Four months after the Modi government raised the bar for the All India Services, the government spelt out 18 commandments for over 30 lakh civil servants that requires them to maintain integrity, disciplined and keep public interest above their own.
The department of personnel and training (DoPT) on Friday announced that the central civil services (conduct) rules — that covers all civil services except the IAS — had been amended to incorporate an ethical framework for officials.
The three All India Services — the IAS, IPS and Indian forest service (IFS) — are guided by a separate set of conduct rules which were amended in August this year.
They should maintain courtesy and good behaviour with the public, commit themselves to and uphold supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values, defend and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, decency and morality, and declare any private interests relating to his public duties and take steps to resolve any conflicts in a way that protects the public interest, the DoPT order amending the rules said.
The code of conduct for bureaucrats was first conceived in the early years of the Manmohan Singh government when it drafted a law for civil services. But concerns that the law could tie the government’s hands prompted the UPA to defer this proposal into the cold storage.
{{/usCountry}}The code of conduct for bureaucrats was first conceived in the early years of the Manmohan Singh government when it drafted a law for civil services. But concerns that the law could tie the government’s hands prompted the UPA to defer this proposal into the cold storage.
{{/usCountry}}With the UPA and Modi government showing signs of reviving the proposed law, officials at the DoPT had proposed to at least notify the code of conduct for civil servants.