Role of Civil Services — Ethical Framework

Ethical Framework

Separate five functions and the accountability connecting them.

Advice: Present evidence, alternatives, costs, uncertainty and implementation constraints. Advice is not the same as the competent authority's final choice.

Continuity: Preserve records, commitments and lessons across postings and political transitions. Continuity should prevent avoidable repetition, not protect an obsolete practice from review.

Implementation: Translate objectives into responsibilities, criteria, resources and timelines. Handle exceptions through lawful authority and a reviewable record rather than inventing eligibility at the counter.

Regulation: Assess compliance and protect affected interests within the governing framework. A regulator's duty is not identical to maximising the speed of approvals.

Service delivery: Make lawful services usable and reliable. A completed file or constructed asset is an output; actual access and quality are further questions.

Article 309 concerns recruitment and conditions of service, and Article 315 concerns Public Service Commissions for the Union and states. These provisions establish institutional context; they do not make a commission responsible for every daily administrative choice.

For covered employees, CCS Rule 3 links integrity, neutrality and public interest. RTI section 4 adds a framework for information and reasons. Use the applicable scope and procedure.

A water-programme example connects the functions: assess options, advise, organise lawful procurement, coordinate implementation, monitor reliable supply and preserve a record for review. The final test is the public outcome, not the visibility of the launch.