Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Explain the term Emotional Intelligence.
• Illustrate how EI is useful for running administration and governance.
• Conclude by stressing on the importance of EI.

Introduction

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize one’s own and other people’s emotions. EI helps in discriminating between different feelings and label them appropriately to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. It helps in generating emotions to assist thought and reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Body

EI is therefore imperative to deal with the challenges of administration such as political interference, communication with people and conflict management, etc.

• Teamwork and collaboration: EI helps a person in tapping the emotional energies of the people which results in building morale to get the task done. Thus an emotionally intelligent civil servant can motivate his/her subordinates towards a particular goal. For eg. during Kerala flood IAS officers were seen carrying rice bags to the rehabilitation center, thus setting an example for their subordinates
• Coordinating effectively with political masters: EI enables one to manage emotions in anxiety-provoking situations. It helps in overcoming the different political ideologies and masters of diverse backgrounds with diplomatic tact. For eg., an IAS officer might not agree to some policy of his immediate political master but that should not affect his duty to carry out his orders.
• For better targeting of policies: For better governance, bureaucrats need to know emotions, and drives of persons at whom the public policy is targeted for a better acquaintance with the nature of problems in society and their possible solutions. For eg., Operation Sulaimani is a free food programme introduced in the city of Kozhikode by an IAS officer. Operation Sulaimani ensures that no one in Kozhikode is denied food due to want of money. It guarantees a
  right to food without answering any questions or long delays.
• For imbibing creativity: An Emotionally Intelligent person is more likely to try new things, take risks and face new challenges without fear. This helps in finding innovative solutions to different problems. For eg. Bharati Holikeri an IAS officer encouraged antenatal checks at primary healthcare centers by introducing wholesome lunch for pregnant women by directing nearby Anganwadi centers without adding extra fiscal burden on the government.
• Conflict management: EI helps in real-time management of an untoward situation based on conscience, intuition, and experience especially during public unrest. For eg. In the recent case of conflict between Delhi police and lawyers,the escalation of the situation could have been avoided by the use of emotional intelligence also, tackling the Sabarimala issue is one such incident where police officials involved must demonstrate emotional intelligence.
• For Better Communication: An Emotionally Intelligent civil servant will be able to communicate policies better. Also, the person will be able to foster a healthy relationship with his subordinates and the general public.
• Stress Management: EI enables one to manage emotions in anxiety-provoking situations and thus helps one in maintaining one’s physical and mental well being. E.g. Coimbatore Police has started an initiative called “well being’’ for stress management.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence (EI) forms the juncture at which cognition and emotion meet. It facilitates our capacity for resilience, motivation, empathy, reasoning, stress management, communication which remains the bedrock for running any administration and effective governance.