GS Paper 4 (Ethics)Attitude and ethics in public serviceUPSC CSE Mains 2021
Attitude is an important component that goes as input in the development of human being. How to build a suitable attitude needed for a public servant?
Based on 79 evaluated answers to this question on CollectorBabu: here is what aspirants most often missed, the mistakes that cost marks, and a model answer.
What most aspirants missed
- Concrete training methods at LBSNAA such as foundation courses, case-study method and ethical dilemma discussions, not just the institution's name
- Citizen feedback mechanisms, social audits and 360-degree appraisal as tools to detect and correct attitude problems
- Link between attitude and accountability, including how transparency in day-to-day work reinforces integrity
- Role models and mentorship from senior officers with a specific example such as Sardar Patel or Kiran Bedi
- Field exposure and community service as a way to build empathy, for example Armstrong Pame's community-supported road in Manipur
- Mission Karmayogi or a named ARC recommendation, explained with how it shapes attitude
Common mistakes
- Listing attitudes like integrity and empathy without explaining how each is built
- Spending much of the answer on why attitude matters, which the question does not ask
- Using generic or unrelated philosophers and religious references instead of civil service examples
- Ending with a vague conclusion that does not restate the methods discussed
What the better answers did
- Pairing each attitude with a concrete method such as mentoring, field postings or reflection journals
- Citing real officers with specific actions, for example Ashok Khemka, Armstrong Pame or Durga Shakti Nagpal
- Showing a cycle of training, practice and feedback that corrects attitude over time
- Using precise institutional references such as LBSNAA training, the Second ARC and Mission Karmayogi
Introduction
Define attitude in one line and name the public-servant attitudes you will build, such as service orientation, integrity and empathy, so the rest of the answer has a clear thread.
Conclusion
Close by showing how training, mentoring and citizen feedback together make service, integrity and empathy a lasting part of a public servant's conduct.
Model answer
Attitude is a learned disposition that shapes how a person thinks and acts. For a public servant, the suitable attitude is service orientation, integrity, empathy and objectivity, because administrative decisions directly affect citizens' lives. Since attitude is not fixed at birth, it can be deliberately built through structured methods and corrected through feedback.
Attitudes required
- Service orientation: treating citizens as stakeholders, not petitioners
- Integrity: refusing undue favour and applying rules uniformly, as Ashok Khemka's consistent stand against irregularities showed
- Empathy: understanding local conditions during relief work after floods or communal tensions
- Objectivity: deciding on evidence rather than pressure
Methods to build them
- Foundation training at LBSNAA on constitutional values, case-study analysis and ethical dilemmas
- Mid-career workshops on emotional intelligence and resilience
- Mentorship by senior officers; Sardar Patel's firm yet diplomatic handling of princely states shows how conduct is modelled
- Field exposure and community service, as Armstrong Pame's road-building in Manipur with community support illustrates
- Daily reflection, such as the decision diary practised in probationer training, to review choices
Feedback as correction
- Citizen feedback mechanisms, Gram Sabha social audits and RTI scrutiny expose lapses in conduct
- 360-degree appraisal and the ethics framework recommended by the Second ARC help identify attitude gaps
- Mission Karmayogi's competency-based modules link attitude to career progression
Attitude thus moves from principle to practice through training, role models, field exposure and accountability. Public servants who internalise service, integrity and empathy are better placed to deliver responsive and transparent governance.
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More GS Paper 4 (Ethics) questions
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