GS Paper 4
Syllabus: Applications of Ethics
Source: TH
Example 1: V K Pandian Quits IAS and joins Politics
V K Pandian, the former private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has taken on key roles in Odisha’s ruling political party (Biju Janata Dal) after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
He has been appointed as the Chairman of the 5T (Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, and Transformation) Initiative and Nabin Odisha.
Ethical Issues concerned in the case:
| Ethical Issues | Impact and Concerns |
| Conflict of Interest | Bureaucrats may prioritize their party over public service. |
| Partisanship | Neutrality and objectivity can be compromised. |
| Impartiality | The appearance of bias in decision-making may arise. |
| Undermining Trust | Public trust in the bureaucracy’s independence may wane. |
| Politicization | The bureaucracy may become more politically oriented. |
| Influence Peddling | Potential for unfair advantages and unethical influence. |
| Abuse of Inside Knowledge | The exploitation of sensitive information for party gain. |
Various Committees (including the Hota Committee (2004)) have recommended a cooling-off period of two years for bureaucrats before they could take up jobs in the private sector. It also suggested that the government could restrict the type of jobs they take up to prevent conflicts of interest.
Example 2: Ethics in International Conflicts
Source: IE
The article discusses two key terms: “human shields” and “forced displacement” in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict and how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) views them.
Human Shields: In IHL, “human shields” refer to civilians or other protected persons whose presence or movement is used to make military targets immune from military operations. This can include forcing them to stay near military targets or placing military targets in or near buildings with civilians.
- Using human shields is considered a war crime and is banned under International Humanitarian Law. It is also prohibited to target or attack human shields.
Forced Displacement: Forced displacement involves the ordering of civilians to evacuate from a certain area due to reasons related to the conflict. The order to forcibly transfer civilians, especially without guarantees of safety or return, is considered unlawful under IHL.
Ethical Issues: Using human shields in war raises ethical concerns by endangering innocent civilians for military gain. Forced displacements can be morally problematic when civilians are uprooted without guarantees of safety or return, impacting their well-being and rights.
