Adaptability — Ethical Standards

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
42nd Amendment	1976	The 42nd Amendment, passed during the Emergency, significantly altered the constitutional framework and raised important questions about the limits of adaptability in governance. While the amendment itself was controversial, it demonstrated how adaptability can be misused when principles are abandoned. The amendment changed the Preamble (adding 'socialist' and 'secular'), expanded executive power, and limited judicial review. From an adaptability perspective, this amendment shows what happens when adaptability becomes unprincipled—when flexibility in constitutional interpretation is used to concentrate power and limit rights. The subsequent reversal of many of these changes (through the 44th Amendment) demonstrates that adaptability without principle is ultimately unsustainable. For UPSC Ethics, this amendment teaches that adaptability must have limits and that constitutional principles cannot be adapted away.	The 42nd Amendment had profound long-term impact on Indian governance by demonstrating the dangers of unprincipled adaptability. It led to the development of the 'basic structure doctrine' (established in Kesavananda Bharati case), which limits how much the Constitution can be adapted. It also led to the 44th Amendment, which restored many protections. The amendment taught the nation that adaptability in governance must respect constitutional limits and that flexibility cannot mean abandoning fundamental principles. For administrators, it demonstrates that while adaptability is necessary, it must operate within constitutional and ethical boundaries.
73rd Amendment	1992	The 73rd Amendment introduced the Panchayati Raj system and the 74th Amendment introduced the Municipal system, both of which required significant adaptability in governance. These amendments recognized that governance needed to adapt to include local participation and decentralization. They required administrators to adapt from a centralized, top-down approach to a more participatory, decentralized approach. The amendments mandated that 33% of positions be reserved for women, requiring further adaptability in how governance was conducted. These amendments demonstrate positive adaptability—adapting governance structures to be more inclusive and participatory while maintaining the core objective of good governance.	The 73rd and 74th Amendments had transformative impact on Indian governance by requiring administrators to adapt to decentralized, participatory governance. They required adaptability in how decisions are made, how budgets are allocated, and how communities are engaged. The amendments demonstrated that adaptability can be used to improve governance by making it more inclusive and responsive. For administrators, these amendments show that adaptability includes being willing to share power and decision-making authority with local communities. They demonstrate that good governance sometimes requires adapting traditional hierarchical structures to more participatory models.