  • It reinforces the principle of constitutional supremacy over political expediency in administrative decisions.
  • Example: T.N. Seshan, as Chief Election Commissioner, resisted political pressure and strengthened electoral neutrality.
• Ethical Neutrality: it promotes trust and legitimacy among diverse sections of society, especially in plural democracies like India.
  • Citizens expect equal treatment irrespective of political affiliation, caste, or region.
  • Example: During disaster relief operations, civil servants must deliver aid without favouring political constituencies.
• Partisanship: It erodes institutional integrity, leading to biased transfers, politicized investigations, and compromised public interest.
  • It undermines the principles of fairness and justice, weakening morale and independence in the civil services.
  • Example: Cases of mass transfers after regime changes often reveal politicisation of administrative machinery.
• Non-partisanship: It supports long-term policy continuity, preventing abrupt reversals driven by political motivations.
  • It ensures that reforms and welfare schemes serve developmental goals, not electoral agendas.
  • Example: IAS officer S.R. Sankaran implemented social justice policies consistently across governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
• Constitutional Values: Civil servants must exhibit ‘commitment to constitutional values’, not to any political ideology.
  • Articles 311 and 309, along with All India Services Conduct Rules, demand neutrality and objectivity.
  • Breach of neutrality violates constitutional morality and distorts service ethics.
• Duty Ethics: Ethical theories such as Kant’s duty ethics emphasize acting out of duty, not outcomes or affiliations.
  • Civil servants must uphold the Constitution as a moral obligation, independent of political directives.
• Training: Training institutions like LBSNAA emphasize non-partisanship as a foundational value in ethical governance.
  • Modules on values in administration reinforce ethical neutrality as central to civil service identity.
• Whistleblowers and ethical dissenters often demonstrate non-partisanship in practice.
  • Example: Sanjiv Chaturvedi, IFS officer, exposed corruption in AIIMS, despite political resistance.
• Public Grievance: Social audits, RTI, and public grievance systems work effectively only when administrators are seen as politically neutral.
  • These mechanisms rely on the impartiality of officials to deliver justice without bias or delay.

Conclusion:

Non-partisanship is the ethical compass that guides civil servants to serve the Constitution, not political regimes. It protects the values of objectivity, fairness, and justice in governance. Upholding non-partisanship ensures that public service remains a pillar of democratic accountability and ethical legitimacy, beyond transient political interests.