This chapter covers the two longest lines of the GS IV syllabus and is where ethics meets the machinery of government. The first line deals with ethics in public administration: its status and problems, dilemmas in government and private institutions, laws, rules and conscience as guides, accountability, ethical issues in international relations and funding, and corporate governance. The second deals with probity: the concept of public service, its philosophical basis, transparency and the Right to Information, codes of ethics and conduct, citizen’s charters, work culture, service delivery, use of public funds, and corruption.

What UPSC asks. GS IV is a Mains-only paper, but this chapter overlaps heavily with GS II governance. Expect questions on codes of ethics vs codes of conduct, RTI as a tool of probity, why citizen’s charters have under-performed, the conscience–law conflict, and the causes and remedies of corruption.

Sub-topic	Key anchors
Ethics in public administration	Second ARC, Fourth Report “Ethics in Governance” (2007)
Sources of ethical guidance	Laws, rules, regulations, conscience
Accountability	Political, administrative, legal, social; CAG, Parliament, courts
International relations and funding	Panchsheel, climate justice, R2P, FCRA
Corporate governance	Companies Act, 2013; SEBI regulations
Probity	RTI Act, 2005; conduct rules; citizen’s charters; Sevottam
Corruption	Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013; CVC

Read Ethics in public administration and then Probity in governance.