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29 Jul 2025
GS Paper 4
Theoretical Questions
Day 38: "Public service is not about pushing people, but pulling them toward shared goals."How can civil servants ethically use social influence to achieve public policy objectives?(150 words)
Approach :
- Briefly introduce the true aims of public service.
- Discuss the ethical use of social influence to achieve public policy objectives.
- Conclude with a scholarly remark.
Introduction:
In a democracy, civil servants are not enforcers of authority but facilitators of collective progress. The true public service involves inspiring people to participate in shared goals rather than imposing decisions. Social influence, when used ethically, becomes a key tool to promote public policy objectives by aligning citizen behavior with national interests.
Body :
Ethical Use of Social Influence
- Leading by Example (Modeling Behavior):
- Civil servants can inspire change through their conduct.
- Example: IAS officer Armstrong Pame built a 100-km road in Manipur without government funds, motivating collective community action.
- Behavioral Nudges:
- Using subtle cues to influence positive behavior without coercion.
- Example: The “Give It Up” campaign encouraged LPG subsidy surrender through moral appeal, resulting in over 1 crore people giving up their subsidies voluntarily.
- Participatory Governance
- Involving citizens in planning and implementation fosters ownership and trust.
- Example: Kerala’s “People’s Plan Campaign” enabled decentralized planning with local participation.
- Communication with Empathy
- Using persuasive, respectful, and relatable messaging.
- Example: During COVID-19, civil servants used folk songs and local leaders in tribal areas to promote vaccination.
- Appealing to Shared Values
- Aligning policies with cultural, national, or ethical values.
- Example: Swachh Bharat Mission invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals to promote sanitation as a collective moral responsibility.
Ensuring Ethical Boundaries
- Social influence must uphold:
- Voluntariness and autonomy of the citizens.
- Avoid manipulation, misinformation, or emotional coercion.
- Respect for diversity and dignity, especially among vulnerable groups.
Conclusion:
Ethical frameworks like Kant’s Categorical Imperative demand that people be treated as ends in themselves, not merely as means to an administrative end. In this spirit, civil servants must use social influence with integrity, transparency, and respect for individual dignity. By ethically aligning state goals with citizen aspirations, they foster trust-based governance and enable sustainable, people-driven policy outcomes
