Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

In today’s world focused on efficiency and results, governance often emphasizes outcomes over ethical considerations. However, amid challenges like corruption and inequality, virtue ethics, which highlights the importance of moral character in leadership, provides a framework for fostering trust, integrity, and long-term societal well-being, which are crucial for sustainable governance.

Body

Relevance of Virtue Ethics in Governance

• Ensuring Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making: Virtuous leaders prioritize public good over personal gains, fostering trust and accountability.
  • Example: Lal Bahadur Shastri – resigned as Railway Minister after a major train accident, taking moral responsibility, thereby demonstrating integrity and accountability in leadership.
• Balancing Efficiency with Justice and Fairness: Purely result-driven governance may overlook equity and inclusivity, that necessitates virtue ethics.
  • Example: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ensures employment for the poor, balancing economic efficiency with social justice by prioritizing vulnerable sections.
• Preventing Ethical Erosion in Bureaucracy: An efficiency-driven approach may encourage corruption, short-termism, and lack of empathy, that can be curtailed with virtue ethics.
  • Example: Ashok Khemka (IAS Officer), known for exposing land scams despite political pressure, demonstrating resilience against corruption and short-termism in governance.

Challenges to Virtue Ethics in Governance

• Pressure for Quick Results and Economic Growth: Market-driven governance often prioritizes efficiency over ethical deliberation.
  • Example: Fast-tracking environmental clearances for industries, compromising ecological sustainability.
• Bureaucratic Red Tape and Resistance to Change: Ethical governance requires moral courage, which may conflict with rigid bureaucratic structures.
  • Example: Whistleblower cases like Satyendra Dubey (exposing corruption in NHAI) show the risks of ethical governance.
• Subjectivity and Cultural Variations in Virtue Ethics”: What constitutes "virtue" may vary across societies and political ideologies.
  • Example: Western individualistic vs. Eastern collectivist ethical frameworks influencing governance differently.

Integrating Virtue Ethics with Efficiency

• Ethical training for civil servants (e.g., Mission Karmayogi) to instill moral reasoning in governance.
• Institutional frameworks like Lokpal, RTI, and Citizen’s Charters to embed ethical governance.
• Technology-driven transparency, such as Aadhaar and DBT, ensures both efficiency and ethical delivery.

Conclusion

While efficiency and results are crucial for governance, virtue ethics remain indispensable for justice, inclusivity, and long-term societal well-being. A balanced approach that integrates efficiency with ethical governance can lead to sustainable and people-centric administration.