Mains Practice Questions

Introduction:

Transparency and accountability are widely regarded as foundational pillars of ethical governance, as they promote openness, answerability, and checks on abuse of power.

• However, in the absence of integrity and moral courage, these mechanisms risk becoming procedural formalities rather than instruments of ethical transformation.
• Ethical governance ultimately depends on the inner values of public officials as much as on external rules.

Body:

Limits of Transparency and Accountability in the Absence of Integrity and Moral Courage

• Transparency Without Integrity Leads To Cosmetic Compliance: Transparency ensures information disclosure, but without integrity it may be reduced to selective or misleading reporting.
  • Officials may technically comply with disclosure norms while concealing the real intent or impact of decisions.
  • For instance, public authorities may upload project details on portals while suppressing adverse audit findings, defeating the ethical purpose of transparency.
• Accountability Mechanisms Can Be Evaded Without Moral Courage: Formal accountability exists through audits, inquiries, and legislative oversight, but enforcing accountability requires officials willing to speak truth to power.
  • Without moral courage, wrongdoing may be ignored or normalised.
  • Cases of delayed action on adverse audit reports illustrate how fear of reprisal weakens accountability.
• Rule-Based Systems Cannot Substitute Ethical Judgment: Transparency and accountability rely on rules, but ethical governance often demands discretionary judgment guided by values.
  • Integrity ensures that discretion is exercised fairly rather than opportunistically.
  • For example, mechanically following procedures in welfare delivery without compassion can exclude deserving beneficiaries despite transparent rules.
• Culture Of Silence Undermines Ethical Governance: In institutions lacking moral courage, transparency tools coexist with a culture of silence.
  • Officials may avoid questioning unethical practices to protect careers or collegial relationships.
  • This is evident when irregularities are widely known within departments but remain unreported.
• Public Trust Depends On Perceived Integrity: Citizens judge governance not only by visible procedures but by the moral character of decision-makers. Transparency without integrity may increase cynicism rather than trust.
  • Repeated corruption scandals despite strong disclosure laws erode faith in institutions.

Challenges In Fostering Integrity And Moral Courage

• Hierarchical Pressures And Culture Of Obedience: Rigid bureaucratic hierarchies often discourage officials from questioning unethical or illegal orders, prioritising obedience over conscience. Ethical dissent is seen as insubordination rather than professionalism.
  • For example, during the Emergency (1975–77), large sections of the civil services allegedly complied with mass detentions and censorship orders, illustrating how hierarchical obedience can override constitutional morality in the absence of moral courage.
• Fear of Transfers And Career Repercussions: Arbitrary and frequent transfers are used as instruments of control, deterring officials from acting against vested interests. This creates a chilling effect on ethical decision-making.
  • For instance, Ashok Khemka (IAS) was transferred over 50 times, signalling how ethical action can invite career instability.
• Weak Whistleblower Protection And Retaliation: Despite the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, enforcement remains weak, leaving ethical individuals exposed to harassment and violence. This severely undermines moral courage.
  • For instance, Satyendra Dubey blew the whistle on corruption and unethical practices involving government agencies and contractors associated with a project, but was eventually assassinated, highlighting institutional failure to protect integrity-driven action.
• Proceduralism Over Ethical Judgment: Excessive focus on rule compliance without ethical reasoning can lead to unjust outcomes, allowing officials to evade moral responsibility behind procedures.

Measures To Strengthen Integrity And Moral Courage

• Ethical Leadership And Role Modelling: Leaders who demonstrate ethical conviction create institutional cultures where integrity is valued and protected.
• Protection For Ethical Action: Strong whistleblower protection and secure tenure encourage officials to act with moral courage.
• Ethics Training And Reflection: Regular ethics training and case-based discussions help officials internalise values beyond procedural compliance.
• Rewarding Ethical Conduct: Recognising and rewarding integrity reinforces ethical behaviour as an institutional norm.

Conclusion

Transparency and accountability are necessary but not sufficient for ethical governance. Without integrity and moral courage, they risk becoming hollow rituals rather than safeguards of public trust. Ethical governance flourishes when external mechanisms are animated by internal values, affirming that rules guide conduct, but conscience sustains it.