Publicity Stunt in Civil Services | 31 Oct 2023

An IAS Officer assumed the role of an Election Commission observer for the State Assembly elections, gained attention when he shared a photo of himself standing in front of an official government vehicle on Instagram.

However, the Election Commission expressed its strong concern regarding the officer's Instagram post and promptly removed him from his role as a General Observer. He had also been barred from any election-related responsibilities until further notice.

The officer received an immediate directive to depart from the constituency. Additionally, all government-provided facilities within the State, including the car featured in his social media posts, were withdrawn.

Nonetheless, the officer maintained that there was nothing inappropriate about the post and offered an explanation for the motivations behind it. He stated, "A public servant, using a vehicle funded by the public, while on official duty with other public officials, and sharing photos with the public was not meant for publicity or self-promotion."

Do you think that the act of a public servant sharing their official duties on social media potentially breach the Code of Ethics for Civil Services. In the above scenario, what type of training would you suggest for officers at various levels in the government offices?