Introduction

This statement, based on Kantian duty ethics, highlights that the highest moral value lies in fulfilling one’s duty with dedication. For a civil servant, this means upholding the Constitution, prioritizing public welfare, and placing society’s needs above personal interests. True personal fulfilment comes from internalizing constitutional values and embracing the responsibility entrusted to them.

Body

Sense of Responsibility as a Civil Servant

• Duty as a Public Servant: A civil servant’s primary duty is to serve the public with integrity, impartiality, and competence, irrespective of personal interests or political pressures.
  • Eg: Kiran Bedi, as the first woman officer in the Indian Police Service, transformed Tihar Jail into a rehabilitative institution, focusing on prisoners’ welfare while maintaining discipline.
• Kantian Ethics of Duty: Immanuel Kant’s moral theory emphasizes performing duties not for external rewards but because it is the right thing to do, upholding justice, equality, and fairness.
  • Eg: Medha Patkar, during the Narmada Bachao Andolan, resisted the government’s push for large dams, ensuring the constitutional rights of displaced people were respected.
• Accountability and Integrity: Civil servants must manage public resources transparently and free from corruption, ensuring that they are accountable to the citizens.
  • Eg: E. Sreedharan, known as the Metro Man, led the Delhi Metro project with integrity, resisting corruption despite immense pressures.
• Public Service as Duty to Society: A civil servant should see their role as a service to society, motivated by the greater good and societal welfare.
  • Eg: Satyendra Dubey, an IAS officer, exposed corruption in a highway project and sacrificed his life for the public interest, exemplifying selflessness in service.
    

Personal Fulfilment through Duty

• Selflessness and Service: Personal fulfilment in civil service comes from selflessly serving the nation, prioritizing public welfare over personal gains. This aligns with Gandhi’s Sevabhava (spirit of service).
  • Eg: Dr. Verghese Kurien, the architect of India’s White Revolution, found fulfilment in empowering India’s dairy farmers despite opposition from monopolies.
• Growth Through Responsibility: The sense of duty helps a civil servant achieve personal growth by providing purpose and direction. By dedicating themselves to ethical duties, they attain eudaimonia (flourishing), as described by Aristotle.
• Moral and Professional Satisfaction: Personal fulfilment also arises when a civil servant experiences moral satisfaction from upholding high standards of governance and ensuring justice.
  • Eg: M.S. Swaminathan, an agricultural scientist, found fulfilment by creating sustainable farming practices, benefiting millions of farmers.
• Contributing to Societal Development: Civil servants achieve fulfilment by actively contributing to societal progress and seeing their policies lead to long-lasting positive change.
  • Eg: Aruna Roy, through the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), played a crucial role in making government actions transparent through social audits, contributing to good governance.

Conclusion

The highest perfection in life, as a civil servant, comes not from personal accolades or material success but from a devotion to duty with integrity, impartiality, and a focus on public welfare.  The true reward for a civil servant lies in the ethical satisfaction of contributing to the greater good while upholding constitutional values.

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