Steps involved in Ethical decision-making –
- Recognize the moral aspect of the problem (เคธเคฎเคธเฅเคฏเคพ เคเฅ เคจเฅเคคเคฟเค เคชเคนเคฒเฅ เคเฅ เคชเคนเคเคพเคจเฅเค)
- Describe the factual details (เคคเคฅเฅเคฏเคพเคคเฅเคฎเค เคตเคฟเคตเคฐเคฃ เคฌเคคเคพเคเค)
- List down all the moral/ethical values at stake (เคฆเคพเคเคต เคชเคฐ เคฒเคเฅ เคธเคญเฅ เคจเฅเคคเคฟเค เคฎเฅเคฒเฅเคฏเฅเค เคเฅ เคธเฅเคเฅ เคฌเคจเคพเคเค)
- Visualize all the possible alternatives to rescue the values at stake (เคธเคญเฅ เคธเคเคญเคพเคตเคฟเคค เคตเคฟเคเคฒเฅเคชเฅเค เคเฅ เคเคฒเฅเคชเคจเคพ เคเคฐเฅเค)
- Alternatives should not violate canons of Justice (Like give him/her opportunity to represent)
- Procedural formality (เคชเฅเคฐเคเฅเคฐเคฟเคฏเคพเคคเฅเคฎเค เคเคชเคเคพเคฐเคฟเคเคคเคพ) > Developmental objectives (เคตเคฟเคเคพเคธเคพเคคเฅเคฎเค เคเคฆเฅเคฆเฅเคถเฅเคฏ)
- Avoid personal bias (เคตเฅเคฏเคเฅเคคเคฟเคเคค เคชเฅเคฐเฅเคตเคพเคเฅเคฐเคน เคธเฅ เคฌเคเฅเค)
- Analysing the consequences of the alternatives (เคตเคฟเคเคฒเฅเคชเฅเค เคเฅ เคชเคฐเคฟเคฃเคพเคฎเฅเค เคเคพ เคตเคฟเคถเฅเคฒเฅเคทเคฃ เคเคฐเคจเคพ)
Various approaches to assess decisions –
- The Rights Approach – Whether the final outcome respect the rights of all stakeholders
- The Justice Approach – Does the final outcome treat everyone Fairly or it is discriminatory
- The Utilitarian approach – The greatest good for a greater number
- The common good approach – Does the final decision serve community as a whole or just some members?
- The Virtue approach – Would it help me become a better person
- Care Ethics Approach – Does this decision take into account the relationships, concerns, and feelings of all stakeholders?
- Harm test (เคนเคพเคจเคฟ เคชเคฐเฅเคเฅเคทเคฃ) – Least harm to people or environment
- Reversibility test – What if I was in that situation
- Publicity test – What if this decision is published in the Newspaper
- Defensibility test – Should not violate any law
- Time test – Timely decision
The above statement supports the Evolutionist theory. According to it, the moral rules of the the future would be more superior than the moral rules of the past or present. And with time, we must go towards absolute morality
Delivering justice according to changing time and context –
- Slavery System – was ones moral and legal in America, but no more
- Approx 1,600 obsolete laws have been repealed by the government of india, as they were brought by the police state. Current welfare state of India rejects these laws on ethical grounds
- Sati System – was ones prominent in India and worshipped as an idol. But today it is both illegal and unethical
- Judicial intervention –
- Triple Talaq – Once considered valid under personal law, struck down by the Supreme Court in 2017 as unjust to womenโs dignity
- Womenโs entry into Sabarimala Temple – Traditional ban considered just historically, but in present context of gender equality, upheld as unjust by judiciary.
- Caste-based discrimination – Accepted in traditional society, but declared unconstitutional and unjust in modern India (Art. 17, abolition of untouchability)
- Privacy vs. Surveillance – Data collection once viewed as acceptable for security, now questioned as unjust violation of the right to privacy (Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case, 2017).
- Climate Change Responsibility – Development once measured only in GDP terms; today excessive industrialization without sustainability is seen as unjust towards future generations
- Social Justice and LGBTQ+ Rights – LGBTQ+ identities were criminalized under past interpretations of justice; evolving social conscience has led many nations to decriminalize homosexuality and recognize equal rights
Just like in evolution, survival of the fittest is applicable on moral principles like justice also. Those moral principles survive which are more important for human & social development and are more rational. Indian society has strong belief in โเคชเคฐเคฟเคตเคฐเฅเคคเคจเค เคจเคฟเคคเฅเคฏเค เคธเฅเคฅเคฟเคฐเคฎเฅโ that is, Change is eternal and constant, which is must to do justice with the all sections of society, including flora and fauna.
Accountability is the state of being responsible for one’s decisions and actions. Accountability in administration comprises mainly 3 components – transparency + Answerability + Enforceability.
Why important –
- It creates trust and confidence in public
- Improves performance
- Eliminates confusion – It promotes ownership of decision [People value their work]
- As a remedial measure
- A Civil servant is accountable to his/her senior, government and people whom he is serving. This means that civil servants must provide the same standard of free, frank, impartial, and responsive advice irrespective of the political party in power
- Ex – Lal bahadur Shastri was the first railway minister who resigned from office following a major train accident as he felt morally responsibility
- Ex-ISRO Chairman Satish Dhawan accepted responsibility for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s failure in 1979 when Dr Kalam-headed SLV-3 Mission satellite fell into the Bay of Bengal
Ensured by –
- The Constitution of India
- Parliamentary laws and policies
- Consumer rights [Consumer protection act 2019, Jaago Grahak Jaago]
- Citizen are consumer of public service
- Right to information Act 2005
- Whistleblower Protection Act, 2014
- Institutions –
- Lokpal and lokayukta
- Agencies like ED, CBI, CVC, CAG, Election commission etc
- Self –
- Citizen charter
- Internal audit
- Technology (E-Governance Initiatives) –
- Jan Sampark Portal
- Jan Soochna Portal
- CCTV, Chatbots
- DBT, Aadhar integration
- Biometric attendance
- Citizen –
- CPGRAMS [Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System]
- Social Audit
- 360 degree appraisal
- Institutional audit, third party audits
- Training and capacity building
By ensuring the proper implementation of the above-mentioned measures, we can dream of a true Amril kaal and a Vishv Guru Bharat by 2047.
